Showing posts with label wireless baby video monitor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wireless baby video monitor. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital Camera AV / HDMI Cable 3' HDMI to Mini HDMI - High Speed HDMI Transfer

Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital Camera AV / HDMI Cable 3' HDMI to Mini HDMI - High Speed HDMI Transfer CableIt is a 3 ft HDMI CABLE which allows me to connect my camera to my large screen TV. Could not find a 10 or 12 foot cable, so I settled for this and a female female HDMI connector. Works fine, it isn't easy to mess up an HDMI cable and they didn't.

This cable enabled us to really enjoy our pictures on a big screen! Everyone had nothing but praise for the presentation'

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Monday, October 6, 2014

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

JVC GZ-HM690BUS Camcorder with 40x  Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD ScreenI 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.

Read Best Reviews of JVC GZ-HM690BUS Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD Screen (Black) Here

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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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

VideoSecu High Sensitive Preamp Tiny Spy Microphone Audio Pickup Device Kit for Security Camera Sou

VideoSecu High Sensitive Preamp Tiny Spy Microphone Audio Pickup Device Kit for Security Camera Sound Voice Monitoring Recording with 50 Feet Cable and Power Supply WE6I use this microphone with other professional mics for bird and wildlife audio as well as general security. Please note LOUDNESS is determined by the gain (think volume control) of the security unit circuits not just this microphone. More about that below if you wish to read on. For now I will say that this mic, being "powered", has a low noise level and a high sensitivity in a 60 degree cone to the the general direction it is pointing. It is very transparent but does not have (or need) outstanding fidelity. It has AGC (automatic gain control) to even out the loud and soft sounds and that is a good feature. It is ideal for security uses and the price is right! Is it loud enough to capture the elusive noise you WANT to record with your security DVR? It depends on you DVR audio circuits and how quiet of a noise you EXPECT to record. You will just have to try it but I suspect that most "powered" security mics will record at about the same loudness. In a nutshell, this one seems to be a very good value.

Details My microphones all go through an audio mixer before patching into the security DVR or other recorder. Yes, I have meters to monitor and adjust loudness too. Also, I listen with headphones to avoid any chance of feedback loops. If I want any mic to be louder (more sensitive to faint sounds in the lingo of an audio engineer) I turn up the mixer's gain. In theory the more you amplify a microphone signal the fainter and more distant the sound you can hear but there are always limits in the real world, huh?

Turn any mic way, way up and you may hear the rumble from your home's fridge motor, furnace, AC, cars on distant roads, etc (a general low frequency rumble). Also, the more you turn it up the more "line noise" you hear. Line noise sounds like static and can become so loud that it drowns out the distant noise you want to hear. WARNING: Opening a door or speaking anywhere near the mic with the volume cranked up will blow the headphones right off your head and probably ruin your hearing too. Please note that most security DVR systems do NOT have an audio gain control or volume knob. Audio gain in a security system might be useful to folks who complain that a certain mic only recorded things a few feet away!

They do make expensive, professional microphones for videographers and film makers that are very sensitive to distant, quiet noises while keeping background static and noise to a minimum (think about recording roaring lions from 500 yards). Some use a parabolic collector (like a satellite dish) and some called shotgun mics are long, skinny things that listen to a very narrow tunnel of sound much like binoculars or a zoom lens that looks far away but at a very small area. Search Amazon for "parabolic microphone" to see such toy and professional microphones.

Back to this security mic. Actually this "powered, active electronics" mic has less noise and is better for security recording than some professional microphone costing hundreds of dollars. You see, security mics have high gain, low noise and AGC. For any audio geeks out there, this mic is much quieter with MORE gain than any dynamic mic but with less dynamic range. I would have to use a phantom powered or active electronics professional mic to get as much sheer gain with as low a noise floor as this cheap security mic!

In conclusion, for it's intended use this microphone is very good all that you need. But, can you record a grasshopper burp in the next block? Nope! Once again, your mileage (and mic sensitivity) will vary depending on the security DVR you hook it to but I suspect that most security mics will record at about the same "loudness". Try this one and see if it doesn't fill the bill for recording sound around the area your camera covers.

We hooked the audio up to the security system we bought for our home. It works as others said it would. Picks up sound well.

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This microphone is my first and I am very happy with the the way it works, the size is good for concealment.

Read Best Reviews of VideoSecu High Sensitive Preamp Tiny Spy Microphone Audio Pickup Device Kit for Security Camera Sou Here

The procduct is what it was adverised to be and works very well, a great price and great product.

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This microphone is my first and I am very happy with the the way it works, the size is good for concealment. and i would like to thank

amazon for what they have for god customer services.

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Friday, September 5, 2014

DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder

DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition CamcorderThis camera is amazing! shoots amazing videos, the audio quality (AFTER THE FIRMWARE UPGRADE THAT YOU HAVE TO DOWNLOAD OFF THE WEBSITE YOURSELF) IS great too! I shoot in 720p 30fps cause my hd tv is 720p and my computer which is Windows 7 the editing software edits much easier with 720p 30fps but the camera picture quality is amazing, and so is the manual focus. If any of you guys are having probs with the audio it's because you have to upgrade the firmware, and with following the directions it should take you 5 mins tops. The camcorder takes awesome pictures! you need to hold the camcorder pretty still but like since I have picture taking experience I can do that. I use 12 or 20 usually. Also the memory card has a lot to do with it too! I have a 16gb Sandisk ULTRA and its class 6 or 4. and I have to say, its amazing with the camcorder. The manual focus for movie making and pictures is very useful! it came with everything you needed and then SOME. I think this camera is amazing and it's more for people who know how to handle technology as well as figure it out a lot more easier! :) 5 stars!

Bought DXG-A85V Camcorder because it listed a lot of promising features: 1080P,SDHC cards, replaceable batteries,etc. I had a very good experience with a camcorder in same price range with the Sony Webbie 1080P filming bowling competition, but its short 1 hour+ battery life forced me to use a portable car jump start battery and dc to ac inverter as a power source. This worked well-the Sony had great video & audio, but I was looking for a simpler solution! Also a trip to Disney is coming up and I wanted to film all day which ruled out the Webbie.

The DXG-A85V to me was a "no name" that I was willing to take a gamble on for the price and cheap extra batteries (less than $10 each). I figured I'd record bowling before the Disney trip "just to be sure it worked ok". To my dismay the audio recording was so low I could bearly hear any bowling pins crashing out of the camcorder speakers. Even over my PC and TV the volume had to be cranked up to max to hear even below average bowling sounds. There are disclaimers in the owners manual and web site about its speakers being only 1 watt and its 15 feet recording distance. I think the main problem is the placement of a cell phone size microphone on the backside of the flip out LCD. I have since noticed that all the competition place their much larger microphones under the camcorder lens.

Customer Support was quick to answer my call and is located here in USA which is refreshing. However, none of that makes up for a poor Engineering design.

Just for the fun of it I tried recording at different resolutions and different sizes & manufacturers of SDHC cards, but same problem. Video flickered at high resolutions. I don't think it can write video & audio fast enough.

Consider it like a disposable camera due to other engineering limits already in it such as class 6 (how fast it writes data)with a maximum size of 16GB SDHC cards. (Class 10 32GB are now being sold).

I have since purchased a JVC which accepts a MINIMUM Class 4 speed and it accepts 32GB capacity SDHC cards.

Buy DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder Now

I am sorry to write a bad review, but this camcorder is disappointing in its 1080p video performance. It was packaged perfectly, and looks and feels like a high quality item, but the 1080p videos that it takes are just disappointing. That's why you buy a 1080p camcorder, to get good video images, right? Specifically, upon playback on my 40 inch HDTV 1080p screen, I noticed that the video images have streaks and flicker slightly, like the data off of the memory card is flawed. It was just not a stable, high quality 1080p video picture. I've taken about 100 hours of 1080p video with this camcorder, and I am sorry to say that I would not buy this one again. I do not recommend purchasing this camcorder try another brand.

Read Best Reviews of DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder Here

Not the most impressive video cams. Can't shoot at full, or even half res without stutter. Lowest resolution barely passes for presentable. And yes, I'm using the recommended grade card(s). Tried shooting on a number of different rated cards but it had no noticeable effect/improvement. The playback was halting, and stuttering something fierce. Sound recording is horrible too. Overall, a VERY weak product... but what did I expect for "a bargain?"

Don't waste the money. Save up for a real video camera. Wish I had.

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Thursday, July 3, 2014

11" Articulated Magic Arm V1 with Single Rod Clamp - 15mm (Two 1/4"thread) for Dslr Rig Support Sys

11' Articulated Magic Arm V1 with Single Rod Clamp - 15mm for Dslr Rig Support SystemSolid construction, all metal parts, not extremely heavy. Attractive finish. I especially like the fact that wingnuts are metal as well, as opposed to other products from other manufacturers in this price range, which were plastic. Well worth the extra money.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Minox DCC 5.1 Classic Digital Camera

Minox DCC 5.1 Classic Digital CameraMade in Germany with a Leica lens and classic styling, the camera is a bargain with limitations:

+ controls are easy to reach and use (mode/up/down/shutter release)

+ 6 degrees of zoom (controlled by up/down buttons)

+ 3 quality settings (low, normal, high)

+ adjustable focal length (using a functioning ring around the lens)

+ adjustable white balance (daylight or cloudy, lamp or tungsten) and exposure value (+ or 0.3)

+ detachable view finder

+ video

+ 128 MB built in storage (accepts HD storage cards up to 16 MB, sold separately)

+ self-timer

+ wooden presentation box

no image-stabilizationn (accepts a mini tripod, but that defeats the "spy camera" function)

no built-in flash (external unit available, again defeating the "spy camera" function)

apparently does not support Mac OS 10.7 (claims to support OS 9 and 10, but has no drivers for download; prepare to use a card reader)

apparently no manuals for download from the Minox.com site (despite printed claims packaged with the camera)

pricey though non-essential add-ons (if you want them, check Amazon for sellers packaging the camera with flash and accessories)

Overall a fun camera if it isn't your only one. Five stars for looks, two stars for functionality.

I purchased this camera to keep on me at all times when I'm out and about as my pro camera is too heavy and too pricey (if lost, damaged, or stolen). I've had this camera for about a month. The look and size make it a fun little gadget. Works like a camera phone. You must have a steady hand for sharp images. I think for the price it should offer a bit more function and quality, but I knew what I was getting when I bought it. Overall, I'm happy with it.

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The question arises as to whether this adorably cute mini replica of the classic Leica film camera is a sophisticated toy or a real camera with practical uses. As a long-time aficionado of the Leica M3, which I used for 20 years from 1960 until I finally retired it with the advent of SLR cameras with zoom lenses, I find this miniature a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era, but surprisingly, with a bit of care it is capable of taking quite decent pictures.

This lifts it well above the toy category, but not without serious limitations. The accompanying "mini" manual is silent regarding some major technical details like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. It is essentially fixed focus from infinity down to two meters, with manual adjustments for 1 meter and 0.5 meters (19"). It is aperture priority, with variable shutter speeds depending on lighting conditions. Based on a check of "Properties" after downloading, all my photos so far are at an ISO of 100, so that interior shots require a steady hand with a slow shutter speed, as the maximum aperture appears to be f3.7. A rather cumbersome flash attachment is available as an expensive accessory, and so it's best to avoid low-light photography with this camera. There is a very limited movie option, which I will most likely never use.

The lens is 9mm, or 42mm in 35mm format, which users of typical point-and-shoot digitals accustomed to a 28mm wide angle zoom lens will find seriously limiting. A wide angle attachment is available as an accessory for $80, which I do not have, and which would detract from the camera's small-size advantage. Also the very helpful but non-adjustable optical viewfinder atop the camera is not usable either with the wide angle attachment or the 4X digital zoom option, but in that case the 2" LCD viewing screen offers an acceptably bright and clear image in all but the brightest sunlight conditions. Internal adjustments can be made to White Balance and Exposure Value to compensate for overor under-exposed images. The Leica-like film advance lever and rewind knob atop the camera are non-functional props only, which is a pity, as it would have been more impressive if they could have been integrated into operational features of the camera.

Downloading photos to a computer and to an editing program such as Picasa is easy and permits corrections and enhancements. With 5.1 MP and a CMOS sensor, the resolution, color and contrast of most images are quite good. This is undeniably a fun camera to use casually and is certainly a conversation piece with other photographers familiar with the old Leicas, but in terms of performance it cannot compete with modern point-and-shoot minis that are equally small and similarly priced, but far more versatile.

Bottom line: I fully agree with the reviewer who observed that the Minox Digital Classic Camera (DCC) rates a `5' for design and a `2' for function.

Read Best Reviews of Minox DCC 5.1 Classic Digital Camera Here

This digital camera is cute and great conversation in a bar but it takes lousy pics. Although it's a 5.1 MP digital camera, the pictures are blurry. It is nearly impossible to take a clear pic, steady hand or not. So for the price it is NOT worth it. If it cost $20 or $30 like a toy camera, then it would be worth buying if for nothing else than the fun and conversations of it in a bar. But then again, why waste those good photo opportunities with blurry result from a cheap digital camera? Save your money and invest in a better camera!

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Camera was delivered promptly and appeared to be as represented; however, it would not take a charge. Contacted the Minox Corporate offices directly and they forwarded a ship label and sent the camera to them. New camera came in and took a charge, and now we begin to play and see how it works. So far, so good and expect that it will work and play as advertised, otherwise I would have given it 5 stars.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization (Body Only)

Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image StabilizationI am coming from an Olympus C-8080 and a Panasonic DMC-FZ18. Both of these are decent cameras, but not quite SLR quality. Also, the Panasonic is the worst macro camera I have owned. Since I was looking for more options with macro/closeup photography, I wanted a DSLR. My old SLR was an OM2n (back in the prehistoric camera days). I considered getting the E-510 or Nikon D60. Both are decent cameras, but after seeing pictures, decided to stick with Olympus and wait for the 520. I am glad I did!

I normally have a problem with a bit of camera shake and don't use a tripod. I just shot 400 pics and not one bit of camera shake! I was surprised to find out that I didn't even have Image stablization enabled. It is very easy to hold this camera steady. The lens and the viewfinder are crystal clear. I stongly suggest that you get the fastest CF card you can to record your pictures, and at least 4GB. I should tell you though, that I am shooting in both raw and fine jpeg format. This typically takes longer to write. The xd cards are too slow when shooting raw and fine jpeg. Another thing to make yourself aware of: Liveview does not seem perfected in any camera yet. It may take some time, but it is a bit bothersome, because there is a wait between recording photos when using Liveview. If you don't mind using the viewfinder,or waiting about 2 seconds between pictures, it's not a problem. Also, my battery compartment door seems to stick a bit. May need broken in, or it's just tight.

On the plus side: I have only had this camera 36 hours and already feel totally comfortable with it. I have heard people say that it's not user-friendly. I disagree with that statement IF: you have previously owned and used Olympus cameras. This camera isn't that foreign when coming from Olympus. Yes, it takes getting used to the buttons a bit, and my thumb does accidentally hit a button, but heck, I haven't even had the camera a couple of days. I also suggest that you buy the telephoto lens. Unless you shoot all wide-angle pictures, you will not be satisfied with this lens package. Regarding the Olympus lenses ... Primo, very good quality for a zoom/package deal. Much better quality than I expected. I like my pictures to be as crisp as possible, with the lowest noise (who doesn't?), so I have experimented with shutting noise reduction off and using software to reduce noise. The results were good in my test results. The scene modes of the camera are good. I haven't used them all yet (I had to put the camera down and get some sleep sometime in the past 36 hours), but am impressed with face detection on, macro, night modes. The flash is fairly strong. I have never had a built in flash, which doesn't give some type of red eye or blue eyes in dogs, this has not happened yet with the 520. Impressive, but I would suggest if doing closeup, that you diffuse the flash, or stand back a bit and zoom on the subject. REVISION: If you use the Macro nature mode, it seems to adjust the flash a bit. Also, if you like to experiment, play withe the "Vivid mode" a bit. I'm usually not a fan of modes, but in bright sunlight, my colors came out exactly as they should be.

If you are considering buying a more expensive camera and are NOT doing professional studio work, I would say; don't waste your money. Get this camera, because you will be impressed. If you are doing studio work, I would still tell you to get this camera, but get a better lens. After all, it's not always about the camera, but it is always about the lens. Anyone who has ever bought a no-name, camera-store "pushed on you" lens, knows what I am talking about.

When my next lens arrives, I will post more information under the "40-150mm Olympus zoom lens". Highly recommend this camera!

REVISION: Today, I received the adapter to let me use my old OM-2N lenses. I bought a generic one through ebay and it works just fine. I attached my old Tamron 90mm SP macro lens and began shooting. First, be aware that everything has to be done manually. This may not be practical if you need speed when focusing, unless you have mastered, manual focusing. I find that I shake the camera more with the heavier, manual lens, but with practice, I think that can be overcome. In other words, if you own the old OM lenses and don't have the money to get a new lens, buy the adapter and be prepared to make some adjustments.

If you have a flash/lighting system and a tripod, those adjustments will be lessened. I don't think I would do this for the life of the camera, but I would use the old OM lens (especially if you have a high quality one), until I could afford a new digital lens. I also have the 40-150mm digital lens (the one they give in the package deals), and am very impressed with the quality. I have posted some pictures, so you can get an idea of what this camera can do. If you scroll over the pictures, you will see the pictures I shot with the old OM-2N lens. I didn't make any revisions, so that you can get an idea of how the pictures come out of the camera (no photoshop).

Though I have E510. I actually tried and tested the E520 as well and picked E510 for the 2 kit lens deal and the extra features E520 has over E510 which I rarely care about. I thought to add my E510 review under this to give the readers a better idea about how the Olympus E510/E520 wins over the Canons XSi and Nikon D80 we tested. Hope this helps.

Myself and a Canon lover Friend and a Nikon lover Cousin were hunting for DSLRs. We had Film SLRs and few Point & Shoot Digis. We don't want to spend $1500+ for the DSLR and was waiting for the price to come down. When it reached $1000 mark, we started hunting for it and tried out few DSLR models in-stores by carrying our own flash memories and took few sample shots at the same lighting, focal length, ISO, f-Stop and Shutter and narrowed down to most people(s) three choices Olympus E510, Canon XSi and Nikon D80. I went with E-510 right on the spot after looking at the images on the digital PC monitor in just 4 week end hunting. The other two contemplated a while and my friend went with Canon XSi and my cousin chose D80 as he wanted to use his old Nikon lenses and gears.

On a fine evening we got our stuffs ordered online. As soon we returned from work, we were excited to experiment our choices.

Right out of the box results: (No tweaking)

E-510 Great Outdoor results with very good natural color processing well exposed. Indoor shots were good natural color tones with a bit dull and underexposed.

XSi Great Outdoor and Indoor results with very little pink tinted color processing with a good exposure.

D80 Great Outdoor results with little blue tinted color processing. Indoor results with very little blue tinted color processing with a good exposure.

You can see the pink and blue tint obvious on the skin tone and on the white base subjects. We actually compared the images captured by these three with what we saw with bare eyes. We all observed this very little tone changes when tried out at stores and agreed upon the myth that "Every brand has it's own way and nothing is perfect". But still it's too early to decide which one is best.

We tried it every evening as soon we come back and with little tweaking as suggested by the reviewers and professionals. In just 3 days I made everyone to think that I WON. Still those guys wanted to give a try because some times the results from Canon XSi and Nikon D80 will have the same color as E510 in long shots and when occasionally (say like one in 100 shots) E510 underexposes the skin tones will look greyish. We almost go as a group for all the functions/festivals and fill with flashes everywhere :)

After 3 months of coutinuous use at the same places, here is our findings:

Speed: XSi is better than E510 and D80. but thats for just 6-7 frequent shots. after that, the XSi will pop up with "BUSY" icon. It is famous and you can see the complaints in Amazon reviews. The other to will be steady through out the the session. no BUSY nothing.

Color Tone: E510 is more natural across the lighting conditions. Indoor shots need to have exposure compensation set to either +0.3 or +0.7

Indoor Photos: E510 is a bit dull and underexposed right out of the box but after a little tweaking it just blows the other two out of the window with very natural color tones and bright images. It actually chooses the right ISO required where as the Canon XSi always chooses ISO 400 when using flash I don't know why it is set like that.

Dynamic Range: Though the pro reviewers say, D80 is more dynamic we haven't came across a situation to prove it. Under most common outdoors shooting, we all three got almost identical resluts and we liked the E510 processing much better than the other two.

ISO:

upto ISO 400, E510 is noise free. It get's a slight noise pushing in at ISO 800 and at ISO 1600 noise is obvious. Canon XSi is noise free till ISO 1600. Nikon D80 is noise free till ISO 800 and at ISO 1600 it introduces a little noise. It is worth to be noted that we haven't seen a situation that we need to use more than ISO 400 under normal indoor/outdoor common user needs. We actually forced the camera to use ISO 800 and ISO 1600 just to see the results where the camera picked ISO 400 by it's own when you leave it to the camera choise in ISO. This is actually a dark night shot on the river bank pointing the camera at the lighted buildings on the other side of the river and the situation is really dark.

Auto Focus: E-510 locks on for sharp focus almost 99% of the time but hunts for focus at low light with too much flash strobes for 4-5 seconds drving you nuts. XSi is zippy but occasionally the focus is not properly locked. When you view on the camera display it looks fine but when blow up in the monitor, it's unfocused. Nikon D80 had the most mis focus. You can see these misfocus issues at both Amazon reviews and DPreview.

Image Stabilization: E510 wins hands down. I took tack sharp pictures using 70-300 lens zoomed all the way at 300mm with shutter going down till 1/30. XSi's lens based stabilization is not that effective when we used it with 50-200mm lens zoomed to 200mm. It was effective till 1/40. Nikon we haven't tried it as we don't have IS lens. Not to mention the hefty price my friend paid for the Canon 50-200 IS lens while I paid just $240 for the 70-300 lens as I had an effective IS built into my E510 body.

Fit and Feel: E510 wins again with more robust build quality. Nikon D80 is also built good but a bit bigger. XSi looks kind of plasticky and has an uncomfortable grip. E510 just lays in your hand so comfortable and is a joy to use.

Value for Money:

I paid $760 for the 2 kit lens. Bought the 70-300 for $240 . FL-36 flash costed me $150, totaled to $1150.

XSi costed my friend $869 with 18-55mm (Now it is around $500-$600), 70-300mm IS lens for $510. With no flash his kit is now $1379. Flash is another $200

Nikon D80 costed my cousin $910 with 18-135mm with no IS !!! He can't simply use his camera hand held as I am using it with my long zoom 300mm or as my friend using his XSi with his 200mm or in low light.

Now...you decide which one gives you more dollar for dollar...XSi with 70-300mm auto focus is faster than the E510 with 70-300 mm at the very long end of the zoom. XSi with 300mm zoomed couldn't get sharp results all the time, less than 250mm is ideal for hand held. E510 has effective IS and works all the way till 300mm handheld but had focus hunt when used in a slight shadow area.

Follow this link "" to tune up your E510 and enjoy the long journey of Digital photography. Good luck.

Verdict:

We also asked the rest of the people at home and our friends to see the pictures and pick which one looks better without telling them which one came from what camera. The end result is 80% of the images picked by the them who don't even know which camera produced it, picked E510's pictures.

We all three agreed that E510 is the best all around DSLR in it's category and we just pay the hyped price for the Canon and Nikon just for the label which produces image quality that is equal to inferior than the low priced, light weight E510. Look no further, go for this little gem and you will be more pleased than the Canon and Nikon users.

Buy Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization (Body Only) Now

I have done quite a lot of analysis before buying this camera, have used Nikon D40, D40x, D80, D200, Canon D350, D400, D450; but finally it was the Olympus E520 I fell in love with. I recently bought this camera in Hong Kong, when it wasn't even released anywhere in the rest of the world yet. :D

Why did I like it? The ease of use, I have used a prosumer camera for a couple of years now, and was waiting for a camera with similar ease of use, and Olympus heard my prayers.

Technology wise, its one of the best FourThirds system in the market, this has enabled smaller lenses. The Live View is amazing (though I prefer using the optical viewfinder, my wife loves the Live view), it has Face detection and multi-point focus, all I can say is that it is the best as yet (the Canon D450 liveView is really bad), the kit lens is very good too, awesome wide angle. The assisted manual focus is extremely useful; the auto focus is super fast. There are multiple RAW file formats to choose from. The Sensor based Image stabilization works like a charm, better than the optical image stabilization. The playback features are the best, anybody would want to see the photos they clicked a bit closer, it is such a pain to zoom the preview on the Canons and the Nikons, in this even my 7 year old niece can do it. With respect to image quality, you might have seen them on the internet, its comparable to any of the professional cameras.

One small drawback i have noticed is the built in flash, its not as powerful as the Nikon, though we can increase the flash power, but the default setting is not as powerful as the Nikon.

You can checkout my photostream on Flickr:

Read Best Reviews of Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization (Body Only) Here

I evaluated the Canon 40D and new EOS XSI before stumbling onto this little beauty. I can argue that it takes just as good pictures as the 40D at least in my hands. It's smaller than the Canons and for the price, an incredible deal.

Now, not to put down Canon... I actually broke my Canon brand loyalty for this camera, but overall, Olympus did a great job in packing features and ease of use into this camera and once its in your hands, you'll see it.

The back has lots of buttons but once you spend 15 min figuring out how to navigate the camera and its buttons, you'll like the ready access to many functions.

In terms of image quality, it's breathtaking for those looking to step up from advanced point and shoot cameras. It's not a pro camera for sure but I'm no pro and for what I do, it more than gets the job done. I use it for baby photos, nature macro, nature landscape and cityscape photography and it does great for the variety of environments I shoot in. One thing I find really impressive is the flash. Flash on most DSLR's tend to wash out or harshen images. This camera's flash is just enough but not too much so long as you compose your shots correctly. (Like not having your subject 1 meter from the lens!)

Overall I'm glad I looked at this and Olympus won themselves a convert!

EDIT 8/8/08. After using the camera for a few days, I noticed that when I turned the camera off, a rattle would emanate from the inside of the camera. Distraught, I removed the lens and still the rattle continued. Upset that my new beauty was defective, I boxed it back up and prepared to return it... but before I did, I called Olympus support to see if they had any insight since I could find NOTHING on the internet about the rattling. Well, as it turned out, it was the image stabilizer in the camera body that was creating the rattle! The tech said it was a natural function of the IS "resetting" itself. (Remember, this camera has in-body IS, not lens IS) When I turned off the IS, no more rattle. Whew, good thing I called Olympus support was great and saved a return. Only con is that they should document this in the manual, its a little unnerving at first but you get used to it. Don't worry, the rattle is slight nothing that will jar the camera from your hands or damage any internal parts. It was that I just never felt something like this emanating from a camera before. Verdict after 1000 shots, still love it!

Want Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization (Body Only) Discount?

Yes, the E-520 is my first dSLR. It took me months to make the leap, during which I did A LOT of research, posted questions in forums, went everywhere my mouse would take me. Here were my reasons for choosing this camera:

1. Weight. I have back and shoulder problems, and lugging around a huge camera and heavy lenses was never an option.

2. Mirror-cleaning system. One of the issues that held me back for so long, as I'd been reading about the problems and annoyances caused by dust in mirrors (electronic devices are dust magnets!). But Olympus came up with a solution for this, and everybody said it was the best cleaning system in the market. I chose to believe it.

3. Camera resources. If you're willing to learn them, you'll become a better photographer, and that was my plan. I no longer wanted to let the camera do all the thinking. Although the E-520 still allows that (auto mode), I wanted more control and a better idea of why I was getting the results I was getting. Thus, I can set everything by hand if I want to. Or not, if I'm having a lazy day!

4. In-body image stabilization. Like any point & shoot, the E-520 body is stabilized, which helps reduce camera shake, especially when using those bigger lenses.

5. Lenses. As they say, Olympus has great "glass". Even the most humble and inexpensive Olympus lenses have a lot of quality. They will surely outlast any camera body, which is how it should be: the biggest investment are always the lenses. Furthermore, the peculiar sensor size adopted by the company (four thirds) makes for twice the reach with no gain in bulk. Thus, for instance, a 70-300 mm Olympus lens is, in fact, a 140-600 mm lens -a huge zoom in a compact package, which is perfect for me since I do a lot of bird photography. And this takes me straight back to the weight and bulk in item #1.

I've had the E-520, plus the "kit"14-42 mm, the 70-300 mm and the 50 f/2 lenses for almost two months and I couldn't be happier. In terms of image quality, the differences between this camera and the superzoom cameras I owned previously (Panasonic FZ18, Canon S3 IS) are not only visible, they are incredible. I haven't had any problems with purple fringing, excessive noise, distortion, nothing.

It is easy and intuitive to navigate the camera menus and controls to do things the way I want. Oh, and dust? I haven't yet given it a thought: the Olympus cleaning system really works. Truth is, for me it is simply a joy to use this camera. Photography is fun now -not frustration at seeing something and then having the images be a total letdown.

A bit of advice for newbies like myself: join forums, ask for advice, read the manuals and the literature out there (like Brian Peterson), take a lot of pictures then look them through to understand what you did right or wrong. It really helps the learning curve.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Jenis J-C50D-L-W With LCD Display RF Wireless Controller for Canon 50D/40D/30D/20D (Black)

Jenis J-C50D-L-W With LCD Display RF Wireless Controller for Canon 50D/40D/30D/20DThe required batteries 4 different batteries of 3 different kinds are not included. One is a non-standard battery. More on that in a bit.

** Uses for This Device **

There are four basic ways to use the Jenis J-C50D-L-W:

1. To take normal shots at regular intervals as for timelapse photography.

2. To take long exposures at regular intervals.

3. To use as a wireless remote for taking pictures of skittish wildlife or perhaps with portraiture.

4. To set a delay before taking a picture that can be much longer than the self timer available in the camera. The delay before taking exposures can be added in front of timelapse or long exposure modes, too.

** Powering the Unit(s) **

The unit requires 2 AAA batteries (no problem there), a "23A" 12 Volt battery which is widely available, and a stubby battery called simply "6V" in the instruction sheet. Unfortunately there are hundreds of batteries known by the designation 6V as it simply means 6 Volts. No battery dimensions or size information is provided. The 6V battery compartment will hold something which is about 1/2 the height and the same diameter as a AA battery. The unit will be useless without this battery!

I can't yet comment on battery life as it took quite a bit of searching just to discover what "6V" battery is needed. Read on and I'll clue you in!

** The Receiver (camera mounted) Unit **

The receiver, attaches to the camera hotshoe. The attachment is not electrical it is merely a convenient place to mount the receiver (unless you are using a flash!). The N3 plug on the receiver attaches to the camera's remote port to control the shutter. The cord for this is only about a foot long should be sufficient for most cases. There is a on/off push button on the receiver unit, and a little access cover for changing the wireless code. The on/off switch is slightly recessed, but it could easily be turned on accidentally if thrown in a camera bag.

There are two LED's on the receiver. One on the left is red if the unit is on, the one on the right behaves just like the LED on the timer unit as described below.

** The Timer (Sending) Unit **

The sending unit (handheld timer portion) appears to be laid out identically to the Canon TC80N3 Timer wired remote. The buttons on the handheld component are labeled Mode, Start/Stop, and Light. There is a side wheel for setting the time, and a manual shutter release button with a mechanical slide to lock the shutter button down. On top of the timer an LED signals three different things. When you press the manual shutter button part way, the LED lights green. When pressed fully, the LED lights red. When used in timing modes the LED is green to indicate that the unit is running, and red indicates that the shutter is being activated. When unlit the unit is neither running or locked on. There does not seem to be any indication on the timer unit that anything is actually being transmitted you'll have to look at the receiver to confirm that something is being received.

The Mode button on the timer unit selects among

"Self" misnamed as this is the start up delay,

"INT" the interval in hours, minutes and seconds between shots,

"LONG" the length of the exposure in H:M:S and

"FRAMES" the *TWO DIGIT* number of exposures (frames) that will be taken.

The maximum possible value for FRAMES is 99. You're out of luck if you want to set it up to take 4 hours worth of 1 minute exposures (240 exposures in all). There is a solution. The instructions don't say this but setting the FRAMES value to 00 means endless. So the choices are really 1 through 99 and endless. To use the endless FRAMES mode you must also set nonzero values for INT and LONG. For example with INT set to 2 seconds and LONG set to 4 seconds the timer runs continuously by keeping the shutter open for 4 seconds followed by a two second pause. NOTE: If you set INT to 00, the unit will take only one exposure and stop which seems like a strange inconsistency.

Setting LONG and INT separately like this is simpler than the method used on my corded Opteka Timer Remote. On the Opteka you must set an INT that is at least one second longer than the exposure time (LONG) or the Opteka will not work. The handling on the Jenis seems more natural. Using the thumb wheel to set the time is also simpler than clicking furiously 29 times to go from 1 to 30. Each segment in the time is set separately. Pressing the wheel in with your thumb moves to the next time segment... e.g. hours to minutes.

On the back of the unit are a cover over the 3 batteries, and a port for changing the wireless access code.

WARNING: Out of the box the wireless codes on my reciever and timer units were different these must match one another or nothing useful will happen.

One thing missing from the timer unit is an on/off switch. A "HOLD" function is provided but this seems like a poor substitute for a real power switch. To activate the HOLD mode You press and hold the light button for 3 seconds. Thereafter all controls are disabled until you press the light button again for 3 seconds. My concern is that when jostled in your camera bag there really is nothing to prevent the light button from being turned on and running down the batteries. Worse, the HOLD feature does not prevent use of the shutter button the shutter button is active all the time. A really horrible scenario for battery life is to have the shutter become latched and merrily transmit until the 23A battery in the timer is dead.

** Camera Configuration **

All uses of this or other external timers require that you also set your camera's drive mode and exposure time correctly. This can be a little tricky. The instructions do spell out the correct settings but each camera vendor has different terminology and the instructions supplied are not couched in the same language as Canon manuals so even with the correct explanation it may be more than trivial get the camera set correctly.

For example, to get a continuous sequence of 4 minute exposures you will have to put your camera in BULB exposure mode and the camera drive mode may not matter. To get single shots at 4 minute intervals you will definitely want the camera in single shot mode.

** Transmission Range **

I haven't done exhaustive testing as yet, but I put the camera and receiver on my front porch in the evening and was easily able to operate the unit from about 120 feet away without extending the antenna. I had line-of-site visibility to the receiver and could observe that when I partially or full depressed the timer unit, the receiver light matched the light on the sender. Of course this was with new batteries in a 50 degrees Fahrenheit outdoor setting. From about 100 feet and further, the receiver unit seemed to flicker a bit, so I suspect that 100 feet is close to the maximum range with the antenna not extended.

Build Quality / Expected Reliability

On the timer unit is a telescoping antenna. It's a little flimsy and I worry that if you must use it extended a lot it might not hold up for long. However in my transmission range testing, it looks like you may never have to extend the antenna.

I notice that the shutter button on the timer latches a little too easily, and the battery cover seems a bit too easily opened. On my Opteka this was quite a problem and I ended up duct taping the battery cover on. On the plus side, the receiver N3 plug has a metal collar around it and when plugged into the camera remote is quite secure. You MUST pull on the collar to unseat it. On the downside, the on-off switch on the receiver protrudes and was turned on while riding around in my camera bag. Moreover, my few recent attempts to use the remote have proved frustrating the camera often behaves as if the shutter button is being held down when it is not. Finally, the lack of an on off switch and a protruding program start button on the transmitter have proven painful to deal with the timer starts running unexpectedly.

WARNING TO FOLKS WHO WANT TO USE THIS FOR LONG EXPOSURES...

I have the Canon 40D and 50D and have discovered that if you set the exposure time to 10 seconds, the camera MUST have at least a 1.2 second delay between one exposure and the next even with Long exposure and High ISO noise reduction turned off. If at 30 seconds there is a 2.6 second delay required between one exposure and the next. What this means is you should probably set a INT of 2 or 3 seconds. It also means if you're trying to capture meteors, you're going to miss some :-( This is a limitation of the camera, however, and not the unit.

** In Summary **

I have used 4 different timers, and currently own 3. Of those my favorite is perhaps the JJC TM series (sold under a variety of names including TR-A Timer Remote Control because it is more compact and has an on/off switch. Functionally the TR-A is identical to to the Opteka Timer I have owned for almost two years and have been using successfully. The Jenis and the Canon TC80N3 Timer are almost look-alikes and are programmed similarly. The difference is in the radio control remote of the Jenis. That alone and its lower price point than the Canon remote may make it worth the cost... but I'm unhappy about having to carry 3 different kinds of replacement batteries, and the performance of the unit so far especially since there is no on/off switch on the timer.

Before you panic trying to find the mysterious "6V" battery, I can save you the trouble I already panicked for you. The Energizer A544 6-Volt Photo Battery seems to work just fine although you might want to shop around. On-line prices range from $2 to $100 (NO Kidding!) with similar looking batteries and lithium batteries also available. Other manufacturers have designations for the same battery as: 28, 28A, 28L, PX28, PX28A, Duracell PX28LBPK, 4G13, A544, 4LR44, KS28, V28PX, 1406SOP, 4SR44, Eveready L544, A544, Panasonic 4LR44, Kodak MAX K28A Battery LR44 alkaline 100 mAh, Kodak K28L 6-Volt Lithium Battery, Varta V28PXL Li 170 mAh, Rayovac 2CR1/3N, Lenmar WC2CR13N 2CR1/3N Lithium, Maxell 4LR44P, Toshiba 4LR44, and GP 476a. Usually the letter "L" in the description indicates a lithium battery.

I just received and tested this remote and I am very pleased with the build quality and function of the unit, especially considering the Canon brand equivalent is $366! I am giving the unit 5 stars, even though I agree with almost everything the other reviewer said about it (he gave it 2 stars).

The areas where I disagree deal primarily with the build quality. I found the telescoping antenna to more solid than is typical (they can all be bent rather easily). But the relatively small diameter of this antenna though made it seem a little less fragile. The battery covers all close securily on my unit and stay in place.

The fact that it takes three different battery types doesn't really bother me. I can carry a spare set of all three for under $10. Also, this is an accessory that I will use infrequently so I will take the batteries out between uses. So the lack of an on/off switch doesn't matter to me.

All in all I think this remote is a great value both in terms of build and function.

Buy Jenis J-C50D-L-W With LCD Display RF Wireless Controller for Canon 50D/40D/30D/20D (Black) Now