Sony DCRTRV530 Digital8 Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode

Sony's Digital8 cameras have been consitently good for a number of years. This new line (the 30 series) seems to be a step down from their usual high quality.

I bought the TRV530, and for the most part, I am pleased.

First offthe good features: this camera has a very nice, high-rez 3.5" LCD screen, a more sensitive focus ring than previous cameras, and all of the built-in connections are streamlined along the camera's base, freeing up room around the headphone and mic connections near the base of the lens.

Now, the bad. Most of these comments are more aesthetics than anything, so it'll just take a little getting used to.

Sony's new line now uses the InfoLithium M-series batteries, which are about half the size and twice the price of the L-series batteries used on all previous D8 cams. All of the digital, picture, and auto-exposure options are deep within Sony's on-screen menu instead of having easy-access buttons.

This camera is very compact in size and shape, which is very nice and sleek. However, one compromise of the camera's size is that now, the tape loads from the bottom. At first this is kinda cool, but then you realize that if you're using a tripod and need to change tapes, you must pop the camera off the tripod, remove the mounting plate, eject the old tape, pop in a new one, and remount the camera on the tripod, which, in my opinion, is extremely stupid on Sony's part.

Another thing that really annoys me is the Black and White viewfinder. Whereas all of the cameras in the 20 and 10 series had color viewfinders, all of Sony's new cameras have Black & white viewfinders, which makes it impossible to pick out anything colorful when it's too bright to use the LCD screen.

Alsowhereas Sony's TRV720 had a huge 4" LCD screen, the largest LCD screen you can get now is the 530's 3.5" screen. (The TRV730, the so-called "replacement" to the 720, only has a 2.5" screen.)

But again, all of the above comments are aesthetics only, and I'm sure that eventually I can get used to these changes. However, one new feature that bothers me a bit is the grain. Sure, all cameras will become grainy in low-light situations because you have to gain up the iris in order to see. But I've been noticing a subtle but distinct graininess even in full sunlight. The cameras in the 20 series had a slight grain to them all the time, but in this camera the grain seems a bit more defined.

All-in-all, it's a good camera with many nice features (like the 1/30th sec shutter speedgreat for a more film-like look.) But the problems with grain and the overall stupidity of a Black and White viewfinder knock down my rating for this.

The TRV-20 series was a work of art. The new TRV-30 series seems more like a step in the wrong direction.

Sony, why mess with a good thing?

I purchased this camera a few weeks back. I've had camcorders for nearly 15 years and I can tell you that this camera is definantly worth every penny. The 3.5" screen is so easy to use. It makes every shot a breeze. The 7oox zoom allows you to get close-up that were previously not possible. I use it alot at my daughters musicals,etc.No longer do I have to position myself near the front on the floor. I can go to the back of the gym at the top of the bleachers and do my filming. Having the memory stick feature to be able to take digital pics is just an added bonus that puts this camera over the top. Hats off to SONY for an all round PERFECT camera. No complaints.

Buy Sony DCRTRV530 Digital8 Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode Now

I have been using a Sony 8mm camcorder for a number of years. I bought this because my wife wanted a digital camera and I wanted to edit video on my computer.

The digital editing has worked out well and it has been fun, once I got my firewire card to work right. The software that comes with it works adequately. I was disappointed in the video quality in low light situations. It gets very grainy compared to my old 8mm unless you turn on Nightshot, but then everything is a shade of green.

The digital camera piece is also disappointing. The picture quality is very poor, though OK for my wife that prints mostly 2X3 inch pictures for scrapbooks. She went with this size because anything bigger looks bad. I do not like looking at the pictures on screen because of the poor quality.

For the price I don't know that you can get any better and I still enjoy and use it, but the quality wasn't as good as I had hoped.

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Buyer beware. The 640 X 480 pixel resolution of the still photos cannot be printed in an acceptable quality. I have been happy with the camcorder functions and the digital media is easy to work with but the poor still quality is a real problem for me.

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This was my first video camera that I've ever owned. I really liked the video quality in a lighted area (daylight or lots of indoor lighting). I also liked the sound quality especially with a help of the zoom microphone. Also loved the 3.5" LCD and the high range optical zoom (25X). But was disappointed with the nightshot (even with the IR optional lighting accessory). The Digital still photo quality is less than average, i.e. don't buy this camera if Digital still photography is as important as video recording for you. I was also very disppointed that I was not able to use my Remote Commander to view the Digital still photos (memory). I wish that I would have spent a bit more and bought the DCR-TRV 830.

Pentax Optio RS1500 14MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and Interchangeable Face Plates (White)

We've been using this camera for a couple of months. We bought it as a backup camera that we can keep in my wife's purse because we often forget the bigger camera. We also let the kids use it to take their own pictures. We weren't looking for anything high end when we bought it. That being said, this camera works well. Outdoor pictures come out bright and clean. The flash is a little intense and the response time isn't great, but compared to any camera in this price range, I would rate it high.

Levana LV-TW502 Safe N' See Advanced 3.5-Inch Digital Video Wireless Baby Monitor with Talk to Baby

I'm definitely a cautious person, but when these camera-baby-monitors first started showing up on shelves several years back I honestly thought they were only for hover-moms and worry warts. Now I see just how handy this invention is! Surprisingly, too, we've found it even more helpful in my 3-year-olds room as opposed to our 8 month old!

I feel like this product is the future in parenting. Of course, I take care to spend a lot of time with my kids as a stay-at-home-mom. But as all parents know, you can't be right there with them every second. While I used to think these things were for parents who were so obsessed that they wanted to watch their babies sleep, now I know that naptime is not the only time this monitor is useful.

For example, I can work on dinner in the kitchen while my girls play with toys in their playroom and I can still keep an eye on them! My three-year-old has started to show a little aggression toward her sister now that the baby is old enough to crawl and play with her sister's toys. I can still watch my older daughter for shoving and grabbing even when I'm out of the room. Before I had this video monitor I could only guess why the baby started crying while I was out of the room.

The intercom is a brilliant feature! At first I thought, "Yeah, right like I could soothe my baby over intercom. When she's crying she wants to be held!" Though that is still true, I've again found this feature handy with my older daughter. When I put her down for a nap she often likes to sneak out of bed and play with her toys. With the intercom I can give orders, such as "Get back into bed, it's naptime not playtime," from across the house. And I no longer have to risk waking her up by checking in on her to see if she's even sleeping. Brilliant!

The temperature feature is just another lovely bonus to this monitor. We live in an older house that can heat unevenly, and Colorado in the wintertime, it can grow quite cold. I love being able to see how warm my daughter's room is at night. This is also a very nice feature with babies and overheating as some have theorized that SIDS is possibly caused by overheating, plus we all want our babies to sleep comfortably.

This video monitor is extremely easy to use. Once it arrived, we opened and began using it within just a couple minutes. The screen is bright enough, and not fantastic image (like a modern TV, for example) but definitely what I would expect for something this small and at this price point, so I'm satisfied.

So far the only setback we've had is that the monitor seemed to interfere a little bit with my laptop & wifi, suddenly my internet connection was slow and fussy. But my husband was able to "switch channels" on the computer and as long as the monitor is not powered on right next to my computer then it works just fine.

The night vision feature is SO great, they really thought of everything when designing this monitor, it seems. What a great thing to be able to see if your toddler has fallen out of bed or if your baby is awake when you hear a noise. Like I said, this product is part of the future of parenting, it's brilliant and takes safety to another level.

I will be adding another camera to this system soon, so that we will have an "eye" on both of my girls when we're not in the room. I swear I'm not a hover-mom! But I love having a view of my children no matter what room I'm in. Any stay-at-home mom knows that leaving your baby in a room for a minute even to just go to the bathroom can have it's risks. And being able to check in on your child when you hear something at night, but without having to risk waking them up, it's just wonderful.

I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is expecting or has a baby or even small children. It's a small price to pay for all the extra "eyes and ears" to help you keep your child safe and know what's going on at all times. I've very, very fond of this video monitor!

I want to start by saying I absolutely love all the features that both TW501 and TW502 offer and they are great baby monitors with one MAJOR flaw... the CAMERA. I am currently on my THIRD monitor (they have been replaced under warranty) because if you unplug the camera (to move to another room or take on a trip), it will not turn back on when it is plugged back in.

The customer service representative I talked to acknowledged they have had problems and offered me a downgrade to the TW301 which apparently has a different camera. Then they offered me an upgrade to the TW502 which I took, but it has the same camera and has already failed after TWO WEEKS. Each time the camera goes out I have had to send it back to the manufacturer at my own expense, then wait 1-3 weeks for a new one. If you want to get it in 1 week you have to pay for a new one to ship right away and then get a credit when they receive your old one and test it. They have had my old one for two weeks and still no credit.

I wish they would fix this camera problem because it would be a great product otherwise. Unfortunately, this has not happened yet. This is the only review I have written on any product I purchased for my 8 month old daughter, but I feel strongly that it is important to warn other consumers about this product and company. BUYER BEWARE!

Buy Levana LV-TW502 Safe N' See Advanced 3.5-Inch Digital Video Wireless Baby Monitor with Talk to Baby Now

This is the 2nd Levana monitor that I've had and, just like with my first one, it has several annoying issues.

Number one: the picture freezes ALL THE TIME. Not just the standard way when there's no movement. NO. Like when I hold and kiss the baby, put her in her crib, rub her tummy a minute, walk into my room, look at the monitor and the picture is a fractured image of me holding her from 5 minutes ago! Restarting the unit doesn't always fix this issue. And it happens ALL THE TIME. My other Levana model did the same thing.

Number two: The rotation of the camera is horrible. It takes so many readjustments and weird placements to finally get a good angle for a picture. The other Levana camera that I have is able to rotate in every direction, so you simply hang it once and point the camera. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Why on earth they changed their GOOD product to the horribly limited one they have now, i have no idea.

Number three: the parent-end unit BEEPS loudly whenever you turn it on. Super annoying. Even more annoying when you pair it with the next thing on my list...

Number four: THERE IS NO MUTE! Let's face it, sometimes your kid just makes noise and there's no reason to mess with them, especially when you can SEE that they're fine. And it's 2am and you want to go back to sleep. But there's no mute on your monitor... if you turn the monitor off, then the next time you want to check on the baby IT WILL BEEP AND WAKE YOUR PARTNER UP. So you can't turn it off. But you can't sleep with that noisy baby chatter. So you bury it under the blankets and TRY to sleep. Does this sound the like kind of regular procedure you should have to perform with a device that costs as much as this one? NO!!

DEAR LEVANA: for goodness sakes, PLEASE figure out how to make a product with more efficient video quality and PUT A FRICKING MUTE FEATURE on your products!!

As for the "good" parts about this product the music playing and talking to baby features are great. I love being able to see the actual temperature of the baby's room at all times. And the parent hand-unit is pretty self-explanatory, which is nice. It even has a stand on the back, which was a big complaint of mine on my previous Levana monitor.

In spite of the things i hate about this monitor, i still use it. So i guess it's not all that bad. But it's FAR from perfect.

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This is our 4th baby monitor... We've had Graco digital, Philips Advent, and earlier Levanva video and now this one. This by far is the best digital video baby monitor that I've used. currently we only have one camera, but the system is expandable to multiple cameras.... It's on my christmas list as we move our 2yr old to his big boy room and bring in the newborn to get another camera.

Pro's...

excellent picture day and night.. nightvision really works and is automatically managed by the camera.

two-way communications... "Lie down now and go to sleep, buddy"

remote controlled night light can turn it on and off without going into the room..

remote temperature

remote music can turn it on and off after you see your kid is asleep

power saving... remote monitor can be setup to be sound sensitive to only show screen when sound is heard (adjustable)

Can be battery operated in camera (havent used it)

Con's...

Would like a mode that turns off music after a period of time.

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This is our third monitor but our first video monitor.

Pros

-Clear picture

-Temperature readout

-Talk feature

-Reliable

-Multiple cameras with feature to rotate between both cameras automatically without having I manually switch between cameras.

Cons

-I don't like the menu. It could be much more user friendly.

-There is a little green light on the camera that indicates it is on but it is too bright in a dark room! This problem was easily solved by putting a piece of black tape over the light.

Other info...

-Some people said they couldn't add a second camera. It was a little tricky but after I watched a YouTube video on how to do it, it was super easy.

-I've never had an issue with the cameras dropping signal after being unplugged. I'm not sure why another reviewer was having this issue.

-Battery life is decent. About 3 hours. I have mine plugged in 90% of the time so its not an issue for me.

-It has a very good range. My sons room is upstairs in the front of our 5 bedroom house and it reaches just fine when I am outside in the backyard. And it doesn't get choppy like the audio monitors we used to have.

All in all, this is a great monitor! I would definitely recommend it and would buy it again without hesitation!

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Belkin Micra Digital High-Speed HDMI Cable (15ftt)

I was using this cable to feed from my Laptop to our big TV for streaming shows. One of the first times that I used it I went to pick the Laptop up off of the floor and the cable with the plastic covers pulled right off of the metal portion of the plug which was left in the laptop. The ends of the wires appeared to only be slightly crimped at the ends where they had been in the connector. There was no solder and there did not appear to be any mechanical connection or adhesive between the metal and plastic parts of the end. It appears to be either a bad design or part of the assembly process was skipped.

Belkin makes many of the best cables out there. They are respected by so many in the business world for a reason. You will not be disappointed with this cable. If you are in the market for a good HDMI cable then give this one a try. I also highly recommend Media Bridge cables.

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Too many times I find HDMI cables that are of inferior quality at seemingly ridiculous prices. I this case you get a high quality cable at a reasonable price point. It's truly a win-win!

Pros:

good quality construction cable surface is textured and has high quality coatings to prevent interference and snags.

HDMI connections are solid. No loose connections here.

Cons:

none that I could discern.

Overall you get a great cable at a great price.

Hope that helps.

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The end of the cable broke off after 10-15 plug-ins, very poor quality. Just sitting plugged in, the weight of the cable itself bends the connector in the socket.

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I received six of these cables and two did not work out of the box. I read a review on PCMag online that stated that HDMI cables should all work the same assuming they are manufactured to a basic standard. Due to the low price I paid for these cables I'm not going to mess with exchanging or returning the defective cables. For the cables that did work, they work well and I'm happy with the braided coating on the cable as compared to standard plastic-coated cables.

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Celestron 44340 LCD Digital LDM Biological Microscope

I'm pretty happy with this microscope that I purchased to use with my daughter. The screen is clear and responds to movement (rotifers) without any kind of low fps problems.

There is a distracting dark patch in the center of the LCD. The spot does not show up when you record a video, so it must be a problem with the LCD. The company has not yet replied to my support email on this subject I sent 4 days ago. Paint on the objective lens housings is worn looking and there is a scratch on the upper illuminator's plastic housing. Because of these things, the finish of the microscope has a used look.

The photo and movie recording interface is simple and easy to use. There is at least one misspelled word in a menu which makes the interface seem unprofessional. However it records acceptably. The video it creates is in the Windows .wmv format.

This is the only budget LCD microscope I was able to find through the Internet. The support structure is not metal, but appears durable. There is only one adjustment knob, but it is capable of rather fine adjustments, even at maximum resolution. Specimen adjustment has considerable range and allows for satisfactory fine tuning. Compared to viewing through stereoscopic lenses or the way-back-when single eyepiece, this is a tremendous improvement. Being able to take pictures just makes it that much better. I am very satisfied.

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I had an ordinary optical "200x" microscope and saw a few shaky, interesting things in a drop of water on a glass slide, I but had no good way to take a photo. Holding a digital camera up to the eyepiece was problematic at best. I'd heard of USB microscopes that connected to a PC, such as the QX3. Checking the reviews on Amazon quickly dissuaded me from that. Then I found the Celestron 44340. It had a built-in 2MP digital camera. Images were saved to internal memory and transferred to the PC via USB cable, or to a SD card. I was also concerned about getting good images. In books like Guide to Microlife (ISBN 0-531-11266-7), there were excellent photos in darkfield illumination, as well as the usual brightfield. The Celestron 44340 did both, although darkfield only worked at the 4x and 10x objectives. I got a set of glass slides, glass cover slips, some depression slides, eyedroppers, and containers. After the summer rains, there were many places to collect samples, as well as from shorelines of rivers and lakes. I was able to successfully image in brightfield and darkfield rotifers, amoebas, flatworms, copepods, ostracods, shrimp hatchlings, vorticella, bursaria, diatoms and algae, and a variety of fast-moving ciliates. In addition to digital photos of up to 2 megapixels in size, I also recorded movies of a few seconds to a few minutes, sometimes switching between 4x magnification to 10x or 40x to get more details, and even switching between brightfield and darkfield. If I found something interesting, I could use software to extract a still image. The only CON I can think of is that when the microscope is turned off then back on, the internal date and time resets to 1/9/2031 8:00 PM, so any photos or movies taken all have that date, unless you manually set it every time.

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I ended up returning this item for a replacement because it had a dark spot in the middle of the LCD. Once I received my replacement it did not have a dark spot but now there was debris internally that could not be removed. I ended up sending it back for a refund. However, I did order another style of a Celestron Microscope without the LCD screen. I give this product 3 stars because the concept and viewing options for this unit is incredible. It is also very easy to use and very lightweight. it just so happened I did not receive a "keeper".

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The microscope/camera combination is great in every way except one very important feature, the top light is inadequate. It is too far away and not bright enough to light solid specimens. It does work fantastic for specimens that light can pass through.

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Nikon COOLPIX L24 14 MP Digital Camera with 3.6x NIKKOR Optical Zoom Lens and 3-Inch LCD (Black)

It is with regret that I must edit my review on the Nikon L24.

Because of a weak design on the battery cover door I cannot recommend this camera. However, I am leaving the original review below this addition because everything I originally wrote about the operation still stands. The 1-star rating I'm now leaving reflects the inadequate closure design and Nikon's refusal to replace the battery cover under warranty.

The battery door cover on mine broke just like the others who have written about the L20 / L24 series Nikon cameras. My defect made itself known to me after 6 months of use. There was never any abuse, no drops, no bumps, camera was kept in a case except when I was taking or transferring pictures.

The lip on the inside of the battery door gave way as I was taking a picture the door popped open and the batteries dropped at my feet. It took me a minute or two with reading glasses to see exactly what happened and where the breakage/weakness was.

For those interested, I have close-up pictures of the broken area and they can be seen on this page:

[..link removed..]

When I contacted Nikon about this, I was instructed to send in the camera for evaluation. I did (it was worth a $6 gamble). After they got the camera, I was told that the repair would cost approximately $50. I replied back stating that I felt that it was a design flaw and that the repair should be covered under warranty. In a subsequent reply, I was told that the issue is not repairable under warranty but the repair itself would be warrantied for 6 months in case another similar failure occurred.

I chose to NOT pay $50 to repair a $100 camera and will attempt a repair myself later. In the meantime, I'll tape the door closed with electrical tape.

Again...

*** I cannot recommend the purchase of this camera due to the weak design of the battery door ***. The cover is under constant pressure from the battery springs and the design of the plastic lip is inadequate to take this pressure.

My advice to existing owners whose cameras have not broken YET is to take the pressure off of the poorly designed door that is subject to breaking by stretching a piece of good-quality electrical tape to secure the door.

Other than the flimsy battery door design, this IS a good camera. Nikon really should be covering this repair under warranty and I'll be sure the check for similar design flaws if I ever consider another Nikon camera purchase.

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Original review below

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Disclaimer: This particular review isn't being written from an avid photographer's point of view.

I needed a small, inexpensive, good-quality, easy-to-use camera for my job. My main use for this camera is taking good, clear indoor before/after photos of various electronic devices and related components. My requirements are a large LCD viewer, the ability to use common AA batteries, have my settings (date/time, photo mode) retained after batteries were removed and replaced, and a quick way to transfer images to my PC's that doesn't rely solely on a USB cable.

Preferring not to have to deal with camera angle or cumbersome tricks to reduce flash reflection from shiny surfaces, I was hoping to find something that would allow effective non-flash settings where a semi steadily-held camera could take clear, acceptable indoor pictures as required by the companies that I do work for.

As much as I tried, I could not get good, consistent results with the e510 but I seem to have found that camera with the L24.

So far with the L24, I've taken pictures of HDTV televisions (displays powered both on and off), PCB boards, product labels, macro shots of venting capacitors, etc. *all without flash*, using only ambient room lighting.

For me, time is an important factor and with these onsite job shots, I do not have the time or desire to do pre-shot adjustments or after-processing like resizing, gamma-tweaking, or cropping. The shots I take need to be ready to be attached to an email or be uploaded to technician portals. The settings that I have found that work for me is the "white balance" and "motion detect" set for auto, resolution set for 1024x768 (for email-ready small file and dimension), and flash set for "off".

As long as my subjects aren't in the shadows, the camera is held relatively steady, and the images framed properly, my pictures are clear and all I have to do once I return home is transfer to my PC, attach and send. The settings as described above allow clear pictures for my uses in both regular and macro modes.

The camera remembers my settings with its AA batteries out and its 3" LCD viewer lets me verify a good shot (they've all been pretty good so far).

Connectivity:

All of my PC's have a card slot that accommodates the SD type, so if the included UC-E6 cable isn't handy, I remove the SD card from the camera and transfer images that way. If I needed more of these cables, I can get them for $4 each on eBay.

You don't have to use a SD card (camera has 17MB built-in) but I do recommend using a card for the extra storage and image-transfer/connectivity options.

When buying a SD card, consider the card-reading compatibility with your existing equipment if you intend on using using the card to transfer images. Some card readers do not read SDHC (high-capacity) cards, I was aware of this potential compatibility issue beforehand and bought a standard SD 2GB (not a SDHC) card.

I'm sure once more people buy this camera, more features than I covered will be discussed. There are settings on the L24 that I will probably never use. In my quick tour through the menu settings (haven't read the manual yet haha) I didn't see where you can manually adjust aperture or shutter speed independently but there is an exposure control. The lack of manual settings might be a minus for serious photographers but like I said before, photography isn't a hobby for me I just want to take good pictures easily and quickly.

I purchased this camera for quick access during vacation and travel. Although the camera cannot zoom very far it still is a very good camera. Takes very clear pictures and can be slipped into your pockets very easily into my pocket. Transferring pictures is very easy just hook up the camera into the computer and click the you want and drag to the desktop. The only problem i have with the camera is that it has a hard time focusing on small texts. For example i want to copy a receipt and send it to the manufacturer it would come out blurry.

Overall this is a great camera and i would highly recommend this for travel or for quick takes

Buy Nikon COOLPIX L24 14 MP Digital Camera with 3.6x NIKKOR Optical Zoom Lens and 3-Inch LCD (Black) Now

Bought this camera for my daughter. One month later, the battery compartment door retention pins break, rendering the unit useless and there was no way to close the door-not even with tape. I learned of this in July as she was away at school, but it is 'guaranteed' for 1 year! Yay! I followed Nikon's directions to return to them. They advised me that they did not consider this covered as it was possible we may have dropped it or forced the door closed. I calmly explained that wasn't the case AND that we had a friend with the same camera and same problem! ALSO, you can read the reviews of this camera on various sites (or the L-22) to see that it's a common gripe. They would not fix it and wanted $93. After the postage/insurance to ship it to them, I could buy a new camera. But I will not ever buy another Nikon product. I am sticking with Canon as they have covered their product for me in the past OUT of warranty!!! You've been warned.

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Although I haven't used all its features yet, I love this camera! The photos are sharp and clear, and it is so easy to use that I just took it out and started shooting. If I could post just one of my dragonfly photos in which you can see every vein in their wings there could be no doubt as to the quality of the photos. My 75 year old father saw how easy it is to use and the quality of the photos and asked me to get one for him. QED

Four stars, though, because the auto focus when using the macro function has difficulty focusing on objects that do not take up enough of the field of vision. It could use a manual focus or an easier way to manipulate the auto-focus.

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I didn't see that others were having the same problem until today. I didn't have the camera a month when the battery door latch broke. I finally got around to sending it in for repair, knowing that it would be covered on the warranty. But today I received the bill for the repair--$73.30 for the repair since it's NOT covered by the warranty. What a joke!

So I decided to warn others--and then I see all these reviews from folks with the same problem. You'd think that Nikkon would admit that it was a faulty design problem so that they don't lose customers. I'll never go back to a Nikkon!

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AudioQuest Cinnamon 8.0m (26.2 ft.) White HDMI Cable PVC Jacket

We used these cables to run in-wall HD A/V to our over the fireplace TV. THey were durable during the installation process and are working great now that they're sealed in.

In today's market, you can find cheap HDMI cables for a fraction of the cost of this.

I bought these to connect a Denon receiver to a Sony 3D projector when I was building my home theater. I wanted to to use good cables given these were going through the walls and I didn't want to have anything go wrong.

I haven't hooked up any cheaper cables for an apples to apples comparison, but the image quality is great!

You wouldn't want to waste money on these to hook up your kids 19" Symphonic TV the bedroom. If you are not building a high end theater, skip these cables. Especially if it will be run outside the walls. You can always get something much cheaper and replace it if you have a problem.

If you are like me and are using high end equipment in a custom home theater...Go For It!

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Kodak Easyshare C875 8 MP Digital Camera with 5xOptical Zoom

Having had a previous Kodak digital camera, this one wasn't too hard to "get to know". One thing I noticed, after playing with it for 2 days, is that it doesn't have a viewfinder. So obviously you can guess that I'm used to using the lcd display to "set up" my shots. But it seems odd not to have a viewfinder. I'll just have to get over it. I am so excited about it being an 8.0mp, and one of kodak's newest releases. I enjoy picture taking immensely, and this camera even allows you crop photos right within the camera. You can even edit video clips. Wow. And the camera also takes panoramic shots, which will require some practice but I'm excited about that feature as well. What practice shots I have taken in this mode, however, do not use flash. So I guess this is a feature left to the great outdoors, probably where most panoramic shots are taken anyway. Already having a charging dock, I failed to research to see that I would need an adapter in order to use it for the new camera. I can appreciate that that makes perfect sense, but had I done the research I probably would just have bought a plug-in charger for about the same price and then had the charger dock available to sell when I sell my other camera. I was also considering the P712, but this C875 is the one for me. The camera has a pretty good feel to it, and the wrist strap is very handy. There are just so many new models out there I wonder if they all come from the same factory!! I tried an olympus 7.1mp all weather camera before purchasing the Kodak, and I just didn't like it. I look forward to several years of usage from this camera. Thanks, Kodak. You've earned my trust and my repeat business.

PROS: Picture quality, 5x optical zoom, Video quality, Manual Controls, Burst Mode, Responsive, AutoRed-eye removal, ease of use, Cropping and Kodak Perfect Touch editing on camera, compressed video format (MPEG-4)

CONS: Size, very bright flash

Overall: This is the best point and shoot camera I have seen for active families. It has fully auto mode for instant snapshots, manual mode for advanced users and tough situations, and is responsive with burst mode for sports and action shots. All results and pictures are sharp and have great color. The video looks great with relatively small files using MPEG-4 format.

This camera is a perfect fit for my family. All controls are simple to use in either fully automatic (with automatic scene detection) or the fully manual mode. Pictures turn out with great color and impressive detail under many/all shooting scenarios.

On-camera processing is impressive. The camera automatically removes red-eye with great results. You can then apply Kodak Perfect-Touch processing for great lighting results and even crop it to the perfect snapshot. It even shows you if you were still enough when taking the picture to get a good print. (Very nice so you know to take another shot!) With this camera, all of your shots can come off of the camera as masterpieces!

Video capability is great. Picture quality is very good (TV-quality) and the file size is small because of the MPEG-4 encoding so you can get around 30 min per 1GB. You can even zoom while recording, but you will hear the motor and the pictures is momentarily out of focus. Again, you can edit the movie by cutting it into multiple smaller files right on the camera.

Very responsive with minimal lag time between shutter-press and picture capture which I find as essential for taking pictures of kids! Great burst modes allowing 5 shots at 2 fps or the last 4 shots again at 2 fps. A larger buffer would be nice but this was sufficient for taking actions shots of kids sledding down a hill.

The only downsides are the larger size than some cameras and ultra bright flash. It still fits in my pants or coat pocket, but is definitely not as sleek as the sub-compacts like Kodak's V603. I still can't complain because it is pretty small and includes a 5x optical zoom and a 1/1.8" CCD which is larger than most cameras (so it gets more light and has improved low-light performance).

The flash is very bright and will fill most rooms with light (good) but will also bleach out skintones at close range. This can be overcome by taking shots from farther away and using the zoom, or I have made a quick diffuser with tissue and clear tape that gives good close range results. ust be aware of this issue.

Overall I am very satisfied with this camera and highly recommend it!

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I have always felt that Canon cameras took the best pictures after having Fujis, Casios, Panasonics, Sonys, and Kodaks, but I must say that the pictures out of the C875 are virtually itentical to my Canon G6... at one quarter the price. Photos in virtually any light are great. Flash throttles down so it does not overexpose. Images are sharp and clear with excellent color. Movies are fantastic. And to have the zoom feature during movies in a camera this price is amazing. I gave this camera five stars, but considering that the price is not $500, it really deserves six stars. There simply are no issues with this camera... as perfect a camera under $500 can be... and look at the price here on amazon where I bought mine! Simply AMAZING!

UPDATE: After taking several hundred pictures in all lighting conditions and several videos of a total 30 minutes time, using manual settings, flash under all conditions, scene settings, I must reconfirm that this camera is simply amazing. Remember, I am a digital nerd and have owned a dozen digitals over the past 12 years. With rechargeable 2500 and 2600 Nimh batteries, the camera goes and goes, eliminating the complaints about battery life. I cannot say how many pictures it takes with these high power rechargeables, but I can tell you it went all day snapping away with reviews of pics and flash many times. I have not had one bad picture yet! I cannot say that about any other camera I have owned. And not having image stabilization does not seem to be a problem at all, even when the symbol on the LCD says that the picture may not be good... it is spectacular. I tried the panorama feature inside and outside and it is amazing... best I have used in a digital. So I still give this camera six stars after a week of heavy use.

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I am a professional photographer and went along on a shopping trip with a non-photographer friend of mine on Christmas Eve to buy a camera. He had a $200 limit and wanted something easy to use as he knows nothing about cameras. After many side by side comparisons he bought the C875. After we got back to to town we went our own ways then got back together later that evening. I was surprised he already had some very nice photos.

What I like about this camera in comparison to others in its price range:

Good shutter response, better than others we tried that day as well as my wife's small Canon digital

Easy to get into manual controls and exposure compensation if desired

Good sized clear screen

Small but useable with big hands

The green light was a small distraction when he took a picture of my wife and I (as others mentioned) but ALL cameras have a focus assist light so the camera can focus in low light! Even my pro cameras have this as an on/off option. Just tell your subject to smile when they see the light not a problem!

No viewfinder a viewfinder means less room for a lcd display and viewfinders on cameras in this price range are so inaccurate they are useless. My wife's little Canon has a viewfinder and she soon found it was junk.

No red eyes in any of the pictures we took of each other. However if there is a problem the flash button is easy to use.

5X zoom

Note cameras in this price range are not going to work great in low light situations such as the typical kids school program. The lens is "slow", the sensor is small resulting in a "grainy" look, the small flash does not have great range etc. Also the lens gets "slower" as you zoom out, meaning it requires more light. If you need that kind of capability regularly buy a SLR, big flash, and fast lens.

ALL cameras in this price range have some shutter lag again you get what you pay for, if you need fast shutter response buy a SLR.

Cons so far:

Instruction manual designed to be non-confusing but needs more info such as the manual controls

I may have missed something but the exposure compensation seemed to only work on non-flash pictures. I could not find a way to make it work with flash. However using scene modes did work to change exposure with flash. He had a white wall in his house, which causes any light meter to darken the picture, going to snow mode took care of the problem.

This is a very good camera for the money.

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I've only had this a couple days, but have already taken quite a few pics and videos with it so I think I can give a reasonably accurate review. Although the camera isn't perfect (at this price level, what do you expect, pay $1000 for a digital SLR if you want to try for absolute perfection), for what you pay it is awesome. First and most important, in my opinion the picture quality is really really great. I like my pictures to be very sharp and good color and for most pictures this camera delivers --my benchmark of quality is my old HP 945 whose pictures I loved but it broke, and this camera's pics are as good as the ones I got from that one (read my review of the HP 945 if you're curious). Other cameras I've had or tried include the Casio EX-Z120 and Kodak C743. This camera blows away the C743 in all areas, and for such a small price difference (maybe $30-$50) I would just get this one. The picture quality of this one is definitely better than the Casio EX-Z120, but the Casio is a bit better low-light performer (it can go up to ISO 1600, whereas this one only goes to 800; the Casio also seems to focus a bit better in low light, but the focusing performance of this one in low light is definitely acceptable). So by the most important measure, picture quality, I love this camera and definitely recommend it. The 5X optical zoom is great too (and you can even use it while filming video!), a nice addition above the usual 3X zoom, although you'll need a steady hand or tripod at large zooms (no image stabilization in this camera). Some others have complained about the flash performance of this camera, e.g. that it isn't good, the pictures are dark or washed out, etc. I have found this to be somewhat true, but the key is to use the in-camera "Perfect Touch Technology" which corrects this very well I have found. Finally, the video quality is really good too: as I said, you can use optical zoom during video (although it gets out of focus for a brief instant while zooming before focusing well again), but also it stores videos in MPEG4 which is very space efficient (other cameras, e.g. the Casio EX-Z120, use Motion JPEG which is a real space hog), it is 30 frames per sec VGA (i.e. real-time motion, TV quality), and finally the low-light performance is pretty good (e.g. cheaper cameras such as the Kodak C743 are HORRIBLE in low light, almost completely dark and barely discernible, while this one is much better and nice); it is not as good as a dedicated camcorder, but if you are on a budget (i.e. don't want to purchase 2 separate products) and/or you value the convenience and space savings of just carrying one camera then this can probably work well as your video camera too. In sum, a great camera and especially so at its price. It would have been nice to have optical image stabilization, but that probably would have jacked the price up quite a bit and I can personally live without it. Highly recommended.