Panasonic PV-L750 VHS-C Camcorder

I just purchased the Panasonic PV-L750. This is the 2000 model VHS-C camcorder. It is 2nd from the top in Panasonic's camcorder line (first being the PV-L850). My last purchase was the PV-L758 (1998 model, which was recently rendered unusable after a rainstorm).

Overall picture quality is exceptionally good for VHS. I shoot with a digital video camera at work, and under the best conditions the PV-L750 looks comparable. As can be expected, when conditions are not perfect (available light, extreme backlight, strong colors, etc., the picture degrades significantly compared to digital). Ease of use is unparalleled. If you are not technical and just want to "point and shoot" this is the camera for you. Attach the battery and you will be shooting in seconds. Really! The manual is only needed for information about specific applications (like the still camera feature), and because it is VHS-C, you can be showing your first videotapes to your friends anytime, anywhere no need to hook up wires!

I purchased 750 without ever looking at one in real life. I assumed it was basically the same as my previous camera, but alas, there are differences. I really liked the 758 and on the 750 (and I assume the 759 the 1999 model) they have done what all good manufacturers do: traded the features I liked most on the 758 for features I will never use. First off, my 758 had a color EVF, the 759 and 750 have a B&W viewfinder. Granted, Panasonic adds a 4" color LCD panel (HUGE for camcorders), but I really like both, as I don't use the LCD as much as most folks. I guess my complaint here is somewhat unfounded, as a B&W viewfinder seems to be standard on all models with an LCD panel, but the feature was nice on the 758 (I guess I was spoiled).

Next, they have taken some of the features that were previously accessable by buttons on the outside of the camera and made them accessable only through on screen menus. Nice, but not as useful when shooting as pressing a button. These include the security feature, negative image, and the special effects fading. Panasonic also has deleted the "message" feature fine by me, as few people would ever use it anyway.

Well, to make up for all this, they have given the camcorder double duty as a digital still camera. This can be very useful for sending photos to relatives and friends over the net, but realize that the best resolution is 640x480 (if you don't know what that means the pictures will look fine to you). The photo software is very basic and hence easy to use, it offers a minimum ability to adjust the image (color, brightness etc.) and is quick and easy to set up. I e-mailed my first picture within five minutes of inserting the setup disk into the computer.

Also, the non digital zoom is impressive one of the best I've seen, but stay away from the 300x digital range. First you can't hold the camera steady and secondly, the picture is awful. I've found the digital zoom useful up to about 50x magnification before significant degradation occurs.

I hope all of this helps and wasn't too negative. I love Panasonic products and this one is one of the best, but I did want to let others know some of the things I saw as drawbacks. Feel free to respond if you like, I'd be interested to hear your views.

some features that i think should be included that's missing, and also some complaints: 1.) there was no numeric tape counter. yes, there's a bar counter, but don't you think a numeric counter is more accurate? so that one would know exactly how many minutes he has recorded or is left of the cassette. There was a numeric counter that pops out every 10 sec when recording. But its useless since it only shows the time when the record button was last pressed. 2.) there's no numeric counter at vcr mode neither. this would also be useful for scene searches. 3.) there was no lens cover. 4.) the titling feature doesn't support custom/manual input of titles, like names, places. 5.) the camera was not ergonomically designed. it was hard to use the zoom buttons and the record button with only one hand. 6.) if i plan to use the lcd monitor as my viewfinder, i would still turn the viewfinder to use the zoom buttons, which is quite annoying. 7.) the connectors (a/v out, phone, pc, etc.) don't come with a protective cover. 8.) when in vcr mode, it would take about 10 secs to play after rewinding. 9.) there was no end search feature like that of sony's. its very useful especially if i want to view the last scenes i recorded. i will only press end search after viewing to record again. 10.) the lcd screen already had a burned out pixel when i first used it. 11.) there was no available lithium battery, which is smaller and lighter, and last longer. 12.) the photoshot incorporated was great but the pictures, when transferred to a computer, had some color spots over them.

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This is the first camcorder that I have owned. I looked around for quite a while and decided on this because it could take still pictures also. Only thing is, the pictures do not come out that great especially if you want to print them out using your home printer. They are very grainy if taken in normal view. They are a little better if taken in Fine veiw but it wears out the battery faster. If sending a photo via e-mail it works out just great. I do not recommend printing out the pictures unless you are willing to put some time into editing them using Photoshop or some other program. There is a ton features on this camcorder, but it was really easy to use. Just pop in a tape and press the record button and you are on your way to lots of home movies. It would be advisable to invest in a few accessories such as a car charger or extra battery. The one battery does not last that long especially if you are always taping using the LCD Screen. Any extra features that you use will always wear the battery down quicker. As for the remote control that came with it, I really don't use it as much as I thought I would. But I am sure glad that it came with the VHS converter. One less thing for the new Camcorder user to not have to buy after spending so much already.

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This is the first VHS camera I have owned since my old shoulder mounted RCA. Having grown tired of looking like a TV news videographer, I jumped into this new and fortunately much smaller and lighter model.

The main thing that attracted me to this camera was the very forthright review by Michael Lynch. He is right on with his comments. I just wanted to add, via this forum, that although the thing can do about anything a sophisticated user might want, you can just put a tape in, turn it on, hit the record button and take some excellent videos. Also, I feel the 26x zoom is worth the extra cost over the 18x zoom of the Panasonic 650L.

Oh, and one more thing..andyboy@mozcom.com...if you hated the camera that much...why didn't you just return it?

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This camera has everything you ever wanted on for this price. Built in Digital still camera with 640 x 480 resolution, 300x digital and 36x zoom, lots of efects, very easy to use.

Every camera has ups an downs, the ups on the PVL-750 are: A lot of stuff in it, VHS-C format (you can view your recordings in your VCR)Digital still camera (not a lot of pixels, but it's ok for a first digital cam)Big LCD panel (4") The kit includes everything except the tripod, case and tape converter. The downs on the PVL-750: Everything you want that it dosen't has. My camera is 1 year old, and it's worknig great, i take it everywere (beach, picnic, race track, birthdays, Xmas, etc.) i have taken more than 500 pictures and have made 3 albums. The pictures don't look like a 28 or 35mm camera but with a editing program like corel or photoshop you can make them look ok. I bougth this camera because i wanted to make home movies, take pictures of my 6 month old daugther, i really didn't needed a sofisticated camera or a 8mm or hi8 format, i just wanted something to have fun, of course, i wanted also quality and low price. With this cam you can view your movies on your vhs (if you have the converter) and still be recording your camera at the same time, with 8mm or hi8 you can't do it (not with the proper equipment) with the PVL-750 all you need is and extra tape and the converter, and your on you way. Remenber if you want a camera with a lot in it, but want a affordable price this is the one. Take my word on it.

Check all the other cameras out there first, i know you'll be buying the PVL-750. Good luck and take care you all.

P.S. ANDYBOY, if your camera was defective why didn't you return it, and why you bougth it if you knew all the features in it.

Meade CaptureView 8X42 2MP Digital Camera Binocular with LCD Screen

At least this is the real thing! I purchase the previous Capture View compact from Mead for $$$$....I was so disappointed because its picture quality was little better than a toy. It could not handle low light and the resolution was that of a Barbie Camera (Mattel)! Still I fell in love with the concept of a marriage between the digital camera and the Binocular. I felt that I was taking a real chance here on buying this product, but I figured that with 2MP (Which ...by the way there is a setting for 3MP) it had to be better hten the first CaptureView. I was right (Thank God!) This Digital Binocular really works and with acceptable quality.

I also have a Coolpix 4500, so I figured I would compare how the coolpix 4500 at full digital zoom and the Meade binoculars compared. I focused on a subject of a construction site far on the horizon (Must be a few miles away). As far as Magnification, both the CoolPix 4500 and the Binoculars are about tied. ( So maybe a camera is more versitile in most cases.) But the coolpix pictures at full digital zoom could not stand up to the clarity of the Binoculars picture.

The Binoculars arrived with some smudges on the plastic body casing (Looks like grease, which I had to clean off), There was also a minor scratch on the plastic, but still not worth sending back and complaining since this is not a gift and all I care about is functionality. The body is kind of cheap in appearance but this one has a lot more functionality than the other binocular combos I have seen. One comment though....WHERE ARE THE LENS CAPS??? Geez, you make a quality lens for a binocular and don't include a $ .. lens cap for it....it just does not make sense.

I am satisfied with this product, although I believe that the Digital Binocular is still in its young days, and will improve greatly in the next few years.

I think ypur option to buy this product depends on what you wish to do with it....For taking pictures of objects within a 300ft range, stick with your camera. To get fair to good quality shots at a great distance, this is the ticket. I have not tried making a 90 second AVI movie yet...I'll do that when the weather clears, but I have tried shooting in low light. Since there is no shuttle control, you will not be able to do any astrophotography with this unit ( a bright moon appears washed out...) but it can do low light situations. I could not hold it steady enough to do Mars, although it did show up looking quiet like a bright star in the pic ( Just with a trail since my hand is unsteady..) HINT: The next version needs a tripod mounting screw....

In summary this is a little expensive at $$$$ I think I would like to pay about $$$$ for it. I also feel that the casing could be stronger and a camera is more versitle (Third-party vendors make a zoom lens for the coolpix...I could have gone for that...but I love new technologies so I gave this a try.)

I give this Capture View Binoculars four stars because it meets my expectations of what it should be able to do.

I did a lot of research before choosing the Meade CaptureView 8x42 2MP Digital Camera Binocular. This one offers the most for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, the one reason you're probably looking to buy it will be nothing at all like what you were expecting.

As binoculars go, the CaptureView 8x42 works fantastic. It's easy to tune to your own eyesight, it's got a sharp, clear field of view, and the zoom level is as good as more expensive pairs I've looked through.

As a plug-and-play device, it's also really good: any computer I've plugged it into responds quickly, and files are easily accessed. There is software you can also use, but generally I don't have to have it in order to download images.

Ah, but there's the rub: the images. Digital binoculars don't actually use the binocular lenses to take a picture. I imagine there's not a way to easily do this, so the camera in the binoculars uses its own lens. As a result, the camera is really poor. Daytime images at a variety of ranges have come out with a milky white haze. Photoshop doesn't really fix this problem because it permeates the image, as if you're gazing through watery eyes or seeing a corona of white. On images that do not produce a haze, you have pictures about as good as you would see on a typical cellphone camera. Except that in low-light conditions, cellphones take better pictures. After taking picures in low lighting, and looking from darkness into a spotlight, I was amazed at how little light actually came through in the final image: even at a short distance, things that I knew to be brightly lit were blurry, grainy, and sunken in murky darkness.

If you are looking for a great pair of binoculars that you can also use to snap simple pictures while you are on vacation, the Meade CaptureView 8x42 is a good choice. If you're looking for a way to grab telephoto-quality pictures of faraway scenes, this will not live up to your expectations--a decent point-and-shoot digital camera will probably do better, especially in multiple lighting conditions.

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The digital camera looks and works cheap. Had to return product.

The battery compartment cover was not engineered properly, and the camera kept shutting down or not turning on at all.

2) There's no tripod screw!

3) The camera screen is not made well. In direct light you can hardly see the image. And it feels like it will fall off in the near future.

4) No lense covers!

5) The camera case is plastic!

6) Great Binoculars however.

The product is made in China. It shows with the digital camera.

Solid idea in integration of the products. However, engineering needs work for that price.

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I have only used these twice for a total of about 40 pictures. I am sure once I use them more the quality will improve. I was disappointed when I realized that what you see in the binocular is NOT what the picture will be. To frame the picture you must use the LCD screen, which is impossible to see in sunlight. I suggest getting either a good digital camera with high zoom or good binoculars not a combination, until this tecnology improves. The binoculars are very good by themselves.The camera is difficult to use.

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I received my Amazon/Meade Binocular order the first time with an inoperative video screen. Amazon sent out a replacement the next day.

New order arrived, read manual, experimented with photo capabilities, video screen worked and looked great, excited.

Then...on/off toggle button stuck, and stays stuck that same day, after only a few hours of use, another serious designer flaw from the factory. Now I'm starting to feel cheated. The unit becomes inoperative, looping through boot-up commands, then turning off automatically. Item returned, I'm sitting out the next dance.

My discoveries...I liked the 3MP capabilities, still shots looked great, video quality is at a lower resolution than expected, camera is separate from binoculars, this is acceptable since the camera has auto-focus.

Critique: Eye to binocular contact not as comfortable as some standard binoculars I've had, manual focus knob on binoculars placed in a strange position, unit is a little bulky.

Overall, very user friendly with lots of potential, good luck.

Olympus Tough TG-830 iHS Shock & Waterproof Digital Camera (Black) with 32GB Card + Case + Batt

The camera came very fast and was packed very well so that there was no damage. This camera is awesome and can do so many things!! Even the fast action gets extremely good pictures.

I was looking for a smaller camera that took great pictures. I wanted to be able to take action shots that wouldn't be blurred. Most "sports" features are supposed to allow for that, but I would still have blurry pictures. With this camera, I don't get blurred pictures. The "magic" features are a lot of fun to play with. I have been able to take excellent pictures with this camera...as good as my Canon Rebel. The GPS and compass are fun features as well.

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Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR Camera Kit with Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens & Canon EF 75-

the camera came in today it's for my daughter for her birthday and christmas

it came on time and packaged well a thank you note with the camera it's a great value.my husband told me for the price i was mistaken i could not get the camera body and two lens 18-55mm and 75-300mm plus all the extras! well he was home when the package arrived and he was like a kid at christmas. i just ordered another set for him thank you sunset electronics

I'm from Canada but I have friend in the US that comes back and fourth quite often so I shipped it to him. The body and 18-55mm lens sells for $799 in Canada. After taxes that's $902.87. For an extra $70 you can get an EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens and all the extras, well worth it (note that the extra lens is NOT an image stabalizing lens)! The extra stuff is okay, not the greatest but still a great bonus. The real deal is the Canon equipment. Two thumbs up!

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It came with more than what I expected. Two EXTRA batteries. I thought it was gonna only be two, but now i got three. But the products are great. SD seems good so far. Nothing's broken. It shipped to me extra fast. And now I'm a super satisfied customer.

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this product is excellent. It came completed, as show on the picture. I very recommended. you will love it.if you are a beginner like me. you need to spend time learning how to use it if you want great picture. Go ahead!!!!!!!

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My package arrived yesterday, and I was so excited to finally see what was behind the brown shipping box. After doing much research I could of not got the camera and all accessories for less than 2000. This was one of the best buys that I have found and besides missing the wide angle lens "Which will be shipped hopefully soon" I am very satisfied with this product. The table top tripod is a nice extra, although I also need a full tripod which I will be purchaseing from this company also. Anyone who wants a great camera, for an amazing price should definitly consider going with this package:)

Panasonic BB-HCM311A Network Camera w/ 2-Way Audio

Gotta make this short so I'm using bullets. I've owned two of these for over two years. One is used as a grandma cam, the other a dog cam. I've tried the High-end Toshiba and Axis and sent them back because good recording software is critical for later review.

PRO's

Absolutely flawless reliability.

Great Included Recording Software (Far better then Toshiba & Axis)

Motion Sensor setting are spot-on and highly configurable.

Easy to setup free DDNS service.

Regular and reliable BIOS and software updates from Panasonic Japan.

Great Web Management Screens and Camera Monitoring/Control Screen.

The two-way audio works well and comes in very handy on occasion (I can talk to people at my front door though a window... way cool!)

SD slot is great for basic buffered image recording (works well as a backup if your pc running the recording software gacks or looses connectivity for some reason.

CON's

No Cons, you just have to consider if you gotta have/need the newer features of the latest versions of this model (Core website: )

If you need:

Outdoor Use: Go with Model 331

Outdoor Wireless: 371

Ceiling/Dome Mounted: 403

Newer MPEG-4 & JPEG Models:

MP4 & JPEG Output: 511 (Jpeg better for phone viewing, MP4 for not having to download the Panasonic java applet as well as having universal shareable file format).

Outdoor version: 531

Higher Res & Multi-point/adaptive auto-contrast adjustment: 515

Just decide what features you really need (vs. want) and you won't go wrong.

Hope this helps!

I bought this camera so that the grandparents of my children can watch and hear them play from the other side of the earth. The benefits of something like this is that it is very simple: just connect, set a few things, and anyone with the right login/password can look at the camera and audio streamed live in a web browser. I was looking for 3 things: ease of use, quality, and featurs, in this order.

Ease of Use:

Ease of use was the most important thing to me because I've tried the route of sharing out a webcam on a computer. The results were poor to say the least. And leaving a computer turned-on 24/7 seemed like a waste. This network camera is another story altogether. It's a rectangular box and the only connections needed are the power and ethernet cables. If you want to hear what the watcher have to say, you can connect an external speaker to the output jack. Network configuration was very easy as the setup software quickly found the camera on the network as soon as I connected it. After a few quick configurations and installing an ActiveX control on the browser, I had fully streamed video/audio on the LAN. Getting the grandparents setup amounted to sending them an email with the URL, login id/password, and to say "Install/Run" when the ActiveX pop-up is shown. In less than a minute, they were seeing live footage of my livingroom complete with rampaging kids. The camera consumes very little power so it can be left on even when no one is watching it.

Quality:

At this price point, quality is often the casualty of tradeoffs as manufacturers try to cram in more eye-catching features. But I have the opinion that no amount of features will make up for poorly exposed, blury, noisy, or jerky video. Packed with a CCD sensor, the BB-HCM311A offers video quality that is better than the cheaper CMOS type. In fact, it uses the same CCD sensor on the much more expensive cameras in Panasonic's line. The camera also offers 15fps at 640x480 and a full 30fps at 320x240. You will have to spend much more money to get appreciably better video performance. The stream feed produced by this camera is also very efficient, able to provide the full rated fps when viewed through another broad-band connection. While I don't know what the grandparents are seeing half a world away, they report that the video is fluid at 320x240 and "less so" at 640x480. The audio is voice-grade, about as clear as the best local telephone service you can imagine. There is about a second of delay in the stream, but the video and audio are in-sync. Given the relative price of this camera, I am very happy with its performance. The build quality of the camera is also good judging by the look and feel of the case and pan/tile mechanism.

Features:

Between quality and features, I preferred quality versus features. Two key features that I would have liked but went without are optical zoom, and wireless network connection. However, optical zoom is typically only available on much more expensive cameras if you want to maintain the video quality. I also decided against wireless network connection because Panasonic only offers WEP security, which is completely unacceptable for my WPA-AES secured wireless LAN. Instead, I purchased a Netgear "game adapter" that is essentially an ethernet-to-802.11b/g bridge with built in WPA-AES security. While this solution is not as simple and elegant, but it cost less and is far more secure. Aside from these two features, the camera has all of the other features I was looking for: remote controlled pan/tilt, audio, camera position presets, and encrypted streaming. The included mount is simple but effective, allowing for easy adjustment of the camera's default position.

I was initially kind of weary about spending this much money for what is essentially a webcam. But having used this camera for a few weeks, I think the price is well worth what this unit does and does so well.

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does everything and more than i thought. panasonic customer service is the best. but i am not a programer, more than 2 calls to panasonic to get up and running. vista has issues with this item and linksys router too. went to a netgear router and worked with no bugs. downside not plug and play. i still do not understand why email photos work for 5 days then i have to reconfigure again.

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This is my second HCM311A. A little tricky to get set up for internet access with my particular gateway, but persistance paid off.

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Good products. Very reliable. I used many brand network webcams this is the best one.

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Savage 53" x 12yds Background Paper (#41 Blue Mist)

I love these seamless paper backgrounds, and I have a few different colors. I use them for baby photography and cake smashes, and they work great!

I love savage seamless paper, I never have a complaint. The color here on the screen is very close to the color I got. The paper was packaged carefully and arrived in time.

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Canon ZR830 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

This camera is a wonderful choice for those looking to make professional movies, or tape family gatherings, or whatever. You can either record onto a mini dv tape, or a memory card. The camera is fairly easy to navigate (although not quite as easy as previous models of this series that I have used.) It can record in widescreen or fullscreen, has an excellent zoom lens, and a handy picture stablizer that will compensate for shakiness on hand-held shots. The transfer quality is very good, which is useful for editing purposes and/or burning DVDs of your projects. The camera comes with all required accessories including a battery, AC adapter, A/V cords, etc. It does not come with a firewire cable so you will need to buy that seperately, if you plan to edit your movies. I have greatly enjoyed using this camera. I also love using iMovie to edit my completed tapes. For anyone wanting to have fun filming home movies or something a bit more professional, this camera would be great on both levels.

I like this Camcorder. I am the first time Camcorder buyer. I tried all the features of it and it really works fine. I used JVC MiniDV tape and it gives excellent result with it. But it did not give me the same kind of quality with Sandisk SD card. One draw back is battery discharged very fast. If you are going for a tour, it's better to keep extra battery.

But overall this is a good buy at given price.

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To begin, this is the first camcorder I've owned. It's possible I was expecting more...I own a Nikon CoolPix 8mp digicam that takes movies, but obviously not with any great quality.

I was kind of expecting a little better quality (higher resolution) from the camera. From that point of view I was a little let down...it's sufficient, dont get me wrong, but it's only a step up from my digicam.

The device takes memory card and tape...It wont store video on the card however, unless a tape is in the device...didn't really say that in the manual and confused me (I had a mem card when device arrived, but no tapes).

I got a little annoyed too trying to figure out how to copy from tape to PC...there's SQUAT about this in the manual, and this is tough to find even on 'net searches.

WHAT YOU NEED TO COPY VID TO PC:

FIREWIRE CABLE --> You MUST have this cable to copy to PC...$35+ part...BE AWARE

The software that came with the device kinda blows...I don't know why, but software that's bundled with digicams and now i see this camcorder, is always chintzy...Use Microsoft Movie Maker instead...WITH FIREWIRE CABLE AND MS MOVIE MAKER, YOU CAN EASILY PULL VIDEO OFF THE TAPE, and you dont have to be a rocket scientist...hopefully I can save someone the headache I went through trying to figure this out...easy enough once you know...

So, summary is, for the money, decent, not great...will suffice since I'm a cheapO.

:)

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I seemed to have done a lot of research on camcorders prior to purchase but in the end paid the price on inferior products. I purchased a Flip and sent it back because I couldn't get the data off the device. I purchased an Aptic and sent it back because of some clicking sound being recorded while recording. The Flip was a nice little device; I liked it but couldn't get the data off, which discovered many others seem to be having the same issue with it. The Aptic was just a bad one altogether and couldn't even hold a candle to the Flip picture, which was good but produced this HUGE avi file.

But now here came the ZR830...

Let me just briefly say when I purchased the ZR830 from Cannon that I wasn't immediately overly happy because I really needed to get the recordings on to my PC. I just didn't know anything about Firewire or IEEE-1394 Cards. I almost sent this back but decided because of the *really* nice picture to go-ahead and take it to the next step and get a Firewire Card by StarTech, which included the cable for a desktop for about $25. Problem solved, they even give you a copy of ulead editing software, which is amazing. Laptops use a 4pin Firewire connect, Desktops use a 6pin Connect. I can now get my recordings on to my PC.

I learned that quality pictures from DVD disk on some of the new camcorders, and saving recordings to hard disk such as SD cards are hard to acquire unless you are spending hundreds of dollars more on real expensive cams. The DVD's and hard disk on some of the new cams can't hardly touch the picture quality produced by this small little guy called the ZR830. Also, I don't have any problems with noise recordings like some professed from the ZR800's. This is a great cam with a noble optical zoom. I made the right choice by keeping this product that I got for a reasonable price from Amazon seller.

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After buying my 8 year old cheap plastic toy video cameras, and his constant asking to use my video camera, I decided to get him his own. This unit has the highest rating by Consumer Reports for the price. My son records and erases his videos over and over. Its no light weight and it takes nice still shots too. I'd trade him my 8 year old video camera in a heartbeat. The price here is the same other stores charge for the ZR 800,which can't take stills.

Supereyes B003+ 2.0MP 0.1~300X Handheld USB Digital Microscope Endoscope Loupe Otoscope Magnifier w

In reading about this product before purchase, it was not entirely clear whether it had a continuous zoom capablity. The answer is Yes, it does have continuously variable magnification, although not in the same manner as the zoom on a digital camera. By simply turning the focus knob, one can adjust the focal distance from infinity to approximately 6 millimeters. At the infinity focus setting, the field of view is roughly the same as a simple hand-held digital camera, and the image across the room is fairly good. As you rotate the focus barrel, the field of view continuously decreases as does the focal distance. You can stop at any point in the rotation and find the focus point for that particular setting. At the opposite end of the focus rotation, the focal distance is roughly 6mm (1/4")and maximum magnification is reached. The effective magnification you get is dependent on the size of computer screen you have. At maximum magnification, a 1.00 millimeter gradation (included with the unit as a calibration tool) measured about 150 mm on a laptop screen, for a magnification factor of 150X. The same image on a 23" monitor would be pretty close to the stated 300X magnification capability.

As with all microscopes, the depth of focus gets smaller as the magnification increases. At maximum magnification, the depth of focus is extremely shallow, which means it is very touchy to focus the microscope (and stay in focus). The included tripod stand is not really satisfactory at high mag. since there is no focus knob, just a gripper through which you must slide the body to adjust focus. The plastic tripod is too flexible to provide a repeatable height as you try to make tiny adjustments to the microscope position. I've seen a knob-adjustable stand on EBay which was purpose-built for the Super-eyes Digital microscopes, but I have not yet tried it out to see how stable it is. It is reasonably priced, so I'll probably order one to try it out. At lower magnifications, the tripod stand is fairly OK, such as taking a macro photo of a stamp, or looking at a bug.

The software that comes with the microscope is OK, but very basic and not particularly intuitive. I'm still playing with it to understand its capabilities, but it does at least have a rudimentary on-screen measurement capability, and comes with a little plastic strip with a calibration scale printed on it. Of course, calibration is magnification-dependant, so if you change the mag (focus), you must re-calibrate. I have not yet played with the video capability of the software. The instruction manual is written in pigeon-English and not very useful. It does not even describe how to install the software on your computer (you have to copy over a folder from the disk to your desktop and start Supereyes.exe from that folder.)

There is a thumbwheel illumination controller which is spliced into the USB cable. It works well to control the level of illumination given by the 4 integrated LEDs. The issue with the thumbwheel is that it is located only ~10 inches from where the cable enters the microscope body, so with the rickety lightweight tripod stand, you have to be really careful not to disturb the positioning of the microscope when you want to change the illumination. On the other hand, the camera software has an auto-brightness function, so changing the illumination is not often required.

In the photos of this microscope, the pencil-shaped body looks like metal and it is; apparently anodized aluminum. The unit is very sturdy and the focus barrel moves very smoothly through its range. There is no strain relief for the USB cable where it exits the body, so you will probably want to take care to not bend the cable very often.

The camera sensor is a CMOS chip, not a CCD chip as in most digital cameras, so the color rendition is not quite as clean as your typical digital camera. However, for its intended function, price, and compactness, it serves the purpose well enough. I have read that some other digital microscope manufacturers fudge the actual resolution of the sensor by claiming the extrapolated image size. I do not believe that is the case, here. It appears that the actual sensor resolution is 1600x1200, or 1.9 megapixels, although I have not dug very deeply to verify that.

In summary, it is a nice little microscope with adequate software and a poor stand. If you could buy it with a sturdy knob-adjustable stand, I'd recommend that.

Using it for school projects. Amazing clarity picture. Software was a little tricky. Downloaded newest software and everything works great.

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This thing is a great close up camera.

It has an incredible focus range.

Easy to use without any effort to set it up on my computer.

Like the assortment of attachments.

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I bought DrMeter's microscope but didn't work on my mac.

Therefore, I return the item and bought suspereye's microscope which is absolutely the same product with this.

I was worried.

But! this time, it worked on my mac.

Mac recognized the usb microscope right after I plugged in.

I used photo booth to use the microscope.

You can have a bunch of attachments depends on how you want to use.

I like one I can see inside ear.

Very small like a pen, you can adjust the light as well.

But the software was not recognized by mac.

Actually it is fine because you can used photo booth.

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USB has malfunctioned and no longer properly stays connected. I have only used it moderately for less than 3 months. It's a shame because it was a handy device while it worked.

Nikon COOLPIX P330 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom (Black)

Just a few thoughts after a week of limited use.

I wanted a point & shoot camera that would fit in my pocket to carry at all times. I am a pro photographer but don't want always to be hauling a bag of heavy DSLR's around. But the camera had to have the following:-

1. Small and well made.

2. 24mm equivalent lens at the short end. Didn't care much about the tele end so 120mm was more than enough for my needs.

3. Need WiFi connection so could fire and view what camera was seeing from my cell phone or tablet.

4. Needed RAW file format.

5. GPS nice addition but not the most important thing for me I could live without it.

Well the P330 has all the above and I can tell you that can be hard to find in a small point and shoot (I consider the Canon G15 too big and besides I have a G11).

Noise levels seem low at 400 ASA I have not tested at higher ISO's but hardly ever use them. In Photoshop CS6 the noise in a blue sky looked good and with noise reduction applied it then just about disappeared. I have the noise set to LOW in the camera as didn't want to softern the image although that may not happen with this camera. There is a LOW, MEDIUM and HIGH setting for noise.

I found setting the aperture hard to figure out as I kept mis-reading the book. In Apperture Priority or Manual the aperture is set by turning the 4 way controler on the back of the camera and I was pressing different sides of this wheel.

The ON/OFF button is flush with the top of the camera body so it is best to turn on or off the camera by using a finger nail tip rather than the pad of the finger. It is designed this way (I guess) to stop the camera being accidently turned on or off during use.

Images seem sharp and what you see on the view finder (no viewfind eyepeice) is what you get as far as exposure goes.

I put a 64GB SanDisk 45MB/sec card in it and that works fine. Thats about all I can contribute for now. I am sure more detailed reviews will appear shortly. But I'm happy with this well made and good looking camera.

Oh, I do have one issue with Nikon. There appears to be only the limited VIEW NX2 software (that came on CD with the camera) to convert the cameras RAW files (NRW format, not NEF) into TIFF or JPEG. I think Nikon could have updated CAPTURE to co-inside with this camera launch. It does not even appear to be included in the next Adobe Camera RAW conversion update for Photoshop. Too many RAW formats nobody can keep up apparently even the camera manufactures. That's as of today April 2, 2013.

Correction: As of today April 4, 2013 Adobe have just released Camera RAW update 7.4 and included the NRW format used by the Nikon P330yea!!! It appears to see the camera as the Nikon P6000 but looks to be making the corrections OK. My earlier information was incorrect. Life just got a whole lot better for NRW shooters, which is the only way to go for serious picture takers. JPG's are fine for snapshots.

New Update June 14, 2013: Adobe just added the P330 to their ACR lens corrections a few days ago (around 6/7/2013). I took the camera to Thailand and used it daily where it replaced DLSR's and tripod some days unless I was planning something serious. I set the ISO to Auto, something I would not do for serious photography but liked the results better than flash, which is unpredictable for quick pickup and shoot pics. I know many would disagree and that's OK but as a pro I find I have to take several shots before the flash lights the subject just right, unless you get lucky. I have a very high regard for this little dude. Of couse it's not perfect what is?. It may not be your personal first choice but with its W/A lens (24mm on 35mm camera) and slips into pocket unnoticed, I'm just glad I laid my money down.

April 9, 2013 I will update this review as I continue to use this camera. Here are my initial reactions.

I debated the Canon S110 and Nikon P7700 but ultimately decided to choose the P330 due to its size and positive leaning initial reviews/previews. This camera is constructed well. Some don't like the finish or material feel, but I'd like to push back and say that the whole body of the camera is well designed and feels quite solidly built. My only gripe is the battery door, but I'm willing to bet that Nikon ensured that it would survive most situations thrown at it. I like that the camera is simply a box, it looks like a camera with no frills, no gimmicks. It functions like this as well.

Nikon menus are familiar to me and they are well appreciated when it comes to basic electronic usage/knowledge. The logic is good, and it just plain works. The display is bright and can be seen under sunny conditions when used. The buttons and dials deliver a satisfying click-feedback. The rubber grips on the front/back provide a lot of comfort and confidence for one handed shooting. This camera is a lot smaller than what I expected, and that's a great thing because that's why I bought it!

Auto-mode seems well acquainted for people and landscape shots in decent lighting. Go in close and try macro out, you'll need to help it by setting the auto-focus to close shooting. Immediately, the camera will become a macro master in this mode. The burst mode is fast and quite impressive. My overall impression of the speed is very good considering the size of the camera. I remember when point and shoots simply couldn't take decent pictures due to their shutter speed (or lack of). You can select a shutter speed that exceeds any allowance of light entrance, to me, that's impressive.

The flash is very intense and quick, mostly good for those situations where there is no alternative light source and you're taking a picture of a medium range subject. I actually found that in most cases, it wasn't needed at all. The camera lens takes up a lot of work for lower light situations. This makes me appreciate the fact that the flash is opened by a mechanical switch, because it helps me decided whether or not its needed, instead of the camera making a bad decision for me.

Video is impressive and the VR really improves any jellies that might come about. I'm impressed by the quality and autofocus. Really excellent stuff, Nikon.

Overall, this camera is really great for someone who appreciates DSLR quality but doesn't want to haul all their gear with them all the time. Would highly recommend so far.

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This is going to be a long review but before I start, I don't want to scare anyone.. this camera is not hard to use, anyone could use it.

However, I want to emphasize how this camera could satisfy a most hard core photographer among us, even those who shoot in manual and RAW modes.

This review is from a photography enthusiast. I am a hobbyist, not a pro, but I am serious about my hobby. I own cameras like the Nikon D600, D5100, Olympus m4/3 system and their excellent e-pm2. I've owned Canon DSLRs and SLRs, even their tiny ELPH 300, I've started with photography in early 90s, with a 35mm Nikon FM2 camera.

Let's start with the reason why anyone serious about photography would buy this camera. The word is: size. If you're looking for image quality, value, control, feel.. DSLRs, m4/3 cameras have that. But what they all lack is the ability for you to put the camera in a pocket and always have it on you. But would it be possible to still retain some of the control "big" cameras offer even in a tiny pocketable point and shoot camera?

I started my search for an advanced point and shoot few months back and everything led me to the Sony's excellent rx100. But something kept me from pulling the trigger and getting it. Maybe it was the $650 price tag. And it's not that I couldn't afford it, but I wanted something I wouldn't have to baby. If I dropped it, I wouldn't be too upset about it. Something in a small package that could give near enough decent pictures bigger cameras can produce and give me the control that I want.

I have not considered many Canon options, just because I am not a fan of the Canon UIs. I have owned multiple Canons in my life and they were all fine cameras, it's just not my preference. So keep that in mind, there may be a Canon camera out there that may suit you better, I just haven't considered it for personal (and subjective) reasons.

I have however considered cameras from the following manufacturers: Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm and Ricoh. After a lot of deliberation I came down to the following choices.

Sony:

rx100, pound for pound champ, point and shoot. Huge image quality from a tiny camera. Not without its issues. Sony UI is not the most intuitive to me. Battery life may be of a concern, however ~300 shots is plenty for me. It is slightly bigger than the Coolpix P330 and like I explained slightly more than I wanted to spend.

Panasonic:

Lumix LX-7. Great camera. This was the closest contender. I handled one actually from a friend who owns one. Camera feels solid, I thought it felt better than Coolpix P330. It is bigger as well though. This was the main concern, as well as the issue of a lens cap. Although the latter has a solution in form of a foldable lens cap that can be obtained for ~$10. Fantastic Leica lens as well. There was even a recent sale of this camera at $300. Similar sensor size as the P330 and without any scientific tests I am assuming should be capable of similar if not better picture quality properties as the P330.

Since size was the main criteria for the pick, here is the reference comparaison tool that I used to drive my decision:

I have received the camera few days ago and have put it trough its paces. I mostly shoot in manual mode on my DSLRs but I do like Aperture Priority as well on my smaller cameras. I exclusively shoot RAW, as I enjoy post processing and the flexibility RAW files provide in post. I would have been happy with just the ability to disable noise reduction but having RAW is so much better. On the topic of Noise Reduction. I am not a fan of it, I don't like how it tends to turn images into mush. I would much rather have noise, and convert the image to black and white if the noise was an issue. I find it quite annoying that point and shoot cameras or smart phone cameras don't have a way to disable noise reduction.

Pros:

Size. This camera is not only tiny and easily fits in my pockets, it is also very light. (I've uploaded an image of the camera next to my D600 for size comparaison)

Relatively fast lens (good low light performance). f/1.8 at the wide end, similar to the rx100 in aperture.

RAW support. It is so nice having this. This means you can rescue badly exposed images and manage the tonal quality not possible with jpegs.

Manual Exposure: ISO, shutter speed, aperture size are all easy to adjust. If you want to get creative and do some light painting you can. The camera even has a Neutral Density filter option. Haven't had a chance to test it yet.

1/1.7" sensor and low megapixel count. Bigger than the 1/2.3" sensor size which ships in most point and shoot cameras, combined with lower than average megapixel count. Means, photo cells on the sensor can gather more light, resulting in better low light performance (less noise). I am getting relatively low levels of noise at ISO 800, and ISO 1600 is better than expected. I commend Nikon for electing to go with a low megapixel sensor despite the trend of "more megapixel the better" marketing nonsense!

The screen is nice and bright.

If you're a Nikon shooter, you'll feel right at home with the settings menus.

Flash. Nikon has long been known for great Flash implementations. I feel the Flash provided is great. And I have achieved great results with it.

All this combines and creates a sum of a very capable advanced point and shoot camera. The image quality I am getting has exceeded my expectation. The pros I have listed far outweigh the cons I am going to list. Most of the cons are not serious flaws, and should be considered there because of the tradeoff of creating such a small camera with these capabilities.

Cons:

Sluggish AF. There is a 4 second delay after you take a photo in RAW mode. During that time you can't shoot an image, but you can't even get a focus lock either. This is the most annoying of the flaws. Since there is no buffer, this means that if you miss the shot, you're done.

UI can appear sluggish at times as well.

The big unmarked dial to the right. I feel it's somewhat underutilized, it often doesn't do anything depending on which mode you're operating in. Yet it's a nice dial, with a decent tactile feel. I think it's a bit of a missed opportunity here as it could have been programmable. Since I only shoot in AP mode, I don't get to use either top dials much, and I like dials. I would much rather use it, than the dial on the back around the OK button.

On/Off button, probably the biggest flaw, and it's maybe just an issue with my copy of the camera. But there is a tactile disconnect between the click sound you get when you click it and the camera actually getting the signal to turn off or on. After you push the button you have to push even more for it to register your command. Since it's a pocket camera, I'd rather have it be little harder to turn on by accident though. The lens extending in your pocket could be awkward, so it's not that big of a deal I guess.

FN button operation was unintuitive to me. I am used to designating its function in the menu and then just using that function with it. But FN actually lets you pick a different option which I feel takes away from the usability of the function. Can't complain much though, I am glad to have this option at all on a point and shoot.

Lack of a stand alone battery charger. I think a camera in this category should have this. Even my ELPH 300 had this, and it's a category below the P330.

Build quality feels ok. But just ok. People complain about the battery/sd card door, but I don't have an issue with this. The battery door is spring loaded and metal. Not sure what the issue is. I appreciate how light the camera is.

Another missed opportunity I think is with the flash. I think it could have been bouncable. Like the rx100 has a small flash which can be tilted upwards to bounce the light off the ceiling, or a side in portrait holding position. This is nitpicking though. A business card does the trick.

In conclusion: Anyone looking for an advanced point and shoot camera cannot go wrong with the Nikon Coolpix P330 in my opinion. The camera punches above its weight in the current market.

edit: couldn't link to the actual camera size comparaisons since Amazon doesn't allow it. Google camerasize website if you want to compare for yourself.

edit: It looks like the free software that ships with the camera Nikon NX2 automatically corrects lens distortion when developing RAW files. I have removed the following item from the list of Cons to reflect this, but will keep it in the review in case anyone runs into this:

" Lens distortion. This is not really a con, since you can't really expect corrective lens elements in such a small zoom lens. When shooting jpeg, this is corrected by the camera. But when you shoot RAW you get the actual data sensor sees. And from this you can tell the vignetting and the lens distortion is quite pronounced. This is easily correctable in post processing software like Aperture or Lightroom. Currently Lightroom doesn't have a profile for the lens, but manual correction works ok for the time being. It's something to keep in mind for all of us RAW shooters. And hopefully Adobe will add the lens correction profile for this camera in the future."

EDIT UPDATE 2:

After taking the camera out for shooting over the weekend. I have realized it is not the most responsive of cameras. In fact Auto Focus can be quite stubborn about not locking focus and I have missed quite a few shots due to shutter lag and general sluggishness. I feel as an advanced compact the camera should be more responsive, because what good are all the features if you miss the shots? I am going to knock a star of my review for this reason.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon COOLPIX P330 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom (Black) Here

After my Sony RX100 went back for repairs (under warranty) for the second time, I bought this as a backup camera. For about half the price of the Sony it does an excellent job. Image quality is sharp. The litmus test is low light with no flash and it still excels. Both boot and focus times are very good. RAW capabilities exist but WiFi unfortunately is an option. I have always shot in Auto mode to date as well. Basically this is the same size as the Sony, half the price but definitely not half the image quality. Having both cameras now, I would not spend the extra cash for the RX100. If you're looking for a compact camera as your primary or DSLR backup in this price range I recommend the Nikon.

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If you had a P300 you were probably very happy with it. P300 always took very good low light photos, but there was a lot of noise processing, making pictures somewhat soft. P330 with a larger sensor and options to regulate noise reduction help make photos even better. I was not near US so I couldn't buy the camera from Amazon, I bought it in Hong Kong.... for about $20 more. I also considered Olympus XZ-10, as they had it available in Hong Kong. It is a nice camera, but I found some sample pics on the internet that raised concerns about quality of daytime pics in bright light. So I chose to stay loyal to Nikon and I don't regret it. I haven't had too much time to test it fully, but so far I am impressed with speed of focus, excellent macro, great low light capability. Only thing I would trade is GPS for a function ring on the front. Build quality is fantastic. Overall, especially for the price and compactness, a great pocket camera.

I did notice some comments regarding the power button. I have no fingernails to speak of, and I have zero problems turning the camera on. Yes, you have to give it a solid press... it is a mechanism to prevent the camera from turning on in you pocket by an accidental press (your finger will go on the power button when you pull it out of the pocket), possibly breaking the lens. There is a slight lag in the first set of menus, but once you get in the menu there is no lag, in any case that can be resolved by a firmware update. I think the quality is great. Camera turns on quickly, playback is instant. No issues. In the end, in this segment people are in it for the compactness & picture quality. I think this camera delivers great value for the price.

I just found this link so I wanted to add it It may help with the decision. I am glad I chose the P330.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F7 2.1MP Digital Camera w/ Leica Lens and 2x Optical Zoom

This is my first digital camera I've had it for over a year and overall I have been happy with the purchase. I particularly like the metal case it is very sturdy (has survived a few falls already), nice and compact, easily fits in a front jeans pocket. Also nice is the rechargable battery: you plug a power supply straight into the camera so no need for an external charger. Now for the photo quality in general, the photos come out quite well, sometimes they are a little grainy, but they are good for computer use and printing onto standard photo size is usually comparable to a regular camera. I would consider buying another panasonic camera when it comes time to upgrade.

I have a Canon PowerShot s230, and bought the Lumix for my mother for Xmas hoping to save some money and get a camera of similar quality. Sadly, I'm disappointed with the Lumix despite the savings.

For those familiar with the Canon, you know that it's a very effective digital camera experience. It's solid, sturdy, has a great interface and takes excellent pictures. The Lumix is none of these things.

Holding the Lumix in your hand is disappointing compared to the Canon. It's flimsy at best. There's no weight to it, but that's not a good thing. It feels hollow, as if it would really sustain serious damage if dropped or otherwise banged up. The case is stainless steel, like my Canon, but my camera's solid construction and obvious design superiority makes it a more satisfying experience. As I said, the Lumix is too light to feel dependable.

The Lumix experience, overall, was disappointing. There's no intuitive buttons on the body of the camera. It actually took me about 20 minutes to find the 'on' button. (it's actually more if you count me trying to find it two separate times). Nothing is clearly marked. To make matters worse, there is not only no "getting started" mini-manual in the package, but the instructions are confusing with about 1 out of every 10 words spelled incorrectly.

Finally, the operation of the camera resembles something that was designed and engineered in a rush by a company that doesn't really know what they're doing. The display on the rear of the camera is grainy, the operation of the device is sketchy, and, as I mention above, the interface of the buttons and display screen icons is confusing where it's not completely impossible to understand.

Can you tell I'm disappointed with my purchase? If you're in the market for a camera, go with the Canon. This camera seems like it's either the last deliverable of the last generation cameras, or a rushed-to-market early adopter model of the current generation. I'm very satisfied with my Canon and will definitely never advice anyone on anything else.

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(15m) 45ft USB Cable Waterproof Drain Pipe Pipeline Plumb Inspection Snake LED Video Color Camera

I bought the product about a month ago and I used it to look for a problem in my 2 inch service line in the basement.

The camera is fine and I was able to see if the pipe was free draining or was backing up but I had to use a snake with the camera becuase the cable is not ridgid enough to push through the pipe all by itself.

I used small pieces of wire to attach the camera to a 1/4 inch diameter snake and was able to push the camera and snake together just fine.

I twisted on the snake cable which allowed me to rotate the camera head and see the flow line of the pipe as well as the sides and top.

the low cost is what makes this camera worth the purchase.

I didn't want to spend the $500.00 to $600.00 to get a professional grade sewer drain camera.

The camera came on time and in good working order. Pictures are as expected, but a wide-angle view would help in my application. The cable has an in-line repeater that is not mentioned in the description. That could be an issue for some users because it has a larger width than the camera diameter, so it limits entry into smaller pipes. Overall, it's well worth the money.

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It is useless. The wire is so soft that it could not reach the long distance area. It can only display a small tiny area, so I couldn't know exactly what the view tell. I regret didn't take the comments from the review of other customers who purchased this product before. I wish I could return it.

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Used this camera to inspect underground sewer pipes. Great picture for the price.

Included software was not usable. I found a demo program, AMCap, that works fine. I plan to buy the full version for another project. It can be downloaded at NOELD.COM. I would guess that this software would be excellent for all of the other low-end inspection cameras listed on Amazon.

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I will concur with some of the previous posters that it is "worthwhile" if you find your problem, as a sewer inspection by a licensed plumber can cost upwards of $500. This is pretty cool also, because you attach it to your laptop and get a full screen view, and even record it-just like the pros have. That being said, I got 2 uses out of it before the plastic covering over the camera cracked going around a corner in iron sewer line. It looked all of a sudden it went underwater, and got blurry, but it was still functioning. It still works, and the camera is clearing up 24 hours later as the moisture dissipates, so my intentions are using some clear epoxy around the cracked edge, which is not in front of the camera(the camera is like a tiny dot-like a cell phone camera). The image was clear, and I would`nt see it cracking if used in PVC, but next time I`m going to attach it to fish tape, with about 1/4" of the fish tape sticking out front, in hopes it will take the brunt of any hits instead of the plastic cover. So "worthwhile"? Yes. Heavy duty? No. The cord tends to coil as well, so I would recommend attaching the camera to fish tape or sewer snake anyways.

UPDATE-I let it dry out and the video looks like new again. So it IS 100% waterproof, even without the protective plastic cover. I put a rim of clear epoxy around the cracked edge, and thick around the entire edge to increase strength and it works great. I would not go beyond doing this pre-emptively if used on iron pipe, because as easy as mine cracked, you`re probably going to crack it too. And if it`s over the lens, kiss it goodbye. I was lucky that it was on the edge. I`m going to give it 5 stars, because the value is pretty incredible if your house is prone to plumbing issues like mine is in Texas.

Pentax Q 12.4 MP CMOS Sensor Kit with 8.5mm 1.9 AL Prime Lens(White)

My main camera is a K-x with a slew of Pentax "limited" lenses. So I was a bit concern about the small sensor on the Q. However I am more than please with the image quality. Certainly is in not as good as an APC size sensor. But the results are significantly better than anything I expected. Up to 800 iso the results are almost comparable. Above 800 iso the noise is an issue, for me, not usable above that figure. On my K-x I get acceptable results all the way up to 4000 iso.

However the results I am getting are better than anything I have seen with a 4/3 system, which I think is the intended compotition. Given the size of the camera and the build quality I am very happy I bought it. The Kit lens has outstanding optical quality and a classic 50mm lens equivalent (47mm) field of view. The "02 Stand zoom" has some barrel distortion issues but they are correctable with in camera software and the zoom range right in the popular range 28-85mm equivalent.

Overall this is a fantastic camera for street photography. It fits into your coat pocket and you can take it anywhere. I ofter forget it's even in my pocket, it's so tiny. But the quality is still about 90% of my considerable larger Pentax K-x. It has all the same SLR type functions as well and a slew of digital filters.

I would recommend looking through samples in the "Pentax Q" group on Flickr.

I bought this camera on a whim thinking it would be fun to play with. Well, it's that & a whole lot more. It feels like a little brick in your hand. The controls are laid out just right. And most of all the pictures are excellent. After all what is a camera made for? To take pictures,right. So forget all this crap about sensor size, how many lines per inch, and all the so called professional reviews.

If a camera feels good in your hand & the pictures are great & you enjoy taking pictures with it. That's the one for you.

By the way I've been in photography for forty plus years.

John

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The idea of a compact system camera is to take the important internal bits of a DLSR and pack them into a smaller package. This is a small package. Heck, it's tiny really. With the lens off, it's a small, compact camera. With the lens it's obviously a bit bigger, but should fit just fine in a jacket pocket or small case. It's smaller and lighter than either the competitors (I'm thinking GF3 or NEC-C3) but perhaps not meaningfully since they'll all fit in a jacket pocket, and none of them will go in your pant pocket.

Okay, good enough so far, but the sensor (which of course is THE big deal in a DSLR) is a small 1/2.3 inch unit. Same size as that found in low-end compact cameras. You might have interchangeable lenses, but it's a compact camera sensor that is good for its size but is still very small. That means noticeable noise even at ISO 250 and no real ability to go past ISO 800.

To the Q's credit, it has a very fast f 1.9 lens that lets in twice as much light as the GF3's f 2.5 or the NEX-C3's f 2.8 lenses. And there is sensor-based image stabilization. The combination leads to respectable low-light performance at moderate ISO.

Oh. Performance. Yeah, here the camera falls flat on its face. The autofocus takes forever (multiple seconds), powering on takes an eternity (four seconds at least), and there's a terrible gap between autofocus confirm and the actual shutter. Compact camera performance really. And this is after firmware upgrades. Video looked okay, but I'm not an expert.

Pros:

Really quite small

Interesting lens options, this fast 47mm equivalent, the zoom, fisheye...

Very well built

Different than anything else out there

Good low light performance

With the small sensor, real possibilities of interesting lenses such as a super-ultra-mega-zoom (30x or more)

Menus from the Pentax DSLR line

1080p video with stereo mic built in

Cons:

Tiny image sensor which...

...leads to noise at high ISO

...has locked you into the 1/2.3in world which may or may not be a success

...has a lot of cheap, compact camera heritage seen in...

...slow autofocus and slow operation, delay on shutter

Quite expensive

So, in essence, I kinda like this camera, but it's not for everyone. There are real compromises in its construction and perhaps too much focus on miniaturization. For the money, I'd seriously consider other options before jumping for the Q and would probably recommend waiting for version 2 on the Q on general principle.

Full disclosure: I received this camera free of charge for the purpose of reviewing it.

Read Best Reviews of Pentax Q 12.4 MP CMOS Sensor Kit with 8.5mm 1.9 AL Prime Lens(White) Here

I have read all the reviews of this little Pentax camera I could find before purchasing. Many people are focused on the image sensor size and various other technical aspects but for me the overall experience with the camera interface, capabilities and image quality are the real measure of success.

Overall this is probably best classified a niche camera and not intended to replace your higher end DSLR units.

The camera is physically small but not too small to handle or use. Lens system is tiny but good optically. Camera body is 3.9 x 2.3 x 1.2 inches. I purchased an adapter to use normal sized Sony and Pentax lenses with the Q. The use of the larger dslr lenses extends the cameras usefulness a bit but changes footprint dramatically.

I find the Pentax Q a very small full featured and capable camera. Startup time for my unit is on par with all my other big bodied DSLR cameras. The focus speed is certainly not the fastest but mine will focus within 1.5 seconds max with kit lens. All the normal manual and automatic features are available that I normally use from my Pentax K-r or other.

I restrict the ISO settings to 1250 max for low light photos and have taken excellent pictures. Yes the image sensor size does limit the very high ISO ranges based on noise introduced but most cameras have this limitation. The dual position flash is interesting solution to avoid lens light blockage. The HDR in camera process works well.

Writing speed of images to SD card is acceptable when saving both RAW+JPG images at same time. Just saving RAW or JPG images are as expected much quicker with a decent image burst speed for an inexpensive camera.

Rechargable battery provides me with about 200 continuous use images without flash.

It is not a Pentax K-5,Sony SLT-A77 or Nikon J1. Think more of a Panasonic LX5 with interchangeable lenses. In my opinion, if you are interested in a TINY interchangeable lens camera with dslr like capabilities then this is a good choice.

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Don't read the paper specs and do the knee jerk reaction of "oh it's a small 1/2.3'' sensor, so it must not be any good."

The Q is a great little photographer's tool and a lot of fun. The sensor does better than most think and combined with the fast 01 prime lens, it is far more capable than many think. I have the LX5 and in lower light the Q outclasses it (not saying the LX5 is a bad camera, it's also a nice camera).

The other thing that is missed is that the Q has perhaps the best photographer centric controls of any camera in its size and actually, several bigger cameras than it. This may sound silly but when you are doing photography, the more the camera "gets in your way" the less intuitive the workflow from seeing to capture is.

The Q also sports some rather odd characteristics that punch way above its weightlike 1/250th external flash sync (that's in medium semi pro DSLR territory), unibody magnesium-alloy build (like a pro dslr), full photographic controls in an easier to use interface than many other cameras.

The bigger cons of this camera has been its launch price. At $375 USD here at Amazon the price it's more than a share of fair, as you get a nice lens too. If you have a chance to see one in person pick one, it's just not the same as seeing it in pictures.

The Q is quite a capable camera if you are interested in pushing your photography and sticking with it, pros and cons. It's a camera you can "wear" and carry at all times with its prime lens, and other lenses could even fit in your other pocket. And with the latest firmware upgrade Pentax released a while back the speed of operation improved in a notable way (i.e. it no longer takes 4 seconds to bootnot at all).

Think of it as a digital Diana or Holga thanks to its jpeg filters and customization, but with the capability to punch much higher than that when used judiciously with RAW. And it's fun.

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Battery Adapter Base Plate LP-E6 for Canon 5D Mark II / 5D Mark III / 60D / 7D / Lilliput Monitor 5

Ended up returning this, the battery holder is just way too tight. After jamming the LP-E6 in there, trying to take it out of the monitor when attached lead to the entire base plate coming off and having to wrestle with the battery to get it back out. Not something you can really afford to do when shooting a wedding, time is of the essence and the monitor already eats up the batteries. Maybe we just had a bad one but quality control needs to be checked or it needs to just widen the holster by a centimeter or less so they slide in easier.