Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 32GB Card + .45x Wide Angl

It is a nice camera, and don't get me wrong, it can take some amazing pictures, but not right out of the box. I was comparing it to a Nikon Coolpix L810 auto mode to auto mode, and the L810 actually takes much sharper photos than the D3100! I was using the same subject, at the same location and at the same time. The only variable was the camera. Again, this was on auto mode, and I know that DSLR users warn against auto mode, but this is an entry level DSLR, so I would think Nikon would be paying more attention to the fact that the beginner is likely to expect auto mode to be "beginner proof".

Once I gave up on the auto setting, I used the settings recommended on kenrockwell.com, and I began to see some sharp photos. I have since began to have a better understanding of what the different settings mean, and I am no longer frustrated with the camera, but I recommend that you understand what the manual is telling you (it's pretty good), and don't expect great photos on the first use if you are a DSLR beginner.

The video mode should only be used in manual focus. The sound of the auto focus motor will dominate any audio you might be capturing with the video, but that may improve with other lenses. ...but again, the video mode on the Coolpix L810 was much better. Even though the resolution was not as good, the video (using auto focus) was at least a usable video with the L810.

F.Y.I. I am using the lens provided in the kit, and I know that I will be replacing it later, but that is another day.

I only give four stars because there isn't a four and a half, and I feel that a $500.00 camera should outperform a $200.00 one on any setting, especially when they are the same brand.

HDMI Cable - 2 Male Connectors - 2 Meters

I bought this cable to go from my PS3 to my HD-TV. I was a little leery because it was sooo inexpensive. No need...this works just as it should, signal gets to the TV nice and clean with no issues at all. I have purchased other HDMI cable from retail store and the price for a 6' cable is always at least $20 and sometimes over $30. At under $5 you cannot go wrong with this. I cannot speak for it being capatible with the HMDI 1.3 since I have not tested it but for general HDMI use it is perfect.

Definitely the best way to go. I went to Best Buy, Radioshack, etc. and some cost $20+. Great product at a fraction of the cost.

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Cables seem to work. Picture looks good, no flickering or anything, even though I've got a 24" monitor set to a pretty high resolution.

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Don't be fooled by the price.

My cable stop working after one month. Just low quality product.

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Great product at a great price. The shipping was slightly faster than expecation as well.

Straight Rig V2 Plus Option

I have had this rig for almost a year and have used the crap out of it. It has worked flawlessly one major exception, the monitor battery. The battery has sufficient capacity but the "1/4-20" screw on it isn't right, it threaded but with difficulty until the plastic ring used to tighten it gave out after just a handfull of uses. My other complaint is with the power connector on the battery, mine failed within 2 months of owning it and I had to take apart the battery and replace the jack. Back to the good this rig is well balanced and very sturdy. With the addition of a top handle you can get great low shots. One item I have felt was exemplary is the LCD screen, it really makes the rig, allowing you to get razor sharp focus every time, the colors and exposure seem to be quite good as well. I also recommend adding a good follow focus and a ball mount for the LCD Screen.

Nikon D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR ED NIKKOR Zoom Lens (Black)

This camera may be the best APS-C in its class so far. After Nikon's quality control issue with the full-frame D600 (sensor oil spot problem), Nikon may be able to win back its trust with this new release, again aimed at enthusiasts and amateur photographers. Being an amateur photographer for years and have invested quite a sum in Sony, Canon and Nikon bodies and lenses, I myself settled with Nikon in personal preference. I would say all three brands got its personality (good and bad), especially with Sony pushing the translucent mirror technology.

The D5200 is a step up from the D3200 as an entry to mid-level body. Very solid performance and thank god it does not suffer the fate of the D600. The D5200 produces extremely good quality images just like the D3200. Both the D3200 and D5200 share the 24MP sensor resolution, with the difference being the light sensitivity in high ISO situations. Both cameras are able to produce extremely well results in terms of photo quality. I am usually able to get better image results from the D3200 and D5200 compared with Sony's A65 and A77 in actual use. Sony somehow made the older A55 easier than the A65 and A77 at getting a clean and noise free shot (maybe due to sensor difference). So Nikon wins here, I would say the image quality of the D5200 is as good as the well acclaimed Canon 60D in most cases easily done (with the D5200 at a higher resolution). So the major difference of the D5200 compared with the D3200 is the focus sensor and exposure meter sensor. The D5200 borrows the technology from the bulkier D7000 and presents 39 AF points including 9 cross-type AF points for accuracy and a more precise exposure metering system (D3200 have 11 AF points, 1 cross-type). This is extremely useful in specific situations, such as shooting moving objects or in macro photography. The D3200 performed very well in everyday shooting, but with my 40mm and 60mm Nikon Micro lenses, the AF failed to accurately or effectively focus on very close subjects. The D5200 however is much better, the body focused efficiently on to desired subjects precisely. The focus speed is still mainly dependent on the lens.

The swing-out LCD screen is useful in some situations and video shooting, but proves less useful to me. And keep in mind when using live-view, the camera no longer uses the phase-detection AF sensors, but rather switches to use contrast AF, which utilizes your APS-C image sensor and the CPU (less accurate and slower AF in most cases).

The D5200 is not designed to be weatherproof, but it will survive a short time of mist and a few droplets. Anything more may just end up killing the camera. The battery life is very good for photos, will last you 1000+ shots on a single charge in most cases while not using live-view. However when you need it for a video project, consider carrying a few extra batteries with you or resort to an external power source.

If you are starting out in Nikon or just DSLR in general, buy the 18-55mm Kit, and add on the 55-200mm VR lens (you get $100 discount bundled). The Nikon 55-200mm DX VR is a VERY GOOD lens, you do not want to get it later since you may be paying the full price for a new one. The VR (Nikon's optical vibration reduction) of the 55-200mm will allow you to capture subjects/people at a good wanted distance with extremely well image quality and brilliant background defocus, opens many doors for quality and creativity. The Nikon 55-200mm DX VR is one of the best lenses I have used and also at a very affordable price.

The other kit lens offering of the D5200 is the 18-105mm kit. The 18-105mm is not very good and I'm not going to get too much into the details; it generally is not very good in terms of construction for a heavier lens and causes more barrel distortion.

For me, how the function buttons are positioned on the D5200 is a little awkward, but for others it may just be a matter of time to get used to. Compared with the D5100, the D5200 is quite a big step-up in terms of crucial internal hardware.

The D5200 has 24MP. 39 AF points 9 are cross type. While the Canon 6D only has 11 AF points and 1 cross type. The 6D is more than 2 times the cost and has 22MP. The Nikon D5200 has a rotating screen, picture control presets, aperture priority, shutter priority, P, and M modes. The D5200 has +/5 stops of exposure compensation, the 6D has 3!

The D5200 has a great burst rate of 5fps. ISO range from 100-25,600. Exspeed 3 processing power, face recognition, and full time AF with full HD video. What more could you ask for when buying a camera less than $900? I did a complete hands on review video for "Focus Camera" in NYC. I will be posting it to this review sometime later in the week when finished.

My thoughts are this camera is light, and while it is not as rugged as a 6D or D600 you get what you pay for. This camera provides great lowlight performance and stunning resolution that is higher than the $3400 5D mark II. Which is worth mentioning. Nikon has leaped ahead of the competition with their new line of cameras.

The auto focus on this camera while doing some street and urban photography is very quick and accurate. I had a blast using it as the weight is a very big plus because it can be more easily carried for longer periods of time. If you are in market for a great camera and you are not willing to spend $2k for the D600, there is nothing that will compete with this camera in terms of "Bang for Buck" with either of the brands for under $2k.

The only 3 things worth complaining about is you can't change aperture in Live View, however you can't do that in the D600 either. It isn't 100% viewfinder, which would be nice. Also the internal microphone is not that great but does have manual control. These 3 issues are not that big of a deal when considering what this camera does so well for its price range.

Great camera, amazing capabilities, worth every penny.

Video to Come later this week.

Corey Benoit

Faymus Media

faymusmedia.com

corey@faymusmedia.com

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I upgrade every 2 years or so and was close to buying the D7000 when this was announced. I owned the D5100 since it's release and have been very happy with it, but being a gadget guy I'm always looking to upgrade. As far as I was concerned the D7000 was buying old technology. I love the D5200's interface as it's much easier to navigate than the D5100 and the auto focus is much quicker and precise. The photo's are sharp and very accurate in color. I'm very happy with the D5200. Just for the 39-point AF system for smarter focusing and tracking of moving subjects (compared to the 11-point module on the D5100), a 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor (whereas the D5100 judged exposure based on just 420 pixels),the new Expeed 3 processor that permits up to five shots per second (versus the older camera's 4 fps)and the new easier to navigate interface makes it worth the price. Let me just add 1 more very big plus, the articulating screen, no other Nikon has it and it is a big plus. I've used it for shots over others heads and other creative angles that I could never get with a fixed screen.

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I have owned a Nikon D90 for about 4-5 years love the D90 but just recently the jack for the remote control port (i.e. GPS port) became wonky. So instead of shelling out $200/300 to get it fixed I figured I would put that cash toward a new Nikon body. I chose the D5200 for many reasons but I also considered buying the more expensive D7100 in part because the physical camera controls/buttons of the D7100 were almost identical to D90.

This turns out for me to be of no concern. Even though the D5200 (1) moves most camera controls to the back LCD panel (i.e. eliminating the tiny LCD display that was atop the D90) and (2) eliminates the forward-most D90 thumbwheel I find that the camera controls on the D5200 are possibly even easier to use now.

Just my two cents for those considering an upgrade from the D90 or D70 etc.

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I wanted a lighter DSLR when upgrading from my D90. The D5200 is a great camera. Better video, better digital imaging, nice weight with a flip out screen. Couldn't be happier. I bought the body only and am using all of my lenses. Sweet deal!

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Digital Blue American Idol Mini Camera

I bought this for my grandson who really wanted to learn to take pictures. But he wanted to be able to see them or get them made into photos. This does not have an SD card. You have to load the pictures to your computer, burn a disc and then get the photos made from that. Too complicated for an 8 year old.

whats shown on the preview is a small square camera silver cameraShift3 Multi-function 3-in-1 Usb Mini Digital Camera with Keyring (VARIOUS COLORS), what i got was this oval shaped green thing that wont sit flat on a table picture at completly disipointed in this seller, the name says it all: cheep

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I bought this camera to keep in my backpack for whenever I need a photo. Unfortunately, I found out that it has no lasting memory AND it drains batteries very quickly even when not in use. When the battery dies, all my photos disappear. I regret this purchase.

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I really don't know why I bought this thing. But I haven't used and don't plan on using it.

Just one of those things.

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Panasonic HDmi Input Module for 8 Series Disp Compatible 9 Series Plasma

I ordered this to install in my TH-50PHD7UY Plasma in order

to use the HDMI output from my upscaling DVD recorder as well

as the Component input. Installation was easy and it works

like a charm, even though it is not advertised to work in

the series 7 sets.

I have to remember these modules were designed for the Panasonic Professional/industrial model. These adapters are heavy duty in every way, its easy to see why they're so expensive but if you want HDMI for your new Panny you don't have a whole lot of choice.

Easy and simple installation. Just remove 4 screws, insert module which glides exactly and blind mates perfectly inside the TV housing. Screw into place, plug in your new HDMI cable and you are in business. No pesky set-up routines to deal with, its plug and play.

A side note...on the old Panasonic plasmas, several models were designed to work with ONLY Panasonic, Sony, or Monster HDMI cables. I don't know if this is still the case or not, but if you plug in a generic cable to your Panasonic and it doesn't work you'll know what the problem is. The price of Panasonic cables has come down dramatically in the last few months, and I was able to find a 10 foot cable for less than $35.

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If you can work a screwdriver, you can install this product. I bought this HDMI input for my Panasonic TH-50PH9UK, and I had it installed within 5 minutes. It appears to be a secure connection, too. The way my HDTV is configured, the HDMI input faces downward, so I was worried that the cord might fall out occassionally. After two months, I have had no problems. I am almost certain to buy a second card for my HDTV so that I can connect my upconverting DVD player to it (the first one is connected to my cable box).

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This product works as expected and was easy to install. It took me about 3 minutes to put it in.

I purchased this item because I wanted to maximize the benefit of an HDMI

connection to my Panasonic Professional Monitor coming from a new AV Receiver.

With the addition of a Satellite TV subscription,

(including HD and dual tuner DVR). I am now able to enjoy new Monitor in High Definition. It looks great.

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So you bought a Panny "industrial" plasma to save some money and you want to have an HDMI connection. Well, friend, this blade is for you.

Others have already reviewed the virtues of the easy install, which I agree with wholeheartedly. If you are installing this yourself, be sure to pad the ground with several blankets before laying down your precious plasma. Face down is NOT a recommended way to move, store or even lay your plasma. I had to do this for the install, and I can report the TV was fine.

Does it work with HDMI 1.3? Yes. I have a PS3 and an Onkyo 805 receiver and everything passes through flawlessly. Granted, the Panny plasmas aren't "Deep Color" compatable and they don't have the Lip Synch abilities, but there was no "handshake" issues with using a purely HDMI setup.

Don't bemoan the lack of inputs on these professional plasmas. Let your receiver do the switching and buy this blade!

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Frezzi Energy Systems HGS-2 Hand Grip Stabilizer for Any Video Camcorder or DSLR Camera

OK, it is pricey for what it is, but this is a well built piece that absolutely has helped my hand-held shots with a large prosumer P2 camcorder. I can't get over how much this has helped when I need to shoot before grabbing the 'pod.

Minolta Dimage Xi 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

This camera is amazing. It's so light and compact, it's hard to believe you've got a 3.2 megapixel camera with 12x combined zoom in your hands!

The camera uploaded/connected to Windows 2000 via USB with absolutely NO problems, and I had no trouble AT ALL at removing either the memory card OR the battery. Wish it could take standard AA or AAA batteries, but that's the tradeoff you make for a tiny package.

Also, I'm astounded with the extra features this camera offers: record short movies WITH sound, record voice messages/memos to yourself, tiny moving lens cover, internal zoom parts, FAST startup and shutdown, just to name a few. Wow.

Even the manual is easy to follow and written in plain english. I didn't try any of the enclosed photo software because Paint Shop Pro 7 is the best and easiest photo and paint software I've ever found. .

The camera also has several levels of quality. With my 128mb memory card, it can store 13 pictures on highest quality and picture size, and 1958 pictures on the lowest quality and smallest picture size. On medium settings, you'd get at least 391 pictures at a time. Not too shabby!

I'd recommend buying an extra battery pack so you won't worry about running out of power, although the batteries do last a long time if you aren't using the LCD display much.

All in all, this camera is worth the money you pay for it.

The DiMAGE Xi is the upgrade of the popular Dimage X and is identical in physical appearance. It employs the same f/2.8 "folded" 3X optical 37-111mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens. The main upgrade is the CCD imager which went from 1.96 to 3.2 megapixel and now yields up to 2048 x 1536 pixel images. Other enhancements include user-selectable ISO settings, optional date imprinting, spot autofocus, an improved anti-reflective LCD and automatic e-mail file copy creation.

The contrast and color issues of the DiMAGE X have been remedied and I was quite impressed with the image quality. Even heavily backlit subjects were metered and rendered well which is quite a feat for a micro-size 3x zoom digicam.

The 1.5 inch LCD is somewhat improved for outdoor use with the new less-reflective covering. I still found myself cupping a hand around the LCD to make it easier to see in bright light. When not using the LCD as a live viewfinder, the eye-level optical viewfinder makes it easy to compose the picture in daylight and by not using the power consuming LCD, battery life is extended.

The DiMAGE X required 6 button presses to delete an image during playback as it had to be done from the menu. The DiMAGE Xi now lets you delete an image by simply pressing the flash mode/delete button on the back.

It's a bit pricy as was the dimage x, but by far this camera is one the smallerst out there, fastest, and picture quality is much improved. They pretty much fixed all the flaws of the x an made this camera 10 folds better. Pick one up, you won't regret it.

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I've been using this camera for a while and it's just wonder.

Pros:

Small I can put it in my Minolta leather camera holder and wear it on a belt. Very portable, good for traveling.

Movie 35 seconds movie in QuickTime format. Pretty good quality WITH SOUND!! Can zoom while shooting movie.

Functionalities You can choose TIFF or JPEG format. 35 sec. audio memos for each picture and 30 mins audio recording. Different ISO settings, night time photo exposure compensation, can zoom-in when viewing pictures on the LCD, e-mail format, EXIF photo printer format

Zoom 3x optical zoom using built-in prism. No protruding lens during zoom. Awesome!

Memories comes with 16MB but not enough. So, I got the 128Mb which is more than enough for my use. About 130 high quality 4x6" type of photo (not the largest size and highest quality yet).

Battery small and last for a whole day at least. I used the Olympus before and its AAA battery runs out so quickly. This Lithium battery in the Minolta is so much better.

Cons:

Software Slow to load up pics and kinda useless. But I used Photoshop for editing and ACDSee for viewing anyway.

Moive on 35sec Max even if you have a 128M memory card.

Conclusions:

Cons is minimal. It's definitely worth it. Very eye-catching, easy to use, easy to upload pics. Definitely need a 128Mb memory card, an extra battery.

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I have had this camera for about 3 months and it really is amazing. I bought it to take on a trip to Scotland so I would always have a camera handy and it fit my needs perfectly. Not only is this camera tiny but the shape is superior as well and it really truly does fit in even small pockets and is comfortable enough that you have to make sure you don't forget about it and sit on it. On the trip we also brought along a full sized 35mm SLR and between me and my wife we took nearly 500 pictures, mostly on the Minolta (with 2 128 meg SD cards) and when we got back we selected the pictures we wanted printed, burned them on a CD and had them processed just like regular film. After we put all of the pictures together in a photo album documenting the trip it was nearly impossible to tell which pictures were taken with the SLR and which were taken with the digital Minolta. For the most part this tiny camer held it's own against a much larger 35mm SLR and the 2.11 megapixel resolution is even enough to print great looking pictures up to 8x10. The camera has few shortcoming and they appear to be a result of the cameras small size. The only concerns I have are as follows:

The flash element is tiny and really only works up close. Low light situations can give this camera some trouble.

The LCD can be pretty dark in low light situations but the camera does have an optical viewfinder that I find I use quite a bit.

Even thought the proprietary battery for this camera is very small batter life is good but I would definitely recommend buying a second battery if you want to go on any serious photo excursions.

The provided 8 meg SD card is a joke, buy at least a 128 meg card, you wont regret it.

Bottom line: this camera rocks and I don't understand why it's not getting more attention than it is. It's design is really unique and extremely functional and the picture quality is awesome and all this at a very competitive price.

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I'm 64 and have been taking photos all my adult life. Starting with a Kodak Brownie, Argus C3, 4 x 5 press camera, Mamayiaflex, Nikons and Nikonmats. The Dimage Xi is my fourth digital camera and it is simply maverlous. I don't see how a camera can get any better. In one lifetime it's come to this.

It's a jewelbox, small as a compact. The first thing I did was test its capabilities, taking a flash photo in the back yard at night, a closeup of a credit card, a movie, a sound file attachment and a solo sound file.

The inclulded 16 meg memory card hold 45 standard photos, the 128 meg card holds 360. The optical viewfinder tracks with the optical zoom.

I connected the camera to the iPhoto program on my Mac and -zip the photos were ready to look at. Excellent quality. This is a marvelous camera. I keep it in my pocket all the time, something I could not easily do with my very good Sony Mavica 83. A really fine little camera.