JVC GZ-HM690BUS Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD Screen (Black)

I purchased this camera convinced that it was what I wanted. I have two JVC video cameras a HM200BU w/20x and a HD620BU at 30x. i always shoot from a tripod and always get beautifully focused 1080p from either one. You will not get that same focusing purity and consistency with the HM690BU. Once you get over face priority and shooting Johnny with his puppy and Sally in her tutu and do as everyone winds up doing and either quit till their next birthday or you begin shooting other people. People you do not know. People who will not sit for a facial recognition session. I shoot a lot of different people generally in small groups and do not know them. I tried facial recognition by tapping the subject but you wind up spending much of a five minute segment tapping. Same thing for the color tracking.Tapping a screen at 40x is not the way to get smooth video. When I turned off these underwonderful features and attempted the intelligent auto focus which I hoped would allow the camera to perform as well as its predecessors, I became unhappy with the result. Four people standing within a few feet of one another kept sliding in and out of focus just as they did with facial or color recognition activated. The focus genie evidently wants you to use the touch priority to help it out.Quixotically today in intelligent auto format I shot five people on a large rock in a river at 40x with a thick fog bank behind them. The color the focus the entire seven minute clip was absolutely beautiful. My next outing I will try manual focusing. If that is a bust then I will mothball this one until another manufacturer hits the 35x or 40x and give them a try. I think JVC tried for too many bells and whistles and forgot that people buy a CONSUMER VIDEO CAMERA to thoughtlessly shoot good video. Doubt I will ever buy another JVC. This camera is a jack of all trades and the master of none. I am very disappointed with this camera because my other two are so great.

It was time to upgrade my old camcorder for some time now, all the features that i've been needing, great product+great price=happy buyer

Buy JVC GZ-HM690BUS Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD Screen (Black) Now

Love the camera for high difinition video and still images. Videos play back on high def TV better the High def satelite.

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I bought this baby from Amazon and in May brought it with me to visit Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark). It did not fail me in any instances. I had beautiful pictures and videos in rain, snow, fog and panoramic views of Fjords. It works best in Auto. I turned off most of the features, since I did not know what could come up on the roads (we were driving from Bergen to Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm and back). Though I did not expect to have good takes in poor lighting, I did once try to get a fjord scenery at midnight in Norway. The pictures came out nicely without any noise. It is light, so I lay it on my left hand as support and operate it with my right hand to avoid shaking.

I am very pleased with this camcorder. It is a true and a bit more of a consumer camcorder. The touch screen does its job acceptably. Just remember to switch between Photo/Video every time you change your filming mode.

I would recommend it for any uncomplicated user like me, just an AUTO mode guy. Going to JVC website and download a detail user's guide is a must before use.

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JVC GRDVM90U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode

For the past 10 years I've always had to lug both my nikon slr and the camcorder on vacations and to events. It was such a pain. I've been waiting for a camera with enough quality to cover both my motion and still photo needs. The JVC 90 did the trick and it's smaller than both my slr and previous camcorder! The quality of the stills when set to XGA fine is good enough to make an excellent 5x7 and pretty decent 8x10. The 8meg mem card will allow you to take ~24 pictures at this level. Even better, you can video and then take snapshots off the video. This allowed me to get some awesome hockey shots during games this winter. The camera has tons of features I'm still trying to figure out, and leaves plenty of room to grow your skills. I'd recommend an extended warrantee though as the internals of this thing are microscopic mechanical parts that would prabably set you back and arm and leg to repair. I bought a pelican box for mine to protect it. My battery lasts about 10 minutes before dying I usually run with the foldout off to save power.

I just purchased this camera and love all but one of the features that I was most interested in. JVC advertises that you can capture a short video clips to email friends and relatives. Well, this is true, but what they do not tell you is that the format is in JMM format, which is some kind of JVC proprietary format! I have yet to find anyone who supports or has a converter for this format. JVC has partnered with a web service that allows you to store these images for people to come view. This is a free service until you what more space. I just think this is another gimmick to make money at the expense of the consumer.

You will also find out when you play back these clips with the supplied viewer that the quality is very poor!

Another issue I had was that the menus and buttons associated with the memory card were not very intuitive or easy to follow.

Overall, I would recommend this camera with the exception of ... the Email Clip feature.

Buy JVC GRDVM90U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode Now

Bought this unit to use the DV features with my Macintosh. JVC is not real supportive of Macs, but they do give you an extension to add to your system which will let other video editing software see the camera on your firewire port and bring in/out the video.

However, to discuss the camera, it is amazing that so much can be packed into such a small package. Due to all the editing features, shooting options for video, and options for single photo shots with it you will be overwhelmed by it all and maybe bit frustrated. Hang on cus it gets easier. Spent a LOT of time just learning how and went to use the features. When it is all said and done, the quality of the video is great. Good control of brightness during shots in low light rooms or bright light. Zoom is fast, but can be made to go slow so not everyone is on a rollercoaster.

JVC support stinks. Call and hard to get someone to answer questions. Leave messages and they dont call back... ever. Recommend going to local camera shop for assistance, if needed.

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I purchased this camera because of its size and advertised good features. Well, let me tell you. First, unless you are in a very well lit place, the image is extremely dark and poor. Even in a room in the afternoon with natural light, the image will be too dark.

Second, the camera started giving me problems and stopped functioning after only 2 months of light use (I was only able to record 4 tapes with this gadget)...that means I ended up paying about 300 for each tape ...Geez...I am MADDDD!!!!

I tried to contact JVC but they would give me no answers, I sent it by the mail to Florida where, after about a month they sent me back the camera and charged me $70 (Don't know why because thee warranty was still valid), but anyway, I coughed up the money beause I didn't want to miss any day of my newborn's baby without filming it. Well, after about a week, the camera would not open and eject the tape. Could I be more frustrated? NO!!! I will buy a Sony instead and NEVER!! EVER buy a JVC prodcut again. If you buy this thing beacuse it hs been reduced (...), think again. ($$$) bucks is still a bad dealfor such a crappy gadget with no tchnical suppost whatsoever.

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I discovered pretty soon after I bought it that this was not the camcorder for me. The only time the image quality (both still and video) is acceptable is outdoors in bright daylight. I have had much problems downloading still images to computer. I was working on a windows NT station and on a win95. I got it to work once but was never able to repeat it. I am a computer professional. It could be I have a defective cable but frankly I do not have so much time to deal with tech support and repairs and replacement. When I buy a product like this I just want it to work out of the box. Other issues are that it comes with no lens cap and that the battery that it comes with has a very short life (less than a hour). In retrospect the SOny P110 (which is almost double the price) is worth it.

Sony Alpha SLT-A57 16.1 MP Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor DSLR with Translucent Mirror Technology and 3D

I have used a Sony SLT-a55 for the past year and a half and purchased a number of the Sony and Zeiss professional lens. This combination has produced very good output. Some of the finest pictures I have ever taken were with the a55. However I was annoyed that the camera was not as responsive as my a700 and the overheating problem during video recording. So I preordered the SLT-a57 March 18th and it arrived yesterday. I have only had the camera one day and I am very impressed and think the upgrade from the a55 is very good. I think the Sony SLT cameras offer an excellent feature set. I am a fan of the EVF technology. Much of my photography is done shooting stage events where the lights vary greatly across the stage. I love being able to see the adjustments of the camera setting in the EVF and shoot without needing to refer to the output on the LCD screen. What you see is what you get. I can concentrate on the subjects and wait for just the right moment in the action. I prefer to compose the scene through a VF anyway. I no longer take an OVF camera to stage events. Getting the right exposure is so easy with an SLT camera. The exposure on stage can easily vary from 1/30 to 1/640 sec at F4 depending upon the subject position relative to the lighting, especially spotlights. I no longer do any exposure bracketing. I also enjoyed the continuous focus during video recording (DLSR AF during zooming while video recording is poor), and in camera HDR feature that works very well. I do prefer an OVF camera for studio work with strobes. I have been very impressed with two other features of the SLT-a57 already. The first one is focus peaking during manually focusing. I have poor eyesight and could no longer manually focus a scene. But with the focus peaking feature my manual focusing that been restored. It is like a part of my vision has been restored. I now would buy a Sony SLT or NEX camera just for this feature alone. The other feature that appears very impressive is the clear zoom feature where the picture quality is processed and improved over what one usually gets from a digital zoom which degrades the IQ. You can zoom up to 2.8x on any lens attached to the camera. I have uploaded two pictures for you to see the magnification of my CZ 16-80 zoom lens at 80mm while lighting the subject with bounce flash (These are jpg pictures right out of the camera. Notice the knots on the beaded jug as a reference). I now will have a very nice combination with my a77 for event photography with some SSM lens. I want to thank the engineers at Sony for this feature set. In the past I felt that Sony offered some excellent lens but that each of their camera models was lacking an important feature. Now I feel that Sony has produced two excellent cameras in the SLT a77 (I bought it for its AF system (which is great) and the ability to micro adjust lens focus) and the SLT-57 model. They are very fun to use with a super feature set. They are fast, feel good in the the hand and produce very nice pictures indeed.

I tested the clear zoom feature further tonight and I think that it works as advertised which is amazing. You can digitally magnify the image up to 2.8x more while still retaining very good image quality through Sony's image enhancement feature. I included some pictures taken with my telephoto lens on the Sony a57 product page here on Amazon shot at an 8 Mp resolution. Look for yourself. I made my 200mm telephoto lens a 400mm with the push a button. There is a picture taken with my 400mm lens for comparison. It doesn't look like a gimmick to me. 4-29-12 I uploaded more pictures to the Sony SLT-a57 product page after a trip out "birding" with an 400mm lens. I think people interested in photographing wildlife should consider this camera.

Update: 5-23-12. Recently, I shot 3 stage events and I am satisfied that this camera's clear zoom feature works just as well indoors as outdoors. I was very impressed with the reach of this camera and the IQ of the images using it with a Tamron 70-200mm f 2.8 lens. I did not need to go above 1600 iso to get the shutter speeds I needed even with dancers and felt no need to do any noise removal in post proceeding. The feature set of this camera gives one so many options. Using the focus peaking feature with manual focusing more and more.

Another problem that is resolved when using the SLT-a57 when shooting stage events (formal concerts like choir or orchestra) or weddings is how quiet the shutter is. It is almost silent. In the past using a OVF camera with a moving mirror I could not get the shots I wanted for fear of causing shutter noise at a time when everyone in the audience should be quiet like when a soft song was being played or sung or when the couple is exchanging vows during the wedding. I would have to wait until a rise in volume occurred so the shutter noise would not be noticed. Often during concerts I shoot video and take still pictures (with two different cameras) at the same time. Then when I played the video back I could hear every shutter click when using the OVF camera like my a700 or a580. What a pain. Now I record video and shoot with the SLT-a57 at the same time and I do not hear the shutter in the video at all. Now I shoot whenever I want during the event. I love the freedom a quiet shutter mechanism gives me. The a77 also has a very quiet shutter as well. I am very happy with this purchase.

Update 10/27/12. I have shot with this camera for another 6 months and my satisfaction has only grown. I love the focus peaking feature for manual focusing. It is the best focus assist system for manual focusing in the world. I have shifted over to become a full manual mode shooter. I now have raised my photography to another level. Another feature have works excellent as well is sweep panorama. My sunset pictures are even better. I do agree with other people that Sony needs to improve the jpg engine of all their cameras especially with shooting in the shade. Anyway this is a class leading camera. An excellent choice for someone starting photography.

I purchased this from another retailer before it was available from Amazon. I needed it in a hurry because my A100 failed. The a57 is a very good camera but it took some getting used to.

This is my first SLT so I found the LCD viewfinder to be a bit strange at first when using a DSLR. It is very bright, and has a bit too much contrast when shooting in very bright sunlight. The LCD multiple angle live/playback/menu screen is great. Easy to see even in bright daylight. Being an SLT (single lens translucent mirror) camera, the a57 is extremely quiet when taking pictures. I use the Intelligent auto mode or the P mode most of the time as opposed to the Superior mode. I don't want the flash to pop up on its own when shooting in low light, which it does very well. All my older Minolta AF A mount lenses work well with the camera, including my Sigma 28 f2.8 macro lens. My older HVLF36am flash is completely compatible with the a57 as well.

The camera body is the same size as the a100 although a bit lighter in weight. It has a comfortable grip with room for all my fingers (no pinky hanging off like with earlier Sony DSLR models). The controls are layed out logically. There is one minor problem...it is possible to hit the movie button by accident. I would prefer a slide switch to start a movie as opposed to a button. You can eat up your memory card without even knowing what happened if not careful.

I am still a guy who misses film (I had my own color darkroom) I shot mostly 200 ASA negative film and 400 ASA in very low light conditions. So at 16 MP I feel that the A57 takes very sharp pictures in all conditions. I took a look at the a65 with its 24 MP and its brighter OLED View Finder but really did not see enough advantage to the camera to spend an extra 200 bucks. I think Sony had that in mind when they replaced the a55 with the a57. If you really want the extra MPs then 200 bucks is not bad, but you don't sacrifice much if you go with the a57. As a matter of fact you get a couple of new features with the a57 not available with the a65. One is Auto Portrait Framing. When taking a picture that captures a face, you can center and snap and the camera will automatically save a second image, re-frame the shot using the rule of thirds. Pretty cool I think. Also, if you are willing to shoot at a smaller picture size, the a57 will fire at 12 frames per second. At the largest pic size it will shoot at 10fps. Not bad for action shots. Last the a57 will shoot at 16000 ISO which for all of us old film buffs translates to a lot of pushing in the darkroom.

Not having used an SLT with electronic viewfinder before, I found out that there are things I like... such as the level indicator, and things I don't like..like too much info cluttering up the viewing area. Fortunately info displayed is optional and you can change how much you want to see.

The a57 uses the larger M size battery, the same newer battery for the a100. The a55 which the a57 is replacing uses a smaller battery, which doesn't last as long and tends to get hot as well.

The Pros of this camera are many....sharp pictures even in low light. Records movies easily (also a con)

Terrific number of auto shoot modes for all kinds of conditions including portrait re-framing and auto HDR along with multi frame exposure for low light conditions.

Uses the large M batteries.

Bright LCD multi angle live/review/menu screen.

Cons (keeping the camera from getting a full five stars)

View Finder screen has too much contrast when shooting in bright daylight, .

Easy to hit the movie button by accident...with a finger or against your chest.

The camera has some fun things I have not used yet..such as the panorama sweep mode, both 2d and 3d. Not having a 3d television I doubt that feature will get used much.

All told I look forward to using this camera for a long time to come. I will say this...I still like looking through an optical VF so my a100 is going in for repair. Using the a57 and the a100 together should allow me to do just about anything including shooting HD movies.

I am updating my review, now that I have learned a bit more about the camera and giving it five stars.

Buy Sony Alpha SLT-A57 16.1 MP Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor DSLR with Translucent Mirror Technology and 3D Now

Sony a57 is a really fantastic camera.

Handling of the camera is excellent and the way better than any competitor.

Its design and built quality are simply perfect, it fits in hand ideally. Not only that it's easy shooting with various settings with a57 but it's also very pleasing.

The shutter is really quiet and smooth. The electronic first curtain shutter significantly decreases sound and vibration caused by shutter mechanism.

Articulating screen is very useful and once you get used to it's a very comfortable and necessary feature to have.

Viewfinder is more than good enough, although it's not as good as OLED EVFs we have seen in high-end SLTs but it's much better than competitor's small OVFs. Most important thing is that with EVF "what you see is what you get" unlike OVFs where you have no clue what your final image is gonna be like.

One more thing, manual focusing with traditional DSLRs is a really headache, it's almost impossible to get accurate shot since the OVFs of entry-level DSLRs are ridiculously small, but with EVF you can use MF magnification or Peaking feature and never bother again how accurate focus will be.

Autofocus is really fast, unlike nikon competitors you have built-in AF motor that you can use with old excellent minolta lenses. Face detection, object tracking and AF area features are on board, so you have great ability to customize Af behavior. The shooting speed is excellent, at least twice as fast as rivals and a57 has a HUGE BUFFER SIZE (21 raw+jpeg) that takes fast shooting experience to a higher level. Video quality is outstanding, full HD 60fps is really enough for even advanced video shooters and customization of video is much better than firs generation SLTs. One downside is that if you shoot with AF you can't go wider than f3.5 and it's a shame but with excellent peaking feature you can shoot with manual focusing without any trouble.

There is not reason to talk much about image quality. It's excellent and it's not big news that 16mp sony sensor is really great. I think everyone is aware of that, since D5100 D7000 A580 A55 A35 nex-5n etc. have the same sensor. Some people claim that a57 sensor is improved over a55 but it's not true. Raw image quality is exactly the same. The one thing sony is still behind from canikon is it's jpeg engine. While White Balance colors and contrast are very good, sony a57 still fails to get as clean and detailed jpegs as the sensor allows. At low iso images are fine but at high iso NR shows its ugly head (I always keep it at Low setting).

I won't talk much about features. Clear image zoom is really gimmick and does nothing useful and auto portrait framing is only for kids under 10, it uses RULE OF THIRDS composition and crops picture, if you can't do it yourself and if you don't enjoy framing during taking pictures then why you should buy 700$ camera? So those are features that I turned off the second I got the camera and never turning them on again. Peaking, HDR, panorama and painting effect HDR are really useful features.

Before the listing of cons I want to say why this camera is better than Cnikon rivals.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE A57 OVER NIKON COMPETITORS:

A57 has much better handling experience, is much much faster, has Larger buffer size and much more features.

A57 has Built-in focus motor and Built in image stabilization so you get IS and AF with every lens you attach and with nikon you get neither of these with old lenses.

People say that nikon has the same sensors and recieves extra half stop light but come on, while nikon gathers 1.5x more light sony has steadyshot and can shoot at least 3-4 times longer with any lens, so you can get at least 2 times more light, so in most cases(except you're using stabilized lens on nikon) you get at least one stop ISO advantage with sony.

OVF technology is really old and uncomfortable and it's obvious that with SLT you have much more chance to get right shot than with SLR.

OLD minolta lenses are soo cheap and so good, you can get under 100$ some excellent lenses and have full functionality.

much better video with full-time PD autofocus.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE A57 OVER CANON COMPETITORS:

canon has fallen behind in sensor technology. Image quality of Sony sensor's are much superior to canon's.

even with extra half stop light canon iso performance is no better than sony

in terms of Dynamic range and color depth sony really puts a shame even canon's pro sensors.

much better video with full-time PD autofocus.

much better build quality, much faster, and 5 times larger raw buffer kicks canon out of game.

Cons of A57:

can't choose ISO other than power of two (x 100).

Not-so-good Jpeg engine without opportunity turning of NR.

No auto ISO in manual mode.

No hope that sony will ever do firmware upgrade.

EVF refresh rate still has to be improved.

EVF dynamic range isn't match of sensor's DR.

Aperture limitation on Video (when using AF).

Bracketing has only two options 0.3 and 0.7 EV.

Most of features doesn't work when you shoot RAW+jpeg (it's soo distracting).

ISO buttons location is far from perfect.

Why the "?" button isn't customizable and who needs the button that doesn't do anything but showing guide?

To sum up a57 is a great tool for photographer and it not only does many things but does everything well. This is a camera you'll fall in love with and this is camera that shouldn't be pared with crappy 18-55 kit lens. I highly recommend to everyone buying this camera. Cheers!

Read Best Reviews of Sony Alpha SLT-A57 16.1 MP Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor DSLR with Translucent Mirror Technology and 3D Here

I am a photographer with more than 20 years of experience, and I was looking for a near-professional camera and great walk-around lens. i evaluated the Canon T3i/T4i, and Nikon 5100... all of those are good cameras, but the price/features is biased by the "pedigree" of the brand.

The Sony A57 is a great camera, feature rich, the body looks great, it takes great pictures, and the battery last over 500 pictures.

Why Sony?

Pros:

LCD viewfinder, finally on the viewfinder all the relevant info is available, this camera is not a DSLR, but a "translucent mirror", which removes part of the vibration of physically rising the viewfinder mirror on each picture. on this the Sony is way more stable and less prone to vibration when taking pictures, the only "moving parts" are the sensor stabilization, and the sensor curtain.

High ISO sensor, and multishot Noise reduction (takes several pictures and combine them to remove image noise of high ISO settings)

12FPS at 8MP o 8fps at 16MP. no other "pedigree" brand beats that.

Great Lens. the 18-135 F3.5-5.6 is a great walk-around lens.

Great on body features, like HDR, Panoramas, 3D panoramas, fullHD 1080P videos in 24fps, 30fps and 60fps.

On body image stabilization: this means that you can use any old Minolta AF lens and get the benefits of the image stabilization found on the Alpha Body. On Canon or Nikon, if you need image stabilization, you need to buy expensive new lenses.

Cheap and available Minolta AF (Maxxum and Dynax) lenses, flashs and accessories. I bought out from ebay 6 near mint different lenses for less than 300$, and 2 Minolta Flashes for less than 100$

On body motor for lens AF. (Sorry Nikon I still have a grudge on you for the motorless bodies, many of my old Nikon AF lenses are now manual focus, and on Ebay to buy additional Minolta/Sony lenses).

The body embedded flash, is good for 25-30ft pictures, good for indoor pictures.

The camera has all the wireless flash features on the body to fully take advantage of any Minolta wireless AF D flash or new Sony flash.

Cons?

No grip (official or 3rd party) available for the camera yet

APS-C sensor crop hits you on the fish-eye/wide angle lenses, killing a 1/3 of the view angle. this is a common problem for all cameras not full frame.

Side comments: if you buy a DSLR/SLT camera (any brand) make sure that you buy a cleaning/dust removal kit (sensor, mirror and lenses). my pick?:Giotto's Rocket-Air Blower Professional AA1903 Large (Red) + Lenspen Lens Pen Cleaning System + Lenspen Digi-Klear LCD Monitor Pen Digital Display Cleaning System + Accessory Kit for Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax and Sony Digital SLR Cameras this worked wonders cleaning some dandruff off the mirror (windy day lens change)

UPDATE after 3 months of usage:

The camera performs great, after learning more of the options, the camera keeps impressing me. With a Minolta 50mm 1.7 lens, at night, with the light of only a single birthday cake candle i shot a great sequence of a friend blowing his birthday cake candle, amazing stuff, no flash, 12fps, and lights where solid and warm. camera is great. buy it now that the price dropped a few hundred dollars.

UPDATE after 8 months of usage:

This camera still amazes me, solid performance... I had the opportunity to play with 3 wireless flashes (2 Minolta HS5600D and one Sony 5600)... amazing results and the camera has the wireless built in... Chalk that one up for the A57 against "entry" same price range on Canon or Nikon.

I also added a few "expensive" lenses to my bag: a Sigma 170-500 F5.6 Super Tele-zoom. great for long range outdoors. the A57 performs awesome, the built in motor on the camera allows to use those oldie but goldie glasses.

Latest Firmware also adds on camera corrections for additional new wide angle lenses, to correct chromatic aberrations and distortions.

Don't buy the new A58 as a replacement of the A57, since is a more of a mix between the A37 + A57, not an upgrade... if you are looking for a upgrade, check the upcoming A7x when available, or wait for the A77 to lower the price.

Want Sony Alpha SLT-A57 16.1 MP Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor DSLR with Translucent Mirror Technology and 3D Discount?

OK, so this review isn't going to be anywhere near as technical as most I see posted. And it won't have a lot of direct comparisons of competitive cameras. What it WILL have is my opinion of this amazing camera after using it for a month, and how I wound up choosing it.

To begin with, I used to do a fair amount of SLR photography back in the 80s and 90s. I was never all that serious about it, though, and switched to point and shoot digital cameras in the late 90s. And until recently, we've been perfectly happy with the good quality digital cameras we've invested in. The one exception has been for taking pictures of my son's basketball and daughter's volleyball games. No matter what we did, we couldn't seem to avoid blurry pictures where you can barely make out faces.

After some research, we decided that going back to SLR was the way to go. But coming back to a big camera isn't enough in itself. You really need to buy lenses with f-stop ratings at 2.8 or lower (2.2, 2.0, 1.8, 1.4, etc). Some of this can get expensive quickly. But luckily, Sony has a couple of very nice lenses (the 50mm 1.8, the 85mm 2.8, and the 35mm 1.4) for not a lot of money. I skipped the kit lens.

So how did I end up buying this camera? Kind of by accident. Starting out, I was convinced I was looking at one of the Canon Rebels. Then I read great things about the Nikons in their D-series (D3100, D3200, and D5000). So I was focused on picking one of those. Then I read an article saying that the new Sony cameras can use older Minolta autofocus lenses, which piqued my interested. I have some old Minolta AF lenses, and it would be nice to be able to use them again. But that alone wasn't enough.

So the research began. At first, I was put off by how many people had really negative things to say about the Sony cameras. But eventually, it occurred to me that almost everyone who was slamming them DIDN'T ACTUALLY USE THEM. Most were people with long-stated preference for Canon or Nikon. Which is fine, but not really helpful. Once I focused on reviews from people who are actually using the Sony cameras, it became clear that people who own them love them. That, combined with the wealth of features (big, bright, pixel-dense display, easy to use auto and program modes, great video capabilities, ability to use Minolta lenses) left me favoring the Sony slightly before purchase.

Now, after using the camera for a month, I can say without question that we made the right decision. We've already taken hundreds of photos in all kinds of situations, and without fail this camera delivers. Granted, it sometimes takes a little playing around with the settings to get what I'm looking for, but as I'm learning there's less and less of that. If you're new to digital SLR cameras, the Sony does a decent job explaining itself to you, and there are plenty of online resource (youtube videos and the like) to help you figure out the features and make the most of them.

So my recommendation? Unless you just have a preference for Nikon or Canon, you will likely love this camera. It takes excellent photos, and that's what it's really all about.

ProAm USA DVC200 8 ft Camera Jib Crane

My Jib Crane arrived 2 days before the projected delivery so walking into the office seeing that big box felt like Christmas morning as a kid. I tore into it, expecting complex instructions, but everything was self explanatory and it took longer to get the protective wrap off than it did to assemble. That's a sign of solid, well thought out design.

Sturdy construction, no flex, smooth as silk, and stable! I ordered the suggested stand in addition to this jib because it just makes sense. Everything is sturdy and the crane has a wonderful matte finish that just says BC went the distance. Everything fits together as planned without drama or buyers regret. I'm 100% thrilled with both items.

The only thing that I don't like... No carrying case. This is such a great deal already, so I don't think anyone should be discouraged from buying it... as a note to BC Media... Bags are cheap to make, but hard to find. If you did that homework for me it would have just been that little extra step to show guys like me that you're covering all bases (no pun intended).

All together great! Send me some transport gear and I'm head over heels... :) I'd hate to scratch beauty with it banging around the trunk. Keep up the hard work guys!

Ok, when I looked at this, I thought it was too good to be true when I saw the price. When I received it, I realized it was too good for the price! I highly recommend purchasing the 4' extension and base along with it. You'll be amazed at how much it will increase your overall production value without breaking your budget.

A COUPLE OF ITEMS WORTH MENTION: You'll need to buy the weights separately. (I also highly recommend a lillyput monitor w/ mount, a motorized pan head and wired camera remote WITH EXTENSION! We found it also very helpful to utilize a few sand bags on the tripod to keep it a little more steady, especially if you're shooting with any sort of winds.

Love this product, its portability & its ease of use... Look no further.

Buy ProAm USA DVC200 8 ft Camera Jib Crane Now

This is an awesome jib with a great price. It just WORKS! Get amazing shots that everyone will be in awe. Using it with my 5DMK2. Stuck a manfrotto plate on and mounted a LCD monitor. Setup and breakdown. You can buy a bag from BC Media but I recommend putting foam padding between the bars because they can get scratched. This jib is the best.

Read Best Reviews of ProAm USA DVC200 8 ft Camera Jib Crane Here

This crane / jib is well built and an excellent value, especially if you compare it to other pro ones that cost way more.

Adds so much production value to the shots. I even use it on some regular hand held shots to help hold steady.

However, my one only biggest complaint is the flex on the mounting bracket where you attach the camera.

There is considerable flex after mounting a DSLR rig to it. In airplane terms: it rolls clockwise. In other words it tilts to the right, since it hangs to the right of the main arm. So the camera, when facing forward, looking down the length of the arm, is always off level and tilted to the right.

I have tried bending and flexing it back, but it always relaxes back after mounting equipment to it.

The simple solution was to level the tripod that the crane is mounted, to compensate for the slight angle, but alas, as soon as you swing and pan in either direction, the angle is worse in one way or the other.

The obvious solution would be to mount an adjustable head on the bracket, which is what I've done. However, now I need to buy another tripod head so I can do the quick release thing from crane to tripod without having to unscrew everything back and forth every time I switch between supports.

There really shouldn't be any flex there at all. Aside from that, a good product.

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I just received my DV200 and I was blown away by how tall and sturdy it is. Keep in mind that I ordered the entire set, which includes the extension and the base stand. My crane can easily reach 16', the base stand that is extra easily gave me 4' of extra length and its super sturdy. Although I bought the monitor and I am returning it because it only has video cables and does not support my HDMI only cameras. I would recommend this to a friend!

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DXG 567V 5.0MP HD Camcorder with 1.7-Inch Hi-Res LCD and 2x Zoom (Black)

I purchased this camcorder for my boyfriend's birthday (May 2008). I loved it so much I went out and bought myself one.

The picture quality is amazing for the price. I am very impressed. It is not a low-light (no light) camera. You need moderate lighting to see your subject when shooting indoors or at night. Keep in mind this is not a professional quality camcorder. If you are looking for a professional camcorder this is not the product for you.

The sound is decent if your subject is talking loudly at a distance or near the mic (be careful not to block the mic with your finger when hand-holding the camera)

Solid construction and features compared to similar products in its price range.

The lens has no cover (similar to that of a camera cell phone) so be sure to place the camera in its carrying case when not in use to prevent scratches on the lens.

The camcorder is very portable and is simple to use. It has minimal buttons and basic features (on, off, record, stop, play, volume, etc)

Again... it is NOT a professional camera. If image stabilization, sound and low light are important features that you MUST have this is NOT the camcorder for you. This is an amateur camcorder I believe it serves its purpose and produces quality recordings for the price.

I thought about doing a video review so you could see my main complaint with the camera first hand: the picture quality just isn't good. New light sources such as bright rooms create huge bloom effects that take several seconds to dissipate, and the camera *never* clearly displays stronger light sources such as incandescent bulbs.

The overall picture quality isn't good, even at the highest HD video setting. You'll find better quality on a VHS camcorder: the contrast is all out of whack, anything white or close to white creates bloom light, and the camera doesn't handle motion well. It is advertised as HD, but the picture doesn't even qualify as normal definition on a TV, let alone a computer monitor.

On the positive side, it is easy to use and light weight, and if you think you need a video camera that you can pull out and just start recording, it is sufficient for that. Just don't expect your videos to be terribly comprehensible unless you hold very still.

At this relatively cheap price tag, I'd recommend that you DO NOT buy it. You don't even really get what you pay for.

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The reviews indicate that still pictures can't be taken on this camcorder. Although this is not indicated in the manual if you use the toggle you can actually find this feature first it goes to HD then to D1 then to CIF and the final is blank this is where you can take your still photos. I did not expect the quality of this camera to equal the quality of most camcorders due to the cost but it takes ok pics and video. The only problem is the sound quality but overall it was a good buy for quick videos.

Read Best Reviews of DXG 567V 5.0MP HD Camcorder with 1.7-Inch Hi-Res LCD and 2x Zoom (Black) Here

We purchased this little camcorder over 5 months ago now from a Best Buy special for only $40. As some have stated, it did not come with the 2gb SD card or the Mini Tripod, but everything else was there including multiple sets of connection cords, rechargeable batteries (2 AA), charger, case and of course, the camcorder itself.

For the price, I was very skeptical of the quality picture, but after hooking it up to the computer and then to our 40" Sony Bravia HDTV, we were amazed especially for something under $50. This handy little unit comes with us on all of our family trips and is also used quite a bit just filming our children. So far I am guessing we have logged well over 100 hours of recordings with absolutely no issues.

This is probably the easiest to use camcorder out there as well, all you have to do is turn it on, hit the red button to start recording and hit the red button to stop recording. As many have said, the camcorder does have a 2x zoom, but we do not use it as the quality is terrible. Others have said the sound could be better, but that is not the case with us sometimes it is even a little too sensitive as it picks up the click when you start and stop recording.

Also, others have said that this camcorder does not take still pictures, but it does. It is nowhere near the quality of our digital cameras, and this is a camcorder anyway, so why would you even want to take still pictures with it?

It does eat through batteries quite quickly, but it uses simple AA's which are easy to find and inexpensive. We usually use the rechargeable batteries that came with the camera first and keep a second pair of AA's as a backup.

I attached a raw video so you can see and hear the performance this little camcorder gives. Wow Amazon compressed the video really bad...at least you can hear the sound works fine, but the picture is amazing for a little camcorder.

Overall we are very pleased with the performance, size, ease of use and quality of this little camcorder and recommend it highly especially if you just want something cheap and does the job And it does the job very well.

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My wife and I found this camera after searching for a gift for her father. We liked it so much that we bought one for ourselves as well. I had some basic criteria I wanted in a handheld camera based on things that irritated me in other cameras. First, the camera should use AA batteries instead of a built-in battery. My experience is that the built-in battery will eventually need to be replaced as the charge time gets shorter and shorter with every charge and, when it runs down, your out of luck until it recharges.

Second, SD card storage. SD cards are cheap and most laptops have SD card readers. Micro SD cards are too small for me to manipulate easily.

Third, A camera that can take still pictures as well as video. I take a lot of pictures with this camera and post them in an online blog. All the shots I've taken with this camera look great to me. This camera has no flash but even the low light shots look good, in my opinion. I had to dig a bit to find out if this camera could take still photos since it is not expressly mentioned in the ad material and was pleased to discover that it does.

Other nice things about this camera are that it came packaged with a case, tripod, battery recharger, and batteries. We paid $59.95 for this and we feel it was well worth the money.

Note that I am not a professional photographer nor do I have enough knowledge about photography to correctly utilize the extra controls that pro. level cameras support. The quick, easy point and shoot variety of cameras like this one suit me just fine.

Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-300mm VR Lens + 32

I had a Nikon SLR camera for years until it was stolen while traveling overseas! I love the new upgrade to digital and video for all the obvious reasons. I've been pleasantly surprised to find how user friendly and light the D3200 is. A distinct advantage for travelers. I'm still working my way through all the manual setting options (not hard, just limited time on my part), but the automatic is point and shoot ready. Nikon's easy lense exchange is terrific as always. Cameeta Camera put together a super package. Everything came quickly, brand new and in perfect condition. The lenses are very good for general use. D3200 comes with installed flash and red eye, but not a separate hot foot flash for bouncing light. These two lenses will do everything I need from kid sports to hiking the Rockies. Camera bag is heavy duty and durable for storage or car travel, but a bit bulky for air travel. The close up lenses came in handy for school science project displays. Great deal!

This is a great camera which gives you super quality pictures. The tripod and other accessories were also of a good quality.

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Love this camera great for a beginner. And will be able to use for a long time as we learn photography. The price for the package deal was great too.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-300mm VR Lens + 32 Here

I've wanted a Nikon for years. It's a great camera and the options that are built in just "ROCK!" I,m very happy with my New Nikon.

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The camera is amazing. I'm glad I got the package with both lenses. It made it easy to take the long shots and the close ups of my family.I just came back from a vacation in the Caribbean and just viewed my pictures on my 50 inch plasma TV. They look perfect in every way.

Sony Handycam CCD-TRV128 AV Cable - TV Video Cord for Sony Handycam CCD-TRV128

I received what I needed quickly and at a good price. I put the cable right to work and it is working fine. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007I7BZNO/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title

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Samsung HMX-Q20 Flash Memory HD Digital Video Camcorder (Black) with 16GB Card + Battery + Tripod +

This is a good, very portable camcorder. There is a LOT you can do with it, so make sure you read the manual and try things out. My laptop is ancient, so I just could not edit on it. I haven't had a chance to try it with my desktop, but based on what I've seen, you can do a lot with the editing software. The tri-pod is not so hot. The flexible legs sound like a good idea, but it actually made it quite difficult to get the camera where I wanted it. I haven't had a chance to use any of the other accessories, but they seem standard and useful when called for. The bag is very useful and has a lot of protective padding, but the tri-pod does not fit. Take your time learning how to use this and you can get a lot out of this camera. I'm looking forward to using it as a film camera for small projects I want to do.

I have not had the chance to use it yet, but, it looks like it's going to be just what it said it would be. Loved all the extras that you usually have to buy seperately.

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Casio Exilim EX-S12 12MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Black)

Ok, I don't know why others are giving this camera a low review. Perhaps they haven't played with it enough. I have only had this camera for about two weeks. I gave it to myself for a birthday present cause it was time to get rid of my old Nikon 3.2 mp camera and I am about to spend a semester in France and throughout Europe doing some field work for my Master's thesis.

First of all, the sheer size of this camera is amazing (its smaller than my ipod video). I was originally going to get the s10 but was unable to find it (I guess they're not selling it anymore), but quite honestly 2 mp difference is no big deal. 12mp is more than enough. I have gotten so many compliments on this camera so far just because of its size and the fact that it has 12mp rather than 10 or even 8.

I think the picture quality is outstanding! I have been playing with it practically everyday taking pictures of anything and everything to get a good test out of it. So far, all these pictures look very very nice. One thing I like to do with cameras is play around with its settings. This camera, although it has a Best Shot Feature (pre-programmed settings for certain situations), I'm the type of person who likes to experiment with those settings anyway. This camera allows you to do that with the best shot feature and it has a manual feature so that you can adjust everything! I hate cameras that won't let you mess with its pre-programmed settings cause let's face it they don't always get it right! Then the best part is, you can save these settings that you've created and the camera will remember them for you.

One thing I see in these reviews is that the picture quality is bad. The s12 (as I'm sure with other casios) has a "quick shutter" setting. This setting will immediately take the picture before it has a chance to focus (why you would do that I'm not sure). You can turn this off! That was one of the first things I changed when I started playing with it.

The HD videos this camera takes are very impressive! I have posted a couple of them on Youtube (look under my name: vsa23). They look fantastic on our 52" HDTV! Have not run into any problems like the sound not being in sync with the video.

My ONLY complaint about this camera is that when the camera is on "Best Shot Auto Focus" (the lowest, easiest, setting for grandma), the focus makes very loud almost scratching noises because it is constantly focusing. I took the camera back, exchanged it for a new one, and even tried the store's two displays and they all seem to do that. Perhaps this is something that will change with the later s12s that come out. But in all honesty, I don't use that setting anyway (not that I'm a pro or anything), so it doesn't bother me too much.

All in all, I am very happy with this little camera! It does everything I need it to do (which is really to primarily take pictures) and it offers so much more than I need at the same time (make up setting, dynamic photo, smile shutter, face detection, youtube capture, and more!). If you're looking for a very nice camera with lots of features in a small compact travel-friendly camera then this one is a very good choice. I will be posting some of my sample photos on Amazon's customer images thing. Hope you all find this review useful!

I usually shoot with a DSLR and wanted to get a new small camera to carry around and replace my 5 year old Pentax Optio S4i. My main criteria for picking the camera were weight, HD video capture, image quality, and ease of use. I've since updated this list to include image stabilization.

The casio s12 is one of the smallest cameras you can get. Reviews also said the camera was snappy. Looking at reviewer's test shots showed it had very good image quality, so I picked one up.

I wanted to like this camera. I tried to like this camera. But in the end the camera is just too unreliable to be used as a point and shoot. The images typically look very good on the camera's screen, but on a large monitor they were often under saturated, auto white balance was off, and most importantly they were frequently out of focus. With this camera, you need to pre-focus with a 1/2 shutter press before taking a picture. Far too often, the camera would never focus even in sunlight. The only time there was reliable focus was when the subject was relatively close to the camera (a couple yards or less away) and cooperative. When the focus worked correctly, the picture quality was still not perfect (harsh chromatic aberration) but was admittedly much better than average. I cannot figure out why the focus is so hit or miss. Perhaps it is operator error or lack of image stabilization. It may even be that the camera defaults to focus a few feet away when its autofocus algorithm fails. This would be fine for taking a picture of your friends sitting at a table with you, but it does not work if you are zoomed-in on your kids playing in the yard.

The HD video quality was fairly good for nearby subjects. It did suffer from lack of any image stabilization technology and it is doubtful anyone would be using this camera for shooting video with a tripod. With a camera this small I really think you need some form of image stabilization.

I will return the Casio and try one of the new Canon's or the Lumix FX-35/37/48 (or even the new Pentax w80). I would only recommend the Casio for someone who primarily shoots nearby, cooperative subjects. Those images seem to come out OK most of the time and even excellent once in a while. This camera would not be my recommendation if you want to capture your kids candidly. If you like the Casio style or feature set, perhaps the Casio Z400 will be better since it has image stabilization, a longer zoom, and perhaps some updated firmware.

Positives:

* Easy to use

* Great feature set

* Small (but not too small) size

* Great set of 'best shot' modes, including a unique whiteboard and business card mode which can replace your scanner

* Unlimited length HD video capture in AVI format (good for Windows) at 24fps. The lack of 30fps in HD mode wasn't noticeable.

* Good build quality with excellent LCD screen

* Good low-light focus lamp

* Potential to take some very good pictures

Negatives:

* Very unreliable focus and sometimes unreliable white balance

* Terrible printed user manual (but the online manual is very good)

* No standard cable connections on camera for USB

* No digital video out from the camera

* Some of the in-camera features just did not work reliably. Most notable is the feature where you can subtract the background from around your subject and place the subject in another image.

* Lens not very wide (~36mm)

Buy Casio Exilim EX-S12 12MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Black) Now

This Casio EX-S12 was chosen over other compact cameras in the US market, due to its tiny size and price. My intention is to find a super compact but decent camera for my wife to travel with, where a full size DSLR is not desirable.

The camera started up quickly but does take about 2-3 seconds between shots (not bad considering that I had the automatic flash on and it'll take time to charge up the capacitor). The buttons and the menu are intuitive and easy to figure out. The camera is packed with features that I'll never use, such as BestShot, Youtube, Dynamic Photo, smile recognition, etc. On the other hand, I do find the historgram and the tripod mount highly benficial.

Battery life seems to be good. Although it didn't make sense to have a compact camera, but the battery charger is as big as the camera itself, with a long power cable to the outlet. It's a generic detachable cable so I'll replace it with a shorter one (or shorten the one provided). I've not tried if I can charge the battery by using the USB cable only.

As for the resulting photos, it does a great job with portraits as I'm impressed with the smooth and natural skin tone that it produces. I had no problem with noise with the normal ISO setting. It produces beautiful, peaceful pastile color for landscape photos as well. I did not play with any camera setting to adjust the internal processing, but you'll probably need to do so if you want photos with more contrast and more punch. It's not an issue with me, since I can always post-process the files later via Photoshop. As with most point-n-shoot, too bad it doesn't create RAW file format.

I tend to use the wide side rather than telephoto with my photography style. Thus, I hardly use the zoom feature. This camera has the 36mm equivalent, which is about the normal human's view point so images aren't distorted much. Not an ultra-wide, but not bad.

The on camera flash is okay for a tiny camera, and the output is adjustable. I do rather see a PC port added with the future model, so I can shoot with an off-camera flash.

As for the HD video, it works fine. Originally, I tested it with an old SD card and was suspicious if audio and video were in sync. Later, I put in a better SDHC card and had no issue with the video. The video in HD mode started up quickly, but it's limited to 10 minute clips (due to size limitation of FAT32 file format as with other point-and-shoot?). You'll have to remember to find a break to stop-and-restart quickly before the 10 minute is up.

Be sure to get the biggest and fast SDHC card that you can get. My old 1GB SD card was filled quickly with about 7 minutes of HD video and few 12MP photos. Also, due to its tiny dimension, be sure to use the hand strap.

Read Best Reviews of Casio Exilim EX-S12 12MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD (Black) Here

OK, here is the non-techie's verdict on this camera... I really like it and rate it a SOLID FOUR STARS !!!

I will leave the techie's to discuss all the pros and cons of the specs. In a nutshell, here are my thoughts:

1) It's definitely mini and fits easily in a shirt pocket.

So bring one along in your pocket and you'll always

be ready for a Kodak...oops! "Casio Moment"

2) I was all set to buy the silver one, but when they

took it out of the box, it looked way tooo shiny!

Like the color of bright, polished tin... so I

asked to see the other colors and bought the gold,

champagne, beer-colored one. It looks fantastic.

3) WITHOUT the manual, I played around with the MENU

and the various buttons and got everything working

to my liking within 30 minutes. And I am no

techie!

4) OUTPUT: Yes, the photos and videos ROCKED for this

mini-camera. Expensive, separate-lens, high-end

cameras will take BETTER photos, but these are

DEFINITELY VERY GOOD! Colors are vibrant!

5) BEST SHOT Pre-programmed settings for outdoors,

night, and about 20-other almost-any-event. This

is a fun gadget and let's you focus on the

subject/s while this little cam does all the

work.

6) PRICE: Definitely OK for all that you get in that

size!

7) C'MON !!!.. I said enough... go out and buy one!

YOU will be HAPPY you did. Trust me. It rocks!

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In my opinion this is the best camera in this category. Before I buy any camera I review sample photos full size, which for this camera at 12mp is wall size, about 60 inches wide. I look for noise, detail and color. I have had this camera for a week and ran it through my tests and it did not disappoint. Noise in the blue sky is almost non-existent, something you would expect from an SLR. Detail in pretty good also. In daylight I just leave it in auto and it shoots awesome pictures. Indoors you could leave it in auto, but all your shots will be at 400 ISO which is starting to add noise at this level. I set it at 200 ISO indoors for near perfect noise free pictures.

I have tried some of the Best Shot settings and the landscape scenic setting is terrible, don't even bother using it because it messes up the saturation. The composite setting is cool that it pictures the subject in motion but there is not much use for it. I am yet to try all of the Best Shot settings, there is a lot of them.

Make-up function works perfectly, maybe too good. It has 12 levels of make-up. Makes my 79 year old mother look like she is 19. I would rather take pictures of the way things really are, but this is definitely a cool feature.

Low light performance seems really good, it is able to focus and take good shots.

HD video is really nice, though 24 fps is a bit choppy. You will need to learn how to take video at 24 fps. Basically you need to keep still and do not change direction too fast. The 640x480 is smoother at 30 fps and it looks pretty good also if there is enough light. One surprise for me is that it is able to zoom during video. It is not optical zoom during video it is digital zoom but it performs like optical zoom. There is no deterioration when in full zoom, and the manual states this also. This is great to be able to zoom in video. You can consider this optical video zoom since it performs the same as. The colors of the video are not as good as broadcast HDTV, but it seems almost as sharp in good lighting.

There is no photo editing software included with this camera, which is a shock to me since all my last cameras were Fujifilms and they include a great post processing software. I searched for a replacement software and found Photoscape, it is free and even better than Finepix software. At full resolution this Casio comes out with 5-6.8 mb picture file size. Well with the photoscape I can save in 70% jpg compression that brings down the file size to 1.1 mb, saves a lot of memory. I compared the difference and I cannot see any difference between the 1.1 mb picture and the 6.5 mb picture, and I am viewing them full size.

I normally keep this camera at 3:2 and Normal, again I don't see Fine as being any improvement over Normal. 3:2 is wider than normal to look better on tv's but still can be printed on a 4x6. The 16:9 seems too wide and then when you go to print them, stores like Walgreens may have a problem cropping part of the picture out of it.

I have always had Fujifilms, but Casio just seems to come out with things first and I just couldn't wait for Fujifilm to come out with a comparable camera. I am glad I made the move to Casio and I think I will stick with Casio for all my future cameras.

There is no camera this small with all these features and that takes such awesome pictures.

Nikon D3100 Digital Camera + Nikon 18-55 VR Zoom Lens + Nikon 70-300 Telephoto Zoom Lens + .40x Sup

Best camera we have ever owned. We have used it on several special occasional and have some great pictures. We are still learning what all the features do so far we love it!!!!

PANASONIC PV-L353D

I received the product on time and had not complain of the services provided. it is just I wasn't looking for that kind of camera.

Bought this used Works better than the one It replaced I can now transfer my vhs-c tapes to digital --

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Triplett 8055 CamView W35v CCTV Wrist Mounted Test Monitor with 3.5" LCD and 12 Volt Output

• High contrast 3.5" daylight viewable display
• Video (Via BNC connectors) loop thru capabilities
• On screen display of video settings
• Power CCTV security with 12 volt output
• One year limited warranty

Due to the fact that this has a power supply output to power the camera, it allows you to test various camera locations with nothing more than the monitor, a camera and a ladder. Save hours of time running cables to a location only to find that you can't get the camera angle you are looking for from that spot. In addition, once your camera is installed, you can use it to fine tune the viewing angle right from the camera as opposed to be on cell phone with someone else in front of the viewing monitor. Only con, battery life is not long. If you plan to hang more than 5 or 6 cameras in a day, use the battery wisely or plan to charge it in between use.

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The only problem I have with this device is that when you are testing a camera and the IR comes on it drains the battery at a very fast rate. If it were possible to add extra battery capacity that would go a long way. How I am dealing with this problem, is that I am using and external belt clip battery pack to supply the voltage to the camera as opposed to using your device to supply the voltage. Other than this I am pleased with the product.

Canon DC330 1.07MP DVD Camcorder with 37x Optical Zoom

I don't know why amazon includes the sony mini-dvds on this page, because they do NOT work with this camera! I ordered them based on amazon's recommendation and they are not compatible. I'm having a tough time finding a mini dvd-rw that will work with the camera. Otherwise, it is ok. The movie editing software isn't very easy though, but the picture quality is fantastic. Colors are true to life and recording is easy. My two complaints are mini-dvd-rw issue and crappy software for editing.

UPDATE: Spoke to Canon and now know the difference is the plus/minus! This camcorder requires DVD-R/RW (notice minus sign) and cannot use the DVD+R/RW (notice plus sign). When purchasing mini dvds make sure to get the minus and then just about any brand should work (verbatim definitely does).

I have camcorders since 1987 and this one is great. I like the DVD recording where I can see what I just recorded direct on my TV, via my DVD. The size is very small, however the buttons are fine. Good quality for the price. For the record: My experience with Canon customer service has been great in the past: Free service on my A95 and A75 digital cameras, even after the warranty expired (black LCD screen).

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This is an amazing camera. I don't know the picture quality of an HD camcorder, but in comparison this camera is an excellent buy for the price. Perhaps I'll buy an HD in a few years when the price drops.

Only warning about buying from Amazon be careful with recommended accessories make sure you purchase mini DVD's and not regular DVD's as I mistakenly did.

I have not taken single frame pictures with it yet and suspect that the 1 MP quality will not be great, but I have an excellent digital camera and do not need the multiple capability. I purchased the camera primarily for wildlife video and think it will do an excellent job.

Read Best Reviews of Canon DC330 1.07MP DVD Camcorder with 37x Optical Zoom Here

Just purchased the DC330 camcorder in late July 2008. I must say the video is very clear and the colors saturated. The most impressive thing to me was the zoom. It's incredible! I video recorded my kids when they were getting surfing lessons. I was probably 30 yards from them. The resulting video made it seem as though I was right beside them. I even captured a decent audio from them! I wish the still picture capability were better than 1M but the video is superb. My only real issue was that one of the CDs that came with the camcorder was scratched on delivery and I am not able to load the software at this point. I am in contact with Canon at the moment. We'll see how their customer service is I guess.

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This camcorder is very easy to use and set up. The quality of the video is very good and the optical zoom allows you to capture close-up video without disturbing the subject.

Optoma BM-5001U, Low Profile Universal Optoma Projector Ceiling Mount

I like the features the product includes for leveling the projector. It has two adjustment knobs that tilt the projector left/right and up/down. This made the installation much easier. Can be installed many different ways...took me a minute to figure out what the instructions were telling me but once I did it was easy to install.

I bought this mount after recently using a universal mount to mount my Optoma HD20 projector. The BM-5001U is a little more expensive than the universal mounts but well worth it. It is great that the plate fits exactly to my HD20 projector and then easily slid onto the base plate. The mount is very solid and does not move at all when my 1 year old is walking upstairs right above my mount that is located in the basement. I highly recommend this mount for the Optoma HD20. The only thing I would change is that the mount only has an adjustment for vertical (up and down) and tilt. It would have been great if the mount would have been adjustable from left to right. I had to readjust the base several times until it was perfectly centered on my 106" screen. Still a great mount though.

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This product is well-engineered and works perfectly. It only does one thing, but it does it extremely well. I bought this for my Optoma HD66 2500ANSI Lumens 4000:1 3D-Ready DLP Home Theater Projector White.

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Works great. Best mount I have experienced so far. My only complaints would be one of the adjustment knobs sit directly below the ceiling making the yaw difficult to adjust. Looks a bit confusing when you pull it out of the box and the instructions aren't the best, but you'll figure it out if you have figured out how to run projection on your ceiling. Other than that it is quality and steady, easy to use and remove once mounted with the exception of the yaw control.

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I would recommend this Ceiling mount. It worked well with my projector. Easy to wall mount and sturdy also. Price is also reasonable.

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Bell and Howell DNV16HDZ-BLFull Infrared Night Vision Camcorder in Blue + 16GB Accessory Kit & 25 F

This is the best camera I have ever purchased. Easy to use light weight and I have nothing but good things to say about it. The night vision is AWESOME! just saying.

I really had my fingers crossed buying this site unseen. I am very happy. I did purchase an additional IR with lightbar through amazon, I recommend that anyone needing to really use the night vision feature of this camera do the same. That also goes for night time recording, buy an additional light. Good product

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Lorex SG6130 2.4 GHz Wireless Camera & Receiver System (Black & White)

This camera worked well except the night vision. night vision only displayed an image if the object was within 2-3 feet of the camera. I would

call this camera a low light camera.

I dont' think its the best camera. Sctatchy noise has to be plugged in to extension cord because batteries are rechargeable and last only 4 hrs. Good for the price to be able to watch things and the audio is good.

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Ok, this product does what it says it does sometimes. It wouldn't work straight out of the box, and then magically started working. When working it worked very well. Also, it has a tendency to interfer with the wireless network in my house.

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I didn't expect much when I bought this and . . . . well I didn't get much.

It barely works when the camera is 3 feet away from the receiver. Very cheap quality just like the price.

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I am a computer technician, I also install surveillance cameras, everyone needs to understand, if you have a wireless router that uses 2.4 Ghz frequency, the picture will not be clear, it lasted a while, then the wire got pinched in the window, the whole camera burned, in the inside, could of started a fire, if you have money, buy wired cameras, they are alot better!