Canon PowerShot G2 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

The Canon PowerShot G2 is a digital camera consumer's dream come true, and a nightmare for other digital camera manufacturers.

Make a list of features you'd expect and not expect to find from a "prosumer" digital camera, and chances are you'll find them on the G2. This is a little camera that was designed to act a lot bigger than many other digital cameras in its class.

You only have to pick up a G2 to realize that there's a lot more to it than meets the eye; this camera's significantly heavier and feels sturdier than any other camera in its class! The extra weight means better camera stabilization. The G2's sturdiness inspires confidence and makes the camera feel like a photographic tool, not an electronic gizmo.

From the tilt-and-swivel LCD, the magnification loupe for manual focusing, dedicated and fully functional flash hot-shoe, evaluative metering, IR autofocous assist mechanism, ISO 50, RAW image format, etc., etc., this camera has it all!.

Many photographers will argue that the real measures of any camera lie in the controls and results. The G2 doesn't disappoint in either of these respects. Although you'll have to familiarize yourself with the camera's controls initially, you'll soon find them very intuitive and actually use them more often than not.

The quality of images captured with the G2 is nothing short of superb! You'll get clean, detailed, very high-resolution photographs with the G2, especially if you use the camera's RAW mode at ISO 50.

The Canon PowerShot G2 is still a point-and-shoot digital camera. Anyone who's ever used an SLR will miss the optical viewfinder, true manual focus, and lens selection not available in the G2. However, this can be said for any other digital camera in the G2's class. In every other respect, the G2 rises above its inherent limitations and really challenges its competition to try and keep up!

Beyond the camera itself, Canon has really done the consumer proud by offering most every accessory that you would want included at no extra charge, i.e. an remote control unit, high-capacity rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, and remote capture software.

If you're in the market for a capable digital camera at a reasonable price, thank Canon for making the choice really very simple.

Positives:

extensive feature set

excellent build and design

superb results, especially in RAW mode at ISO 50

Excellent lens produces very little distortion and chromatic aberrations

extremely reasonable price

All the accessories that should come standard do come standard.

Negatives:

Certain exposure adjustments, i.e. flash compensation, aren't available in full manual mode.

The fact that the G2 isn't an SLR.

Not much else.

I consider myself an advanced amateur photographer. I own a Minolta 3xi SLR, and this Canon G2 is my first digital camera. I have done extensive research on 3MP to 4MP digital camera. The final candidates are: Olympus C-4040Z, Canon G2, with G2 being the winner.

Things I like about G2 (from personal experience):

swivel LCD very useful in quite a lot of situations.

swivel LCD protects LCD when not in use.

long battery life. I have bought an extra battery just in case, but I have never used it so far (I have been using G2 for more than 3 months now). On average, I can use one charge for about 200 shots, with 50% of shots taken with flash; or > 300 shots on normal usage. I think I will use the extra battery when I go on travelling...

manual focus magnifies the subject, thus allowing easy and accurate focusing.

ability to show 9 thumnails at a time, and ability to let you jump 9 photos forward/backward at a time.

remote control comes very handy. The downside is: I always forget to turn on the remote control feature on the G2, and I wonder why my remote control is not working... I wish future cameras will allow use of remote control, without having user to remember to turn on/off the remote control feature everytime he wishes to use it.

G2 normally produces good and sharp photograph.

Things I dislike about G2:

slow to focus: causing me to miss many great photos.

unable to auto focus: the camera could not auto focus during night time even with street light. The G2's light assist does not help much and is of little to no use. Fortunately, manual focus is available. On another situation, I cannot auto focus on subjects are close (less than 1.5 foot) to the camera.

video recording has max time limit of 30 seconds. This is useful for short clips, but generally videos require much longer than 30 seconds block. Note: Olympus C-4040Z has no video time limit.

unable to zoom in or out after you have started video recording. However, you can zoom in or out before starting a video session.

flash insufficient. When taking indoor pictures, flash assisted photos will look artificial, and gives you a feel that there is insufficient light (i.e. subject too bright, background too dark). I have read that adding an external flash will solve this problem, although I have never tried it. In the meantime, I use Night mode to compensate for this artificial lighting. With Night mode, your photo will look natural. The drawback is: the subject will need to stay still a little longer for the shot, so that there is more exposure for the darker areas. Unfortunately, my subjects do not always stay as long as I want them to.

auto stitching does not work very well. Initially, I was impressed by auto-stitching. But upon further examination, I find that the stitching is done correctly only on certain parts of the photo. For example, auto-stitch is done correctly at the bottom half joining two pictures, but somehow auto-stitch did not stitch the top half correctly (i.e. top half is misaligned). In all, I would give auto-stitching a Bto C+ grade.

photos taken tend to be more magenta in color. Fortunately, I can resolve this by setting Saturation level to Low (from Normal).

noise found in higher ISO. Generally, G2 produces good quality photo at ISO 50 or ISO 100. I do not recommend using any ISO higher than 100 since I experience a lot of noise at these higher ISO.

Summary of main points: G2 is an above average digital camera for an advanced amateur, with many bells and whistles to play with. 3x zoom might be a little too small, but sufficient for most shots. Main problems of camera are slow focusing and sometimes inability to focus. Strengths of G2 are swivelling LCD and sharpness. Considering its price, it gives good value for money, but there is much room for improvement.

Note: You will definitely need a 128MB CF card. 32MB just isn't enough for a 4MP camera.

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I've had my G2 for about 3 weeks and (thanks to a Big Event) had the opportunity to pump several hundred images into it over a four day period. Once I got used to it, I found it to be a very satisfying replacement for other cameras I've used (SLRs, digital video as replacement for still camera, point and shoot compacts).

I especially enjoy taking candids in available light, and this is the first compact camera I've used that actually lets me do this effectively. This is because I have reliable control over the flash and I can review pictures taken in questionable light to see if they worked or not.

I also used the G2 on a tripod to make a photographic copy of a large family oil painting, and the results were about what I'd expect from typical 35mm film in the hands of a casual user. I used the "remote capture" mode with a laptop, and must say that this mode works, but not as smoothly as you might expect.

When using available light, I admit I'm disappointed that the ISO setting maxes out at 400, but in my experience that's usually been enough, especially with an f2.0 lens, and the G2 can generally provide f2.0 (though you lose that maximum opening at longer focal lengths). The G2 gamely tries to take pictures even when the light is a bit too low, and it simply tries to warn you to hold the camera extra-steady.

The low-light picture results were comparable to what I achieved with film some sharp, some blurry, some grainy, often depending on the quality of the lighting. The level of detail I achieved in my JPEGs was comparable to what I'd seen under similar conditions with a good film camera.

I often ran the G2 in "slow motor drive" mode since this would allow you to take several pictures in a row. Otherwise the camera would pause dramatically between shots as it pushed the previous image onto the compact flash card. In a sense, this was the biggest adjustment I had to make to this camera -its computer would occasionally go off and do things, leaving the camera insensible to my need to take a picture, and I'd have to wait a second or two for it to catch up with me. The motor drive mode helped minimize this problem.

Of course, the digital camera, and the G2 in particular, carries benefits that were only fantasies in the world of film. I installed a 256K CF card, and the thing held HUNDREDS of pictures! And even though I overused the motor drive setting, I could go back and discard the less interesting pictures WITHOUT WASTING FILM. So by the end of my 4-day event, I had already edited out many of the less promising pictures I'd taken.

Another G2 shortcoming is that there's no way to change the orientation of a picture stored on the CF card. Even if you tell the camera which way to orient a picture (there's a menu entry), you lose that information if you simply copy the picture off of the CF card. I found that surprising. (For that matter, today's smart camera ought to sense which way is up, and store the image appropriately.)

In closing, let me comment on battery usage. I bought a second battery and didn't start using it till the THIRD DAY of shooting! Note that I mostly relied on the viewfinder, and rarely used the flash. But I regularly used the LCD to review and edit the pictures I'd taken. I never plugged in the camera during the entire four days, since I'd already charged up the other battery. So you can push A LOT of pictures through a single battery charge.

Plusses: the benefits of digital technology, film-like resolution, lots of control, a relatively fast lens, a usable viewfinder, awesome battery life.

Minuses: ISO tops off at 400, the camera's computer can be slow, and you must use separate editing software to orient pictures. But I suspect the G2 is comparable, if not better, than most other digital cameras in these respects.

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After months of exhaustive searching, I finally decided to purchase the Canon Powershot G2 (it's a wonderfully re-designed upgrade to the Powershot G1). The clarity of the images that this camera takes is spectacular. Combine that with the list of outstanding features that aren't included on any other digital camera: ISO 50, RAW image capture, a flip out LCD screen (which is much more handy than you would think), an infrared remote for long exposures and self-portraits, and easy menu functions -this camera is without equal in it's price range.

It's definitely not for the beginner, but, if you're familiar with photography, you'll be able to take sharp, beautiful pictures with this camera. Skin tones are perfect and the built in flash with exposure compensation does a good job for portraits. And, if you're considering a Sony, this camera uses the more inexpensive Compact Flash memory storage system. Compact Flash memory cards are cheaper than the Sony Memory Stick and are compatible with more peripherals than Memory Stick.

All in all, if it's in your price range, you will be very pleased with the Canon Powershot G2.

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After working with this camera at the store at which I am employed, I have come to the conclusion that all around, this is the best high-end consumer grade digital camera. There are several ways in which this camera comes out on top over the cameras made by its competitors.

More than likely, the camera people will compare this to is the Nikon Coolpix 995--at least these are the two cameras most people narrow it down to. Each camera offers things that the other doesn't, but I find the Canon is superior in several ways.

1. The Canon is *far* more user friendly. The controls are laid out in a way that makes them easy to find. SLR users that are converting from film to digital will find the switch to be a little easier with the Canon. One thing I don't like about the Nikon is the way manual control works; hold down this button, move this switch, push down that button while moving that switch, etc etc. Way too complicated for the average consumer. On the Canon it's a breeze. Switch the control to "M" and the 4-way pad on the back up the camera controls aperture and shutter speed. That's it.

2. The Canon uses an anti-reflective coating on the screen. Nikon and Olympus *still* don't do that with their consumer grade cameras. The anti-reflective coating helps heaps when you're out in the sun, where the screens on most other cameras get faded out and are impossible to see.

3. The rechargable battery that comes with the Canon lasts far longer than other camera batteries (i.e. AA's or the rechargables Nikon uses). You could easily get over 200 shots from a single battery, with the LCD screen on.

4. The software package the Canon comes with blows away what Nikon and Olympus give you. Adobe Photoshop--the standard in the graphics industry.

5. The Canon comes with a 32 megabyte card, which is 2x what most manufacturers ship the camera with.

6. Two words -hot shoe. Right on the camera. Who wants to carry around a bulky flash bracket when you can buy a camera that a standard flash attaches right to?

If you've read reviews from computer magazines or from digital camera websites, you'll see that the Canon gets consistently high reviews. In a recent review, the G2 was rated #1 over the Coolpix 995, which the reviewers claimed produced pictures which weren't quite as sharp as the ones from the G2. I've been waiting to buy a digital camera. When I have the means, I am very confident this is the one I'll go with.

Supereyes B005 0.1X ~ 200X Handheld USB Digital Microscope Endoscope Loupe Otoscope Magnifier with

Watch out! They claim it works with Mac and Linux but there is no software for either OS. Documentation is virtually nonexistent. There comes a small form factor CD with it,which can only be read if you have a tray type CD reader. It is not much use anyways, because much of the stuff on it is in Chinese and whatever comes in English is just a copy of the printed "instructions." I don't know if it works with Windows. I'll post once I find out.

Update: I stand corrected: With a Mac one can use PhotoBooth at the software end to see the image live and to take snapshots. The only annoyance is that PhotoBooth reverses the image and has no switch to change that.

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Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm VR Lens with 16GB Card + Filter + Case + Accessory Kit

I am new at DSLR, so instead of buying a single D3100, I need to buy a kit, There are two reasons let me choose this kit: First. most of the items in this kit is useful for me, what I really need in this kit is the camera,the memory card and the bag, but after I received this kit, I found that the UV filter and the LCD screen protecter are also useful, they are good choice to protect LCD screen and Lens, and also if you don't have a card reader slot on your computer, you will also need the card reader in this kit. The second reason is the price, it is much cheaper to buy a kit than to buy these items seperatly, I compared this seller's kit with other's seller's kit also, this price is good, accturely, when I bought it, the price is around 680 dollars, it's cut now, but it is also a good price at the time when I bought it. Finally, the product is as good as discribed, and shipping service is good and fast, I got what I want.

Thanks!

It came earlier than promised!!! Good job!

I am a novice when it comes to photography, but have had quite a few cameras already. I used to own the Nikon N70 and was quite happy with its performance, but then came the convenience of the POINT-AND-SHOOT. I never really like these compact ones, but my wife nagged me all the time about always wanting small and easy to use cameras. So, I gave in for the last three little ones. This time, I stood my ground and purchased this D3100 since both of my kids are in sports activities such as soccer and karate etc... The point-and-shoot couldn't do squat, but this D3100 seems to be doing the job. I am still in the play-around-with-it mode, but have shot quite a few nice action pictures. Since it is winter here in the Northeast and the sports are being played indoor now, lighting is a limitting factor and so the pics are not as great as they could be--I hope. The shutter speed is not the best, but at 3/sec is adequate for most of the situations that people commonly encounter.

The included lense is fairly good and the VR feature works great. Auto-focus is relatively quick, but a bit high on the noise---this gets recorded if you do Video-recording! I recommend using manual focus during filming. I am looking for a more powerful zoom lense as I am sure the 18-55mm is not adequate out on the soccer fields....overall, I am fairly happy with its performance!

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Awesome package with all items included. I also got an extra battery, which I highly recommend if you buy this item. Overall, this has been an excellent purchase and an excellent product, I have no complaints whatsoever, if you need a camera and you can afford this product, Buy It! You will not regret it!

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm VR Lens with 16GB Card + Filter + Case + Accessory Kit Here

Product was in great condition. I love the camera. Only complaint is that the screen protectors are low quality. This was still a great deal though!

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Definitely worth the buy!! Came almost a week before it was supposed to arrive and all accessories were there and work great! Greater camera for the advanced shooter with the photographic eye. ;)

Tripp Lite P568-050-EZ Easy Pull HDMI Monitor Cable w/ Connectors - 50ft

This Cable could not deliver a good signal at the other end for the projector. I will have to return it.

Although this product will fit into 2 inch electrical conduit (which the dummy who installed the av system in my house 3 years ago decided to use), it will not make it around a 90 degree bend in that tubing. The connector on the end is still to big/stiff. I'll have to drill open the wall at the corner, take out the corner and feed this through.

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PTC Premium Mini-DVI to HDMI adapter with 10 ft White Premium HDMI cable VALUED PACK - white - for

It's a good deal to get everything in one package for you to connect to an HDMI compatible tv for 20$...but it should work most of the time too. If I take my computer off my table and put it on my lap, jostling the connection between the mini-DVI male and female connectors while I type and use the mouse, I lose connection. Unless the mini-DVI female plug is white gold plated, they failed at gold plating all the connections as they claim they have. Overall, it's usable if you leave it be on a stable countertop and don't disturb the wires, but if you're like me and want to work off your lap, tough luck. Go find some better cables.

The internet TV system is here to stay and will be BIG! It's great to see shows and movies anytime you want on the internet in hidef on your large screen TV. You may want to get a bluetooth mouse Logitech V470 Bluetooth Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Blue) so you can stay seated while watching your lap top driven shows. Make sure your laptop will handle it. I have a Macbook and everything works great even with wireless internet connection. Set up was automatic and picture quality is superb.

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I felt that the best way to share my experience with the item was to show on video. The product does work and it works fantastic ... just not all the time. The MINI-DVI connection is very touchy and with even a seeming wrong breath will lose connection to the television. Moving the laptop around while connected is a big no no as things will go bad.

When it does work, the picture is really nice.

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connection is crappy and shorts out. treated w care but it's just bad quality. have to buy a new one now. really annoying! buy a better one.

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The product just doesn't work. I attempted to contact the company to return the item; however they have not responded. It has been over two weeks. Very disappointed.

Flip Video Cables HDMI

Beware the new 3rd generation Flip Ultra HD requires a Micro not mini HDMI

cable and these do not fit!!

I got these cables for free as a Flip Ultra HD bundle. The Flip was a Christmas gift for my mother as it is very simple to operate. With the cable attached to my HD TV, she can instantly watch the video she just shot without waiting for me to download the files to my computer and on to the portable player/hard drive. Two cables are included in this package, one long and one short. The short cable is long enough for my needs. I have the long one in my camera bag for travel. To my surprise, these cables also work with my Canon 5D Mark II and are very good built/quality.

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Works great! I can immediately watch my HD videos on my HD TV. They were very easy to connect. I leave one set connected to the TV all the time, so I can watch instant videos. The second set I keep in my bag, so if I'm at a friends house and shoot stuff, we can watch the videos right away. I highly recommend you purchase these cables for your Flip Video camera.

Read Best Reviews of Flip Video Cables HDMI Here

Excellent cables except that they do not fit my 3rd generation FLIP. IF I had read the reviews on this product, I would have known that.

Customer reviews are one of the the best reasons to buy from Amazon. Micro HDMI to HDMI cables are available from Amazon.

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Comes with two of them. The white one is long and the black one is short. Got this for free with the flip when I ordered so they are worth it. They do there job and with the Ultra HD and this on your HD tv it looks amazing!

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Panasonic Pro AG-HSC1U AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom

I'm an editor by trade, so for me the work flow and support for this format was very important. If you work with iMovie use of this footage is fast and seamless. And if you prefer Final Cut Pro (as I do) it works flawlessly with that as well now, providing you have the current FCP 6 (which is part of the Studio 2 release). So where some have complained about being able to edit with this format, I don't see that as a problem anymore.

The included battery powered HD works great (it's larger then it looks in the picture though). It's a great way to download your footage while you shoot. It works well.

The image quality is amazing. Really amazing. My previous camera was a Sony DV Camera (just a consumer model) and it was great but this is so much better.

The camera is very easy to use and you get used to just having it with you. I take it to more locations then I normally would, which means I actually shoot more footage.

One thing to consider in the big picture is where you will store all of this footage. Because I already work with tapeless footage at my office I have the necessary hardware to not only edit with the footage, but also back it up for long term archival purposes. If you don't have this, you will probably want to get the optional DVD burner that allows you to burn a card directly to a DVD. But even DVD is not a good long term solution. Personally I use LTO-3 tapes because they have a 30 year shelf life, but this is not something most consumers will have. Blue-ray is probably another good format to back up to. The point being, don't just think about how easy it is to shoot, think about the whole process from editing to final long term storage of your footage. This way of working does require a little more work along the way to stay organized and to be able to find your footage.

I purchased this model over the 5 or 1 model (I can't remember the rest of the letters but if you've been looking at this camera you probably know what i"m talking about) mainly because of two reasons. One is that it has a line in for a wireless mic, which was important to me even if I don't use a wireless mic all the time. Also, the gamma of this camera is better matched to Panasonic P2 cameras, making it a slightly (and I do mean slightly) better choice if you need to match this footage to a more professional camera.

I hope this information has been helpful to you.

Update Saturday; January 26, 2008 If you would like to see a sample video that was cut from the footage shot with this camera, use the link below. Keep in mind this is not the full quality, but you'll see how sharp the picture actually is. It also shows how weak the camera is in low light situations.

Having previous extensive experience with other panasonic professional camcorders, I knew this one would be no less than amazing. I rate it a full five stars. It has outstanding image quality, ease of editing with iMovie '09 and FCP, small form factor, and it uses SDHC cards which are readily available. This camcorder does not disappoint. The outstanding image quality is nothing short of fantastic. There is fineness in detail. When shooting into bright light, it compensates very effectively so everything is naturally exposed. Using standard cinematography techniques, there is a film-like quality that looks fabulous. Hint: in bright sunlight always use ND and polarizer filters. This camera turns on instantly and is ready to shoot. It has a good selection of manual controls. Sadly, there is no manual focusing ring. I use a step up ring to use readily available 49mm and larger filters. Battery life is a little over an hour but get another two or threethat goes without saying better safe than sorry when you are in the wild. This camcorder is small, lightweight and easy to operate. I use it handheld with a flash bracket or bean bag. For the best image quality use a smooth fluid head on top of a heavy tripod. The built in OIS works great for handheld use. I like the variable speed zoom servo. I can get silky slow motion zooms and fast ones if needed. It is still photo capable and I have used it but it's of lesser importance to me. It's small enough to tape outside on a car, truck, motorcycle or ATV for getting great camera angles.

Perhaps the best part is that it records 1080i/60 directly onto SDHC cards. No tape mechanism to jam. Check footage in camera and delete instantly what you don't like. Place the card in your laptop for fast and easy transfer. As previously mentioned iMovie '08 and '09, Final Cut Express 4, Final Cut Studio 3, Adobe Premiere CS3, and other software titles work flawlessly in handling the AVCHD footage. Editing is quick and easy. The package comes with a handy self-powered 40gb HD for transferring footage in the field from the SDHC card. Very thoughtful of Panasonic to include this. It means you only need one or two cards to shoot with. An 8gb card will hold 83 minutes of HD footage or a 16gb card will allow you to shoot for two hours and twenty minutes. And you can use 32gb SDHC cards as well for even longer shoots. Again, don't forget spare batteries! The 3" LCD viewfinder is large and bright. I have no trouble using it on the brightest of sunlit days. The 5.1 audio is a bonus and does an excellent job when shooting interviews and outdoor nature footage. Using this camcorder is a pleasure.

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The AG-HSC1U is a VERY small camcorder, for my particular use the size and solid-state recording was a big part of the choice.

Once in use the camcorder impressed with beautiful pictures, however for interviews one need to mount a bracket to hold the microphone, I got one with 2 shoe mounts for a video light to pop the faces and also a microphone, it would be nice to have a headphone jack, but there is no such thing, instead there is a recording level indicator on the screen, I was a bit apprehensive about this starting out, but in practical everyday use this works well.

This camcorder is a "Pro" version of the older Panasonic SD1 camera, the colors have been tweaked to match the look of other professional cameras, this works well and I find the shots to play nicely with much more expensive panasonic pro cameras.

Unlike most serious camcorders this camera is mostly menu driven, there is no exposure-compensation. however there is a small joystick which makes it easy to adjust the lighting. the most common used adjustments are accessed by sliding the mode slider to Manual and then pressing the joystick once, this will let you toggle through the settings one at a time, you can select a option by moving the cursor sideways once selected you can move sideways to increase or decrease a setting such as aperture, gain, or shutter speed, press downwards to exit a option. in practical use this works easy and are simple to figure out, I use the aperture all the time and it is the first option when I turn on manual because it was used last. The camera have zebra stripes so it is easy to judge exposure.

The camera could possible have a bit more dynamic range, but I have not found it being a problem, I typically shoot outdoors interviews with a graduated ND filter to control the sky and use a reflector to pop some light in the top of the face which also is in the ND filter, the result look great and do not look like something from a cheap camcorder.

The lens is longer than the other SD cameras with 12x zoom, which really is about as long as you can hold still any way, I use this camera mostly on monopod or handheld in the cockpit of airplanes. The lens is sharp and with no vignetting.

The AVCHD files edits well with Vegas Pro 8, I have not tried the economy compression and only use the best quality setting which looks beautiful on the screen. A added bonus is the 40gig portable harddrive which ships with this camera model, the drive is battery powered and I have successfully dumped 5 days worth of cards to the drive with no recharge required.

Generally the camera performs well and overall I am very pleased with this purchase, it plays well with other cameras and I am about to pick up a second for the company. In my personal opinion this camera is highly recommended as long as you realize that have have some limitations it will serve you well and deliver images you can use for production. Ultimately, only you can determine if this camera will "do the trick" for you, based on your needs and the performance vs price of the camera, you can find larger cameras with more features at the same price, but they are pretty darn hard to stuff in the pocket in the cockpit.

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The AG-HSC1UP is easy to use, light and compact, and takes great video. Transferring AVCHD footage from the camcorder itself to a Mac is a breeze. Do note that if you transfer video from the camcorder to the included portable Hard Disk Drive (VW-PT2), and then try to transfer those clips from the HDD to a Mac for editing in Final Cut, it can be confusing. Here's a solution:

Connect the portable hard disk drive to computer using USB cable and turn on the HDD. Icon "untitled" will appear on desktop.

Open Final Cut. Click Final Cut in menu bar > System Settings > Scratch Disks. Click "Set". Then select destination folder (for example user name > document > Final Cut Documents > new folder (and name the new folder). Then also click "Set" for Waveform Cache, Thumbnail Cache, and Autosave Cache.

Then on the menu bar, click File > Log and Transfer. When new screen appears, click icon "Add Folder" in upper left corner. then click "Untitled" icon > Pana > 080311_1 (or whatever number appears). Click Open. Drag clip from "Name" to "Untitled Project 1" where it says "Drag Media Here".

The next time you open Final Cut, click File > Import Files > Documents > Final Cut Documents > Capture Scratch > Untitled Project 1 > and there, by golly, will be Clip #1.mov. Click on Clip #1 (et al) and it will appear in the browser window.

It's easier just to get some extra SDHC cards and forget the HDD.

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This camera is EXACTLY the same guts as the HDC-SD1 which costs half as much. Panasonic originally came out with the SD1, then replaced it with a camera with a smaller image sensor and then re-introduced the SD1 with a different color body as the AG-HSC1U. It is a great camera, and I really like it, but if you are thinking of getting this model, first look for the HDC-SD1 and save yourself some dough.

Panasonic HDC-SD1 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Levana Lila Digital Baby Video Monitor with Night Vision and Talk to Baby Intercom 32000 (White)

This is my first exposure to baby monitors. However, I have wireless internet security cameras, so I used that as a starting basis for my evaluation. The product came in eco-packaging. There was a camera, receiver, battery for the receiver, and two wall-wart power supplies. The camera does not come with a battery and needs to be installed within a few feet of a power receptacle. The receiver unit can be plugged in or used with the battery. There is a clip on the unit to allow you to carry it with you (such as on your belt). However I found the clip to be a bit questionable. It is mounted low on the receiver and the clip is not spring-loaded. The clip is much better suited as the flip-out easel stand.

The receiver video screen is in color. The color tends to be a little on the magenta side, but the resolution is excellent for the size. The camera optical quality also seems to be quite good. I was very surprised by the high quality of the images. The camera also uses infrared leds so it illuminates a dark room when viewed with the receiver, and yet no visible light is seen from the camera itself. The brightness of the screen can be adjusted with the controls on the receiver, so it can be used in sunny rooms or even outdoors, or inside rooms with no lighting. Speaking of outdoors, the camera is not suitable for outdoor weather, but it looks like it can be used outdoors on nice days if protected from moisture and extreme temperatures.

The camera also transmits audio back to the receiver. It does this surprisingly well and it also has intercom capabilities. There is a row of green and red leds along the top that light up according to the sound that is picked up. A crying baby would cause the red leds to light, but ordinary sounds only cause 1 or 2 green leds to light up.

There is a foldable antenna on the reciever, but I could use the camera anywhere in a 3500 sq-ft single-level house without needing the antenna to be extended. It may be needed in a multilevel house.

The system did not come with a manual, and no manual is on the website as of this date. It took several minutes to figure out the functions and settings of the buttons on the receiver. It isn't that hard to figure out, but really there should be at least a one-page document to explain the controls inside the box.

I plan to actually use this device in my outer office. When the receptionist is away, I can see people come into the outer office and actually speak to them if needed using the intercom capabilities of the camera. It doesn't take the place of a security camera because it has no recording capability, but it will be nice to see who comes and goes while I'm in another room. The receiver can link to several more cameras, but I have no ability to test this feature, and I don't know if it cycles through each camera automatically or if you have to press buttons to manually cycle.

I'm really impressed with this camera system!

This is my second Levana baby monitor. I also have the more expensive model ERA 32102 which looks more like a cell phone than a baby monitor. It has the same 2.4 inch screen except in portrait mode which somehow makes it look smaller. The Lila is landscape mode which has a wider horizontal coverage. It is very sensitive that you can hear the baby breathe.

One really cool feature that I like and extremely useful is the two-way intercom. I also use it with my middle schooler who is studying in the room to come down when it's time for dinner

It's much more simple to use. You don't have to dig deep into the menus to adjust or find the feature that you need. I like the bigger buttons much more than the ERA's, the later is similar to an iPod's clikwheel which is hard to feel when you are pressing it. The plain white looks makes it looks much cleaner.

Another feature that I like with this monitor is that it doesn't have the red LEDs around camera even when it is on. You can put it on top of the shelf and nobody knows it is on. It is almost completely discreet except for tiny green LED on the side.

It uses a replaceable Lithium-ion battery at 3.7v with 1050 mA. The battery lasts much longer than the ERA 12103, even with the video on. The power adapters that came with it is rated 100-240v.

Cons:

Unless the room is well lit, most of the time it is in night mode and there is no color.

It has a stand but no clip to hang to your belt or clothes.

Buy Levana Lila Digital Baby Video Monitor with Night Vision and Talk to Baby Intercom 32000 (White) Now

I'm very impressed with the video ability of this monitor, particularly the night vision. I didn't expect to be able to see that well in a dark room but this little camera provides what looks like a light on your baby or other subject without any visible light coming from the the camera itself. This camera has 8 invisible infrared LEDs, not the red lights like some other cameras. You can see up to 12 feet away with the camera and monitor. The image on the 2.4 inch monitor screen is very clear and in color when it's light. It gets a little grainier when it's dark in the room and then the images are in black and white. But all of the images are still distinct. The camera can be adjusted 240° horizontally and 65° vertically as you swivel it in its base. It can be mounted on the wall (hardware not included) or you could just set it on a table, pointed in the direction of your baby or other person, pet or object. It's easy to adjust the brightness on the monitor unit. You can use as many as 4 cameras to view different angles and sides of the room and switch between them on one monitor. There is a stand on the monitor, but not a belt clasp but presumably with a video monitor you'd want it in front of you, rather than on your belt where you couldn't see it. You can turn the video off to save on battery power or set it in the power save mode which will turn the screen off automatically if there isn't movement for a minute or more. It turns back on when movement is detected.

The microphone is very sensitive and picks up any sounds in the room. There are little green lights on the front of the monitor increases from a single light to as many as 5, depending on the amount of sound. A loud noise will turn the lights red. Since you can mute the sound on the monitor unit, even if you had the sound off, you'd be able to see if a noise is made, such as a baby waking up and crying (or talking about his E-Trade financial adviser :) ). I was impressed by the sensitivity of the mic to pick up even very faint sounds. You can also push a button to talk to baby but the sound that comes through the camera is kind of harsh sounding. One thing you want to be careful of is walking into the same room as the camera when carrying the monitor. The feedback makes a loud screeching sound. I've found this to be the case with other monitors as well.

The camera is always plugged in and comes with a power adaptor. The monitor also comes with its own power adaptor and is plugged in to charge its rechargeable battery. With the video on, the battery lasts for about 6 hours. But since you can turn it to standby or turn it on only when you detect a sound in the room, it usually lasts more than 24 hours. My review unit came without any instructions but you can download a manual at: mylevana.com/files/30000/manual.pdf It was pretty intuitive and I only used the manual to check on a couple of features after I already had it set up.

I love the compact size of this camera and monitor and its attractive design. The night vision without emitting any light of its own is really kind of amazing. It has a good range of at least 500 feet so I was able to go anywhere in my 3700 sq. foot house without losing the signal. The color screen is very attractive. And this monitor could be used for many other purposes such as monitoring a sick person or pet, or monitoring a door or area of your home or office without spending a lot of money. The small size makes it easy to pick up and move to another area without a lot of installation worries or expense. I'm impressed that technology has come this far on such an inexpensive little unit.

Read Best Reviews of Levana Lila Digital Baby Video Monitor with Night Vision and Talk to Baby Intercom 32000 (White) Here

Note: Levana has a twenty page, illustrated manual for the "Lila 2.4-Inch Digital Video Baby Monitor with Talk to Baby Intercom 32000" available on its website. Like other Vine reviewers, my components arrived in the recyclable box without a users manual. So I got on the Levana website, and engaged the "Live Chat" function. "Charles" came on and gave me the address for a pdf version of the manual. Its a 20 pager with nice illustrations describing all the many functions available in this small but powerful unit:

"mylevana.com/files/30000/manual.pdf" (yes, 30000, not 32000).

"Charles" said that the "Lila 32000" was released just a few weeks ago, and a direct link on the website will be available soon.

The monitor has excellent fidelity in both bright and low light situations. With plenty of light, the color is OK. In low light situations the reception goes to black and white but again, fidelity is actually amazingly good. The audio reception (gathered by the camera and broadcast by the monitorr) is very good and includes a volume control. From the perspective of the "baby," the audio transmitted from the monitor and broadcast by the camera is also quite good. Although you have to wonder what the baby is thinking when she hears Mom's voice, but can't see Mom.

Other reviews detail most of the controls, but here are some specific items which aren't intuitive you actually have to read the manual to figure this out:

1. Push the on/off button on the monitor and you turn off the video, but not the audio. Hold the on/off button down for a few seconds and you turn off the video and the audio.

2. In order to speak to the person on the camera end, you must depress and hold the button on the monitor marked with the "microphone" icon. You must release to listen again.

3. There is a screen brightness setting (five different levels) that allows the user to pick a preferred tradeoff between brightness and battery life (most important if you aren't plugged into AC).

4. There is a battery saving mode that causes the monitor to enter standby/sleep mode after one minute of inactivity. When a sound is detected, the screen changes to live view.

5. The monitor can be set to pair with as many as four different cameras! Press the "pairing" button on the camera to acknowledge and lock in that specific camera to one of four numbered camera icons on the monitor.

The reachargeable battery comes separately in the box and once in place, the back of the monitor is difficult to seat easily, but eventually everything snaps together. There is a strip of green lights on the top of the monitor which give a visual measure of the amount of sound coming into the monitor.

For the price, the Levana "Lily 32000" is a very nice, high quality video and and audio monitoring device. If yours arrives without the user manual, download it using the website address above, and it won't take you long to learn all of the features.

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This is a good option for a portable baby camera solution. It has good color resolution, night vision capability, and is fully portable -with a rechargable backup battery. It also has audio, and allows you to push a button and talk back to the camera. (Unfortunately when you talk back it sounds very Darth Vadery and creepy, and definitely NOT something that would easily calm down a crying child.) It also has an antenna that can be flipped up to give you a full range of 500 feet. Finally, it allows you to turn the brightness up or down which is what you'd need to do if you wanted to use this outside.

PROS:

+++ CAMERA IS COLOR. Aren't they all, these days? But, in any case, it is color and looks nice.

+++ HAS NIGHT VISION. Once the room gets dark enough the color disappears and the picture becomes black and white, but allows you to see in the dark.

++ NO VISIBLE LIGHTS. Well, only one, a green LED, on the BACK of the camera... but nothing to keep baby up, like the red LEDS that used to be used for night vision use in older cameras.

+++ GOOD AUDIO. You can hear pretty well from the camera's microphone and there is a neat LED across the top display which lights up more LEDs the more the camera picks up noise. So, there would be a visual indicator of red LEDS if the baby was crying. (Presumably you'd hear the crying, too, but I suppose if you muted it you'd still know the baby was crying by the LED indicators.)

++ TALKBACK FUNCTION. You can press a button and talk back to the camera -it acts just like an intercom. This might be useful if you were using it in the house with young children.

++ EASY VOLUME UP OR DOWN. Right below the screen there is a very simple to use volume toggle.

+++ RECHARGEABLE BATTERY. This is pretty awesome. You can unplug the monitor station and take it with you around the house.

++ CAN HOOK UP MULTIPLE CAMERAS. I didn't use this function but I found the menu on the device. It clearly can hook up to three other cameras, and you can view them at the same time (I believe) while then selecting the main camera to watch. I did not test this function so please do your own research on this capability.

++ MONITOR FLIP OUT STAND. This means you can place the monitor almost vertical, which provides an easy viewing angle.

CONS:

-TALKBACK FUNCTION SOUNDS WEIRD. It sounded ok, but metallic, and a baby might not be soothed. I see it more working as an intercom for adults.

-NO INSTRUCTION MANUAL. I did not receive a manual in the box. I didn't really need one, but it would have been nice. (NOTE: the manual MAY have been missing because it was an Amazon Vine Product. This may not be standard for new purchases.)

SOMEWHAT HARD TO INSTALL BATTERY. I almost broke the case when I was installing the battery. It was close, so take some time to take it apart and put it back together carefully. There are little ridges of the battery holder which can snap off. Mine didn't, but when I was blindly trying to force the battery compartment closed they almost snapped.

-NO BELT CLIP. This kind of cripples the use of this as something you'd wear while working outside. But, on the other hand, presumably you'd want to SEE it, and wouldn't want to carry it around on your belt. That said, it would have been nice, at least to help in monitoring a baby sleeping.

Overall, I am happy with this product. Recommended.

Nikon D3100 14.2 MP Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 16GB Card + Backpa

Very trusted source, Very good camera for the package. I use to shoot professional photography & my wife wanted a better digital camera. I considered over & over some of the canon packages as its what I always used and they never let me down, a lot of my competition in the days used Nikons so I knew I wasn't going wrong with the decision and since Nikon & Cameta Camera offered the Nikon package as a better deal I chose this one for my wife. It has more bells & whistles on it that will keep her busy for some time. Very good, EXCELLENT PICTURE quality and service from Cameta, Very trustful source arrived before expected and packaged very well so if it did get bumped around during shipping would NOT of harmed this camera in anyway.

I will make the lens purchase for her from them thats for sure.

Dynex PC Monitor VGA Extension Cable - 6ft (1.8M)!

This product works great and is very handy. It gives e the possibility to move the monitor wherever I want it. I should have bought it sooner. Great service from the seller. Product was quickly available and in a good condition.

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Defender SN502-4CH-001 4-Channel H.264 DVR with 4 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras - Black

First of all... I actually really liked a lot of the features about this product but still ended up returning it. I am really torn between giving it 2 and 3 stars... I would give it a 5 on a scale of 5 to 10, but unfortunately cannot give it a 2.5 here.

I will go with the good things first:

* Easy to set up the cameras and run a single cable (that carries both power and video)from the DVR to the camera. You can have this recording within minutes of receiving it.

* The DVR was fairly intuitive and it pretty much has to be as the manual is awful and the included CD-ROM would not run on my computer.

* I ran this DVR using all 4 cameras on the highest video quality setting for over 4 weeks and didn't fill the hard disk space... still had 17GB remaining after almost a month of continous use. (Had several instances of video loss for several days that might have kept memory usage down.)

* This packaged system contains everything you need, and the 60' cables are plenty long so there is rarely a need to buy extension cables for an average 3 bedroom home.

* Setting up the internet access was fairly easy if you can follow simple directions that are thoroughly explained. Accessing the cameras over the internet from work, or viewing the cameras from my phone (with no monthly cost or subscription) was nice.

* DVR was attractive and a mouse was included for ease of use.

* DVR gave off average heat and was silent (no internal fan).

Now the not so good:

* Camera color was way off and could not be corrected using the color adjustment features in the menu. Green trees and grass appeared pinkish, and some blacks appear purple while some blacks are almost black. If something were to happen or a crime were to occur, it would be impossible to say with certainty what color a car was or what color clothing a criminal was wearing. This was true whether the camera was placed indoors or out.

* Two of the cameras would experience random video loss resulting in a black screen and no recording. To restore video, I had to unplug the power cable and plug it back in. It may be a concidence, but both of these cameras were installed outdoors (not exposed to rain, placed in a sheltered location high out of reach). There is absolutely nothing you can do to restore video if you are away from home. This video loss happened weekly, and always while I was away... and no one tampered with the camera, they just turned themselves off.

* Night vision in larger areas is almost useless. You may be able to see a faint outline or pixelated form, but no way could you identify anything from more than a few feet away.

* Video quality in general is fairly low. I had trouble identifying my neighbors from 20' or so. I would never be able to identify a stranger from the video. It seems impossible to read a license plate or a logo on a shirt or sticker even if it is close to the camera. I doubt the FBI has any software that could help either... lol

* The camera mount (swivel base thing) is unstable. Needs a better design.

Motion detection detects EVERYTHING even at its lowest sensitivity setting and with the detection field set to a minimum. It detects lights, shadows, lint/dust/insects at night (they glow in the night vision)... It would set a motion event every 30 seconds when the sun cast a shadow through a tree that waved. The gentle motion of a shadow on the sidewalk set it off all day long.... or a beam of sunlight from the skylights passing through the blades of a ceiling fan set on a low speed. It would set hundreds of alarm events and they were just too much to go through. Forget about setting it up to send you an email of each event!!

* Field of view for the cameras is extremely narrow. For the useable distance in which you can actually identify someone or something, you capture very little area. My driveway (one boat, one truck) cannot be adequately monitored with only one camera. You might consider an 8 camera system if you need wide views.

* The software options are fairly full featured, but the software seems rough around the edges. This is probably because it is not a huge brand name company.

* Cannot rewind or play recorded video or events remotely.

Summary:

For a cheap system, it actually works ok. I know my review seems negative and for me, the negative outweighed the rest... but it really is a nice little package system that sets right up and records all it sees. Was really neat to see what goes on when I am not home. Never realized how many birds and squirrels I have around either. I would have tried to deal with the company on my camera issues and possibly keep the system, but I read in a few other reviews that Defender is not easy to deal with and would likely tell me "there is nothing wrong with the cameras" as they seemed to tell everyone else who included similar problems in their review. I read reviews from more than one person who had defective items returned to them without repair or replacement. I felt it would be better to return this system before my return period with Amazon expired. I am hoping to pay an extra $200 or so for a system with better quality cameras.

Update: Bought a Samsung SDE-3000N 4 camera system. Shares many of the same features as the Defender system right down to the crappy camera mounts... software and everything are similar but of a higher quality. Cameras and images are a much higher quality, and the sensitivity of the motion sensors actually can be adjusted to a usuable level. Samsung software is also far superior and you can rewind/play recorded video and events online. Colors are accurate in the day, and the night vision works too.

This is the second Defender home surveillance system that I've bought. I just received this SN502-4CH-001 this week and I have it up and running. I hooked it all up in my living room to make sure everything was working OK before I ran the wires in the attic. It comes with 4 60 ft cables, and if you need some of the cables longer than 60 ft, you will need to buy the 60 ft extensions. It is very user friendly to hook up, as you just plug the cables into the camera and the DVR. This model has a VGA connection to use a computer monitor, and it also has 2 RCA video out connections that you can hook it up to a TV. I am using a computer monitor, and the pictures are nice and clear. I like the fact that you can playback the recorded video in 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x. You can control the DVR with a usb connected mouse, or also a remote control. Both of them are included with the system. It also included a RCA video Cord, and a VGA cord. Everything is included that you need except the monitor. I would definitely recommend this system if 4 channels are enough for your setup. If you need more cameras, then you'll need the 8 channel or the 16 channel system.

Buy Defender SN502-4CH-001 4-Channel H.264 DVR with 4 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras - Black Now

Got this unit for my small business, here are the pros and cons:

PROS: it's extremely to install, the cameras have good resolution and perform well in the dark, motion detection works as advertised, the 60ft cable are enough for most spaces, you can plug a lcd monitor or to a normal tv, and it has quite robust remote monitoring tools (haven't use the email alerts yet).

CONS: Android support is tricky (iPhone works well), I'm using ASee by QSee

Read Best Reviews of Defender SN502-4CH-001 4-Channel H.264 DVR with 4 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras - Black Here

Bought this product mainly to monitor my business remotely as I travel a lot. Cameras are easy to hook up and 65' of cable for each camera was more than enough for my application. The picture quality after adjusting is very good in daylight and decent with night vision.

Having said all this, I can't recommend this product for remote viewing. I attempted to contact customer service by phone on 3 different occasions. They have their hold system set to 30 minutes and then they just kick you to voice-mail. Voice mail would be pointless since I'm rarely sitting by the system. They also offer an online chat service that will be answered promptly by someone that seems to think everyone is an idiot.

It's obvious that they are chatting with many people at the same time as responses are minutes apart.

Me: I'm having trouble viewing my DVR from a computer plugged into the same router.

Matt: You need to plug the DVR into the router. (Really Matt?)

Me: It's already plugged in.

Matt: Watch this video.

Me: I can't ping the DVR from my computer.

Matt: Your router is broken. (Hey Matt! I'm chatting with you from the same router!)

Me: Is there another number I can call for support besides the one that is never answered?

Matt: No that's the only number.

Looks like I'll be up in the ceiling next week tearing this thing back out.

To sum up:

If you just want a system to record I highly recommend.

If you need to set up remote viewing you're on your own.

UPDATE:

I finally was able to reach customer support over the phone. The trick is to call in the morning I guess. Anyway, customer service rep was able to quickly take over my computer and set everything up. I can now give four stars. The online viewing quality is low but it is usable which is all I need. I am now hooked up on home computer and smartphone.

If you try to view the cameras on IE and you just get the Defender Logo on the top without a picture, you need to click the compatibility icon on the right side of the address bar. It looks like a torn piece of paper.

Want Defender SN502-4CH-001 4-Channel H.264 DVR with 4 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras - Black Discount?

Impressed that I hooked-up the cables and turned it on and got the images without reading an hour of instructions....unusual for any computer-based system. Be sure you have the places chosen that you can drill a 3/4 hole for the cable end, and have some caulk ready to fill it back... ( Older stucco house has 1 inch thick stucco ).

Try to put the camera under an overhung eve to protect the lense and theres no problems. The telescoping mounts are tricky, but, a small gob of construction glue steadies them easily.

Next we will ask a friend to get the internet stuff hooked up.

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