Swann SW-P-MWC Mini Wireless Camera - Powerful Small Security Camera Transmit up to 328ft/100m

I have 2 of these I bought to monitor my home. If you have a capture card on your computer these work great...hook up to a vcr is easy too but you better have an older unit with RCA ins. Also live monitoring via TV or thru a vcr is great but if you plan on recording thru the VCR, as I said before you'll need an older model that allows you to record from the line in. Or you'll need to convert an RCA (or S-Video) connector to Coaxal. I have a mutli-port capture card and some great software by Lorex that allows me to do more with the camera. also the 9 volt adapter is a great idea, but will only last around 2 1/2 hrs. All in all it's a good basic monitoring camera.

i buy one this camera end they send me a diferente item. the shiping is to slow i pay for 3 to 5 days and i get on 7

Buy Swann SW-P-MWC Mini Wireless Camera - Powerful Small Security Camera Transmit up to 328ft/100m Now

JVC GR-D270 MiniDV Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom

I spent hours on-line trying to select a camcorder from an overwhelming multitude. The important considerations for me were:

PC connectivity

Price

At least decent video and audio quality

Battery life, size and everything else

This JVC is a success in all these parameters.

I had no trouble at all connecting to a wintel PC. I have a cheap no-name lash-up desktop box, a $15 firewire card, a generic $5 firewire cable, and XP. I am relieved to report it all worked first time, because connectivity problems are apparently common with all camera brands (including JVC).

This is one of the cheaper miniDV machines, so the price was right.

Video quality, for an uncritical amateur like me, is plenty good enough. And there is apparently wide-spread opinion that JVCs are better than average in low-light conditions.

Audio quality, again good enough. There is definitely some motor noise breakthrough with the built-in mike that interferes with quiet pastoral scenes.

Battery life with the supplied battery is approx 1 hour. Since JVC batteries are upwards of $80, I will be buying cheap generic knock-offs in the $30 range.

The supplied USB cable is for downloading pictures from the snapshot and webcam mode. It is worthless for transferring video. Snapshots are inferior to my aged Canon Elph.

If a buddy could have told me here was a camera that worked OK with my computer, and was otherwise decent and affordable, I could have saved hours of research.

EDIT 1: Still 4 stars, but I would have exchanged some of that 25x tele for some more wide-angle. Also, the zoom mechanism is a bit abrupt, it is difficult to get a smooth zooming action.

This camera has a lot going for it...especially for the price. The video quality is good, it interfaces well to a PC over firewire, small size, decent controls, etc., etc.

But, I am returning it.

The motor noise on the audio is a killer drawback.

I have been taking videos of my 4 month old son but during playback it sounds like there is a locust invasion preparing to bounce during any break in his cooing.

I was wondering if I was being too picky so I compared the audio with that of the Canon miniDV I bought in 1998 (yes, 1998) and the Canon was sooooooo much quieter.

Too bad....'cos this cam was otherwise very nice.

Buy JVC GR-D270 MiniDV Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom Now

This is my first Mini DV camera I was very exited intially but I found some of descripancies but overall it is good camera to begin

Pro :

1. Smallest possible

2. Picture quality excellant

3. Easy to Handle.

Cons :

1. Does not support download from Mini DV to PC by USB Note :This is very important drawback so IEEE is only option if you want to download movie from mini DV to Laptop or PC

2. Sound quality is not 100% I would say 60% good

3. No remote control feature

Read Best Reviews of JVC GR-D270 MiniDV Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom Here

We have been debating for a while whether or not to upgrade to a digital camera. Since we are expecting another child, we decided to go ahead and purchase this camera based on reviews and price. It all sounded so good. Luckily we tried it out in advance of our trip to the hospital. We were very disapointed. I was expecting a much higher quality picture, but instead it looked like your average webcam shots. Grainy/pixely (is that a word?) and the movement was mechanical. It seemed to be trying to focus constantly. We were inside with all the lights in the room and hall on and the camera light. Realistically, this is the environment the majority of our video will be shot. Pehaps it performs better outside in bright sunlight??? Regardless, it is making a trip back tomorrow. Now we are back to square one and have no idea what to buy! And this baby is NOT going to wait. PS the sound wasn't impressive either. And all the still shots were incredibly blurry. WHY???

Want JVC GR-D270 MiniDV Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom Discount?

This camcorder was bought in September 2005 and is still working well. I was talking a film class and didn't want to have the hassle of borrowing my school's $1000+ camcorder. Knowing full well that Canon and Sony, especially Sony, would be the best camcorder for people wanting their shots to look professional, I looked on Amazon and Circuit City to see reviews. I went into Stereo Advantage and well, walked out with a JVC due to the fact that it was a little less expensive then some of the other camcorders. So, the advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

1) It is pretty decent in low light. It does have a light on it and this does help.

2) I never noticed the motor noise mostly because when I film stuff and edit it on my Powerbook with Final Cut, I usually add music. I read reviews with motor noises but I guess that if there is complete silence in a room, you'll hear it.

3) Firewire cable and AV cables are easy to find and connect.

4) Easy to hold.

Disadvantages:

1) Firewire does NOT come with camcorder. You'll have to buy this separate. Best place to find firewire cables is online (Amazon, Ebay). You'll play way too much in stores.

**By the way, if you don't know what firewire is here is what it is. Mac computers almost always come with firewire outlet, just like PCs come with USB outlets. For PCs, you can buy a firewire card and insert it in your PC. The purpose of firewire is to transfer video from your camcorder onto your computer. USB plugs(which comes with this camcorder) just transfer photos.

2) Taking pictures on this camcorder does not turn out good at all. I would stick with a digital camera instead.

3) Battery is horrible. It lasts like 50 minutes fully charged. I plan on buying another one.

Panasonic HX-WA2 Waterproof Full HD Camcorder (Blue) HX-WA2A

This item was suggested by a salesman at a very reputable electronics store. We didn't buy it on-site because they only had the orange color in stock so we ordered from Amazon where we got the color we wanted and a better price. This is absolutely perfect for those who don't want to carry around a larger camcorder and all of the chargers/attachments that come along with it. This fits nicely in my pocket of my husband's jeans or in my purse. We prefer the smaller size so that we can bring along and not feel like stalkers. The videos are of great quality and we were very happy with the purchase.

Solid purchase for the holiday season. The unit itself is light weight and good for pockets or other easy storage spaces. Havent figured out all the bells and whistles yet but recording is very clear. Manual is a bit long.

Buy Panasonic HX-WA2 Waterproof Full HD Camcorder (Blue) HX-WA2A Now

Love the camera. HD quality is stunning. Learning curve was minimal because all options are very easy to get to and to use. Button placement prevents using the wrong button at the wrong time. Lots of features I've already used that I haven't used in other cameras because it's too hard to remember, on site, how to get to them (all found in scenes on the panasonic). Easy to change settings while in use, even underwater. Most video has been shot underwater and I am very pleased with the quality and the camera's auto compensation for low light levels. Typically we stay in the water close to an hour (the max allowed by the camera anyway) and the battery is only down to about 3/4 when we exit. Bought a 32 GB card and we have been in the Caymans 2 1/2 weeks and there is still memory left with daily shooting of usually 2 snorkel trips.

Have some questions about use of the photo zoom, which appears on the monitor but does not register for the actual picture. Also, the HD Writer seems to have a glitch that doesn't allow me to send emails. That menu item only takes me to the same one as the online sharing (You Tube and Facebook). Lastly, I also have some concern over water that appears in the card/battery area. So far it has stayed on the "wall" of that docking area and it has been just a few beads of water. My concern is that it's there in the first place (is this a faulty camera?) and that when I open the door it could drop on the electronics. I even made sure it was dry, put it in the sink for a soak and there was water in there then so I know it's not the depth I'm going to in the water. Please respond.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic HX-WA2 Waterproof Full HD Camcorder (Blue) HX-WA2A Here

My previous waterproof cameras merely required a quick rinse under a faucet and a toweling, before they were safe to open. According to the manual, this camera must be shaken in a special way, and then leaned against something to keep it upright for an unspecified time, to allow water to drain from its waterproof shell. The manual doesn't say how to deal with sediment and minerals eventually clogging the drain holes, allowing it to drain into the interior when opened.

Also from the manual: A tripod screw a hair too large and/or tight can crack the waterproof housing. If used in salt water, a fresh water soaking, not to exceed ten minutes, must start within an hour. If the camera is subject to rough handling (unspecified) the waterproof seal can leak.

From the manual: Careful inspection is required in a safe area before each closing. Hair, dust or lint on the paper thin O ring can cause a leak. A special brush, included, is required to remove the almost microscopic particles.

From the manual: Even if you don't get the camera wet, it's subject to condensation inside, and malfunction. This can be caused by temperature changes by going inside to outside or cool water contacting the camera on a warm day. Because the lens components aren't sealed, condensation can also form there. If it can't be dried out, it can cause fungus growth on the lens.

Panasonic recommends replacing the O rings once a year.

Menus are navigated and operated with a floppy, non tactile, half inch button/joystick. The button has to be pulled exactly left/right/up/down to get the desired results. Pressing doesn't work. I don't have big fingers. I had to hook my fingernail under the tiny ridge around the button to precisely pull it. To make my intended selection, my finger had to come down perfectly perpendicular to the button.

The delay timer requires difficult menu navigation, as described above, for each picture. So much for fun and spontaneity.

I used the camera once, in shade, and the automatic white balance didn't work. Everything looked like it was shot through dark blue glass. The instructions say the automatic white balance doesn't always work and suggest always setting it manually. That would include going from sun to shade. See joystick menu navigation above.

There are probably lots of other problems with this camera, but I only used it for about two hours. It is poorly designed, difficult to use and seems basically self destructive. The automatic functions don't always work. Panasonic should be totally ashamed of themselves.

Want Panasonic HX-WA2 Waterproof Full HD Camcorder (Blue) HX-WA2A Discount?

This is a pretty good camera. Takes great HD videos and works well underwater. Takes good still photos as well. Biggest draw back is the controls are not easy to operate and are too close together.

Konica Minolta X60 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

I've had this baby for a few days and have not fully tested it out yet but so far, its beautiful. It's tiny and, above all, really easy to use. Unlike my previous 5 MP digicam, the Sony DP-10, which had a gaggle of complicated features and was had a learning curve to take good pictures, the X60's operations are intuitive. The manual is available and really easy to understand too if you need to read it.

Pros:

Small, compact, truly a purse camera if you wanted. Others that claim to be small aren't really but this one is!

Fast start up. Just slide the cover and it's on.

Easy to operate

Good picture quality

Nice big LCD screen

Covered lens

Internal 15MB memory

Cons.

No viewfinder (Not like I use that anyway)

Zoom is only standard.

I've heard that the LCD in previous models in this line are fragile. I've had no problems so far but you're not supposed to drop a digicam anyway.

My first digicam was a minolta 3.2 MP which I lose in Kyoto and I'm glad I went back to a brand I like.

I had the Konica Minolta X50 (see my review on it), which ended up being defective after about 9 months of normal, delicate use. The battery cover wouldn't stay shut anymore, so back to Costco it went.

After researching the "ultra-compact" cameras in the 5.0mp and above class, I found that the minor improvements of the x60, coupled with the larger LCD display and lower price made it the most appealing digital "ultra" compact in the entire category. I mean I put it up against Sony's DSC T-1/T-7/and T-3, Kodak's new EasyShare V-50, Casio's Exilim Z750 and EX-S500, Fuji's FinePix Z1, Olympus, and Pentax Optio.

It came out the winner. I'll give it 1 year of use and revisit my review to give another update.

In the meantime, if compact is what you're looking for, this camera will meet those objectives plus take excellent snap shots in well lit close range situations.

The only thing that remains to be a weak point, is the poor flash range and the poor resolution of pictures in low-light situations. If you're taking night photos, you need to be within the 6 feet and in an area where you're picking up some light, otherwise your subject shot will come out blurry, out of focus, or over exposed.

Buy Konica Minolta X60 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Now

After purchased two little Canon SD200 cameras for my daughters, I decided to upgrade my own bulky first generation HP camera (2M, no optical zoom).

I wanted a 4M/5M ultra compact camera and had my eye set on newer Canon SD camera. However, I don't want to pay too much for the camera so I ended up looking for non Canon SD cameras.

One of the consideration I have is that I don't want a camera with proprietary memory (so Sony is out) or semi-proprietary memory (I considered xD a proprietary after reading that the panorama mode for some Olympus camera only works with Olympus's own xD card).

Finally, I settled on Minolta X60 after some research. I am quite happy with the camera it is very small, the 2.5" LCD is quite big (no viewfinder though), the control is quite logical, and the picture quality is pretty good. The battery life of about 150 pictures is not quite enough for a long trip but you can pick up non-OEM batteries for a few dollars.

The 15MB internal memory is not accessible when an external memory card is plug in. However, it may come handy when you forget your SD card.

Read Best Reviews of Konica Minolta X60 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Here

I only paid $230 from Amazon directly and know that it was the best deal ever. I love it. The zoom quality is great, large screen, fast start-up time, immediate shutter release, and time between photos is awesome. I like this camera better then the new $600 Kodak. This camera looks great and perfomrs great also.

Want Konica Minolta X60 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Discount?

I had the Minolta Xg and the Minolta g400 before this camera. The x60 has a great design. Very easy to use and stylish. I really like the internal optical zoom. The size, weight, battery life, and scene modes are all pluses.

Cons: low light comes out eithe over exposed with the flash, or blurry. Hard to get good shots indoors. Screen quality is average and does not show the pictures very well.

Overall: great, stylish, compact camera with some limitations

Dayton Audio HR13C25 16.5 ft. High-Speed HDMI Cable CL3

Cable was installed in wall as part of upstairs renovation. Has worked well since initial plug-in, no issues. Excellent cable at a very resonable price, would purchase them again.

Kodak Easyshare V530 5 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom (Pink)

I've had about seven digital cameras now, and this one is my favorite of the bunch.

Pros:

Excellent picture quality. In my opinion, Kodaks take the best digital pictures of all point and shoot cameras. Colors are bold and bright, and daytime pictures don't get washed out.

Very compact size. Sexy and stylish. Fits easily into your jeans pocket.

Many picture-taking modes for daytime, nighttime, moving objects, close-ups, portraits, etc.

If you use a desktop computer, the dock comes in handy and provides a convenient place to store the camera and charge it.

Video quality is superb. By far, the best I've seen on a point-and-shoot camera.

Cons:

The zoom buttons on the back of the camera, combined with the camera's small size, make it impossible to zoom and take a picture with one hand. I miss the zoom dial on the front, operated with the index finger rather than the thumb, on my older, bulkier Kodak. With this camera, if you zoom, you have to use two hands.

You have to use the dock, and have it plugged into a wall outlet, to transfer pictures to your computer. I think this is pretty silly. No way to just connect the camera itself to your computer, or to transfer pictures without a wall outlet nearby. This also makes it impossible to charge your camera by plugging it into your computer with the USB cord.

Speaking of the dock, it's pretty cumbersome if you use a laptop (i.e., if you don't use your computer in the same place all the time).

Camera can easily get lost because it's so small. I can't find mine right now. I suspect it's in a pocket somewhere.

No viewfinder. You have to aim your shots using the screen on the back.

Small buttons on back make for somewhat clumsy navigation.

Overall, I'm happy with this camera. It's a hundred dollars cheaper than the V550, and the only feature difference I can discern is the smaller screen in the back. It takes good pictures. I can't comment on the Kodak software because I use Picasa, which you can download for free and is far superior to anything else on the market. Hope this is helpful; happy shopping!

This camera is just amazing. Im a very stingy buyer. I want what Im looking for and I look for the best value on top. The Kodak V530 is probably the best camera for its price I have ever had my hands on. Its LCD screen is large and very high quality. The images and movies play back on a very high resoultion screen with a high frames per second speed time.

The camera picture quality is very sharp and natural. I took home the Canon 5megapixel equivalent for comparison. although that camera was fast and very solid, the pictures were sharp but the images comparably to what you see naturally looked somewhat artificially enhanced. The built in lcd screen was choppy, grainy and not comparable to the kodak.

Movie mode is beyond nice on the Kodak V530. A 1gb SD card makes nearly 30 min of 640x480 movie at 30fps. Its tv quality and its a great thing to use on day trips where you do not want to bring a camcorder entirely.

The dock can play the videos/pictures straight to TV and connects to a computer through a USB 2.0 port. Very nice.

I have never seen a digital camera with movie quality this good. Period. The aforementioed Canon had a good movie mode too, but its compression was horrendous. You could only make 1/3 the length for the same amount of memory.

Buy this Kodak, you will not regret it.

5 stars ++++

Buy Kodak Easyshare V530 5 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom (Pink) Now

Appearance: I bought the silver color. It is small and sexy. It definately has a wow factor. The base looks futuristic, yet the round shape is useful for turning it around. The screen is a good size.

Usability: This camera is very easy to use. Within five minutes, I was able to figure out 80% of the features. I was a little confused with playing videos on the tv, but within a minute I got it to work.

Picture Quality: My pictures look great, even on 1.8MP. There are plenty of different settings for taking pictures.

After I ordered this camera, I wondered if I should have bought the v550 instead. But after I received it, I felt good about my purchase. The two cameras are pretty much the same except for the bigger LCD, more memory and a viewfinder. A bigger LCD just wastes more battery, and 2" is more than adequate. Built-in memory doesn't matter because everybody buys their own anyway. And using a viewfinder just takes the fun out of taking digital pics. Viewfinders are not too accurate anyway. Oh, and the v530 is SMALLER than the v550. I think I'll keep my camera.

Read Best Reviews of Kodak Easyshare V530 5 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom (Pink) Here

Please don't purchase a separate power charger for this camera. Its a) not avaialable, b) not necessary. Many users below are finding out that the available separate charger packs are not compatible with this camera. I talked with Kodak, they say a separate charger is not necessary. Just unplug the power cord from the dock and take it with you on the road. The cord will plug into the camera directly. Theres no need to bring the dock station while on a trip, etc. Separate power supplies are avaiable, but its not called a travel charger. Kodak actually did it right and made it easy to take this camera on long trips away from home....nothing extra to buy.

Want Kodak Easyshare V530 5 MP Digital Camera with 3xOptical Zoom (Pink) Discount?

I was torn between giving this a four star rating and a five. The camera itself is amazing, like something from the future. Add a 1 GB memory chip and you have a capable camcorder that slips into your pocket. The picture quality is fantastic. It earns five stars.

Nevertheless, this is a digital camera, and I can't give it five stars because the software that comes with it is buggy. The very first movie I took is lost forever because the software kept crashing partway through the transfer on my PC. When I tried installing it on my Mac, the installer crashed, although it installed anyway and I'm able to use it there.

Hopefully these problems will be fixed soon. I don't think they should dissuade anyone from purchasing this camera it's just phenomenal.

Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

And that includes all the offerings from Nikon, Olympus, and Minolta/Konica. I LOVE this camera. The 10D was felt by many to have focusing issues and though I did not have any significant problem with my 10D in that regard the 20D represents a substantial improvement in this area. Canon still is not offering (in this price range) a camera with eye control or 45 focusing points, BUT the nine focusing points that ARE offered are well placed and the camera focuses quickly and surely resulting in tack sharp photos.

The pictures this camera takes are simply beyond belief. Beautifully saturated, tack sharp, NO, and I mean NO noise at 400 or below and barely discernible noise all the way up to 1600 ISO. For all practical purposes 1600 ISO is an entirely usable speed resulting in fantastic pictures. What Canon has accomplished in reducing noise and increasing pixel density proves that they are, for now, the technology leader.

Another big advantage over the 10D is the instant on feature which does not leave you sitting there helplessly until the camera turns on. That happens instantly! A new flash system, ETTL II is a vast improvement over the 10D. And, to my eye, there is an improved dynamic range with slightly less blown highlights.

The in camera processing results in far more pleasing pictures than the previous 10D or Digital Rebel. This camera has a greater burst (more pictures quicker) that the previous 10D.

Now there is currently an issue with mirror lockups reported by probably 10% 20% of all owners. If you encounter this problem before you update the firmware then simply take the battery out of the camera, reinsert it, and you're good to go. Canon has issued a fix and it is available on their web site. It completely remedies the problem so, not to worry!

One of the greatest things about digital photography is the ability to build a digital dark room for next to nothing. With the included Photoshop Elements you are well on your way to producing pictures that you could only have imagined in the pre-digital days. I am able to recoup pictures that I never would have considered salvageable before this camera.

The other thing I like about Canon is the lens system which IMO is second to none. Also, Canon continues to innovate at a furious pace driving the price of these digital cameras relentlessly downward.

I sold my 10D to purchase this camera and for me it represented a significant improvement more than justifying the cost of the upgrade.

So, I LOVE the camera. LOVE Canon. And LOVE digital. All in all I'd say I'm a pretty happy camper!

This is my second digital camera. Previously I had used the Fuji Finepix s5000, but wanted to move up to an SLR system so that I could eventually use a variety of lenses.

I was very concerned at the beginning of my DSLR buying processit seems to me that once a person buys a body and a few lenses, they are committed to that camera maker's "system" pretty much for life, so I wanted to be very certain that this was the right choice. If you purchase a 20d, you are not just buying a 20d, you are making (often) a pretty serious financial commitment to Canon technology.

I chose a canon 20d for a few reasons; I had decided early on in the process to stick to Nikon or Canon, as they are the clear leaders not only of Digital SLRs, but of Camera technology in general. Thus, though certain other SLRs like the Olympus E-Volt or the Pentax *istD are attractive, they simply do not have the range of accessories or the support community of either Canon or Nikon.

I ended up seriously considering three cameras; the Canon 350d (Digital Rebel), The Canon 20d, and the Nikon D70. From talking to other folks who were in the same situation as me, This seems to be a common range of choices people face

I ended up choosing Canon because it seems to me that they have a slightly better line of lenses than Nikon, particularly those available on the used market. This is important, because the more you use your DSLR, the more you will want that lens that is just a slightly wider angle, or just a slightly faster aperture, etc.

Once I decided to go for Canon, I chose the 20d over the 350d primarily due to size and toughness. The 350d is a great Camera, and its sensor is very similar to the 20d. However, the 20d's magnesium alloy chassis is much heavier than the 350d. It can certainly take a lot more abuse than the plastic 350d bodyand I tend to take my camera on a lot of long trips. The 350d is a lot lighter, which is nicebut I frankly found its body too small to grip easily. As I have very large hands, this was a serious disadvantage to me. For someone with smaller hands the 350d probably feels fine. You will have to pick one up and judge this for yourself.

The layout of the camera itself is a lot easier to use than the 350d as well. The camera requires far less attention when shifting settings than the 350d, and thus frees up your "focus" for the subject you are shooting. I cannot stress how ergonomic and intuitive I find this camera to be.

Since I have purchased the 20d, I have not regretted it for a minute. This camera is a real joy to work with. The viewfinder is nice and bright (looking through glass again instead of an EVF is a pleasure, believe me). The range of ISO settings from 100-1600 is wonderful, particularly nice are long twilight/night shots at ISO 100 that give you some lovely colors. Shooting night and low light with the 20d will blow your mind. The CMOS sensor of the 20d produces almost noiseless images at high ISO settings.

The best feature of the camera is the quick start up time. It can go from dormant to actively autofocusing in 0.2 seconds. My previous camera took 2 seconds to "turn on." That may not sound like a great deal, but I lost countless shots due to that fact, and it is what pushed me most to upgrade my camera.

I tend to shoot on aperture priority or A-DEP (like auto, but with no flash), but there are a variety of "pre-set" modes for portraiture, sports, night shooting, and so on that are easy to use.

The megapixel count is nice, but not really that important. Comparing images made from the 6 megapixel Nikon D70 and 8 megapixel Canon 20d, one can't really notice any difference until you blow them up to ridiculous sizes. At this level of the MP game, the quality of the lens you use is far more important to final resolution than the sensors pixel count. If you compare the kit lens (18-55mm f3.5-5.6) at its wide focal lengths and lower apertures with the canon 50mm f1.8 prime lens at f8, It looks like you are shooting with 2 different cameras. The same holds for Nikon as well, so don't decide for the 20d simply because it has more megapixels than the D70. Of course, even the worst canon lens beats the hell out of my old digicam on its best day.

I have had a few problems with some older third party manufacturer lenses made for the Canon mount, Like Sigma and Tamron, not working with the new 20d body; but I have been told that if you ship off the lens to the manufacturer they will rechip it for free. All currently manufactured 3rd party lenses ought to work with this body. Keep in mind that the Canon digital sensor is smaller than 35mm film, so there is a "focal length multiplier" that makes your lenses "longer" than they would be on a regular film SLR. The focal length multiplier for the 20d is 1.6 . That means a 100mm lens on a film camera acts like a 160mm lens on a 20d. For those who like to focus close up with telephoto, that's great, because you can buy a relatively inexpensive 300mm lens, and it will shoot almost like a 500mm telephoto. I, however, usually shoot wide (more "peripheral vision") and prefer shorter lenses, so this is a pain. Of course, I would love to have a "full frame" camera like the Canon 5d, but the price is simply to much.

It has a number of strengths and weaknesses, which I will detail below:

Strengths:

The variety of lenses is excellent.

Lenses on second hand market are reasonably priced

Introductory high speed lens (less than f2) is inexpensive (canon 50mm f1.8)

Autofocus aquires targets quickly

Continuous shooting mode is quickautofocus recalibrates for each shot.

Extremely high ISO capability (1600) for low light situations

Body is physically tough.

Very fast top shutter speed (1/8000) allows open apertures in well lit situations.

Manual focus easy to use

Pop up flash is very high above camera, and thus avoids casting shadows

Flash recycles quickly

CF card memory system is versatile and inexpensive

User interface is the best I have ever seen

Can be used as a blunt weapon if you are mugged

Weaknesses:

It ain't cheap

Very heavy, particularly with long lenses

You may end up spending money on glass that rivals a serious crack addiction

Longer focal length multiplier (1.6) than film, or than Nikon (1.5).

Doesn't work well with older 3rd party lenses without rechipping.

Mirror is very loud, particularly if you are used to a point and shoot.

Comparison with Nikon:

20d is better at telephoto (lenses have internal motors)

D70 is better at wide angle shots (focal length multiplier is lower)

20d is better at low light (lower noise, lower ISO setting).

Nikon fans believe that all Canon users are heretics, and vice versa, so why compare them you dirty heathen.

Buy Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Now

Update:

I just spent three weeks in Africa in a very desolate and harsh environment with this camera. I have to add Don't overlook the construction on your dSLR. I had heavy long telephoto lenses on it and the performance of the magnesium case, metal mounts, weather proofing, battery grip all is just amazing. I hate to imagine how a lesser plastic frame might have performed. After traveling by rattling/vibration ridden truck for days, dugout canoes in the middle of swamps, airplanes, hiking -I came to appreciate Canon's commitment to construction. This camera and and the entire EOS system held up superbly under extremely abusive circumstances and can understand why professional photographers prefer this brand. And the pictures? Oh My, the pictures are just simply the best pictures I have ever taken in my life. Not just because of the locations but because of this terriffic equipment. My friend who had another major brand of camera complained about a muddy ant inside his lens, imagine a muddy ant inside his other major brand lens while he was shooting -not with my Canon equipment (the sealing held up great). Albeit he's a better photographer so he probably got amazing shots I didn't -I didn't worry about the equipment. A+++ to Canon for the camera, the lenses, the battery grip everything.

On other news, I just read that canon is releasing the 5D so I guess my info from the original review was correct. Its definitely a bigger higher end camera and at $3,200 definitely in a different class. I think I'll keep my 20D for telephoto work and but with its full frame sensor, I might get a 5D for wide angle photography. Again, amazing equipment from Canon.

Original Review:

I'm a first time dSLR buyer (bought the 20D from Amazon -great service). This was a big jump for me and I read and I read before I decided on this purchase and whether I should jump into the dSLR world. I'd outgrown point and shoot a while back.

On the 20D. I agonized over the 10D and the 6megapix Digital Rebel until the 20D came out and I quickly decided on the 20D. I picked the 20D because of solid magnesium case, 9point autofocus, 8.2megapix sensor and DIGIC II, and Instant On. So even after the Rebel XT came out -the 20D is in a different class altogether. The 20D is a professional chassis and you can use it as a pro camera -the Rebel is for world travelers (In my opinion).

My agony now is over what type of photography I want to do. I only have the kit lens and a $79 dollar 50mm f/1.8 II ... lenses are expensive especially the good ones as I'm learning:

Here is what I've learned (intended for the new people who are wondering if they want dSLR or not). dSLR is really about the lenses and the options that you can use on the camera. You need great lenses for great pictures. This is my gradeschool version on dSLRs and lenses and I hope it helps:

The setup -Lets suppose you are standing next to your car and on your car's hood sits your girlfriend and on the hood unbeknownst to her sits a litle grasshopper. Behind your car is a lake and in the distance there's a huge snow capped mountain. This is the difference lenses make:

Prime Lenses: Would let you take wonderful facial shot of your girlfriend (boyfriend). If the lens has a good aperture, you might be able to blur the background so you only get her beautiful face and get rid of the annoying mountain and they tend to be light and small. (Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 is a prime lens -$350)

Super Wide Angle Lenses: Expands the foreground and compresses the background. So you'd get a picture of your girlfriend on the car which would both be huge and a lake that would stretch to the horizon and the mountain would look tiny in the far off distance. (Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L is a super wide angle lens -$1,800)

Telephoto Lenses: Compress the foreground and magnify the distant objects. You would wind up taking a picture that would magnify the mountain in the background but your girlfriend, car, and lake would either be very small and compressed in the foreground or they wouldn't even come out in extreme telephoto lenses as you'd only get the mountaintop and cut out the rest. Your girlfriend would also wonder about your relationship at the sight of the humongous lens: good telephotos can be HUGE and heavy! (Canon 400mm EF f/2.8L is a super telephoto lens $6,000)

Macro Lenses: Let you take pictures of very small things and they tend to allow you to focus quite close in on the subject. You'd walk up to your girlfriend and she'd wonder what you were doing so close to the hood. You'd give her a peck on the cheek and then you'd close in on the little grasshopper next to her. With a macro lens, you'd could take a great picture of the little grasshopper and it would fill my frame. If your girlfriend is like mine, she'd be off the car as soon as she caught glimpse of the bug. Old stereotype here no disrespect ladies I know a few that would put me to shame. (Canon EFS 60mm f/2.8 is a macro lens -$450)

Zoom Lenses: Are any lenses that allow you to shift the focal length. That is to say I can make it more wide angle or more telephoto. The 20D comes with a 18 to 55 zoom lens which gives you marginal wide angle and up to 3x telephoto. Not a bad kit lens but its not USM (Ultrasonic) so autofocus is not as fast and not as accurate and can fail to focus sometimes and its not IS (Image stabilized) which lets you take clearer pictures without a tripod. (Canon EFS 17-85mm IS USM is a zoom lens that covers some wide angle at 17mm and some telephoto at 85mm -$600). You can turn the barrel and you can change focal length!! What a wonderful invention but they're more complex with more parts than primes and the extra parts add weight and they generally affect the amount of light they let in (aperture stuff) but you don't have to change lenses and they offer more flexibility.

Now bear in mind that if you're out there in the middle of a blooming field in Georgia and start changing lenses, you can get dirt or pollen in the sensor. I only change my lenses indoors in a non windy environment.

Exposure and Shutter Speed: Exposure is controlled by the ISO sensitivity of the sensor (ISO rating is another arcane film invention basically lower the ISO number the more sensitivity to light). One of the problems with smaller sensors was noise (graininess) on the pictures at high ISO numbers. Well not on the 20D the noise is imperceptible to me. Shutter speed is also controlled by your 20D...and the 20D has a great shutter 5frames per second, up to 1/8000 of a second. Wow! So you have two out of three big components taken care of here and the 20D is first rate on a ton of other things like custom White balance etc.

A note on Aperture. Its just how much light can come into the lens (the size of the hole). The lower the aperture number f/# on the lense the more light it allows. Aperture determines depth of field (how much of the foreground + background is in focus) and it constrains shutter speeds. Now aperture is a function of lens construction -a 400mm f/2.8 lens is humongous and costs $6,000 while a 70-300mm telephoto f/4.5 to 5.6 is $1,200 but with the 400mm lens (get this)...you can use faster shutters and freeze the action of a quarterback spinning in midair across the field on a night game (or freeze your son as he's swinging a bat in little league: ball bat and son frozen in midair!). With the 70 to 300mm, you'd have to use a slower shutter and you'd get blurr and blurry does not make the cover of the USA Today nor brings a smile to grandpa. On another example, if you've been hiking for a month to take a picture of a sloth that moves at 1cm a year in some god forsaken South American jungle, the 70-300mm lens will weigh allot less and allow you to run faster than the 400mm white monster lens. If I'm a nature photographer, I'd rather come out with the picture than fall victim to some relocated pigmy tribe because I couldn't run fast enough and have someone years later find my bones still clutching my white 40lb $6,000 lens in the middle of Brazil still attached to my 20D with a flashcard full of razor sharp gorgeously blokehed* pigmy and sloth pictures, ala blair witch project. So get a lens for what you need -I guess is what I recommend. (*Blokeh are those out of focus circles of light in the backgrounds of pictures taken with expensive good lenses)

A word on Nikon. There are two camps of photographers these days Canon and Nikon (well there are others like Leica but if you own a Leica you're probably a pro, don't care about feature battles and are laughing at my gradeschool analysis). The 20D is more expensive and better chassis feature for feature than the D100 go compare 8.2megapix vs 6.1 and the list goes from there. Nikon owners will tell you that their lenses have backwards compatibility 50 years...yes but you'll have to manually focus those lenses and on some of them you have to pay some guy to saw off some metal flaps to make them fit the D100. Canon EF has been around since 1986 and there are a ton of autofocus lenses out there. EF is the standard lens mount that fits the 20D and there is a newer mount called the EF-S Mount that also fits. Canon is very conservative in their advertisement as they aim for educated consumers: D100 claims a burst mode of 144 pictures -yes but on the low quality setting, 20D can do the same if you cut the quality down...you'll hear spot metering, megapixels, focus speed --you need to read to understand all of this and make a sound decision. Nikon makes great cameras and I don't want to get into a war. If you already own a bunch of recent Nikor lenses -your mind is already made up. A good friend of mine owns the D70 and another the Digital Rebel and me with the 20D -we're all happy. After much review and a ton of reading, I liked the 20D better for my purpose as a personal preference I bought it and am very happy.

On crop factors. Lenses are still stuck in the 35mm film focal length format world and 35mm film is bigger than the sensors on the 20D and this means simply that the EF and EFS lenses turn out more telephoto on the 20D. So a lens marked 10mm is actually a 16mm (multiply mm times 1.6 to get actual focal length) on a 20D and other small sensor cameras (Rebel and Rebel XT). The crop 1.6 crop is not extra zoom -it only appears that way, its actual lost information. So, to telephoto photographers, this means you carry more weight than you need in physical glass and to wide angle photographers, it means its harder to find lenses that do true wide angle bc the sensor is too small to capture all the information. EFS was designed so they could make smaller lenses at least so don't lose information but they're still labeled "old school" and you still have to multiply. EFS was designed to take advantage of the smaller sensors on the 10D 20D Digital Rebel and Rebel XT. The higher end Canon cameras use a 35mm size sensor. People wonder if Canon will adopt bigger sensors for all lines and if they do, then EFS will probably go the way of the dodo. On the other hand, bigger sensors are expensive to make so who knows where it will go and the 20D has very low noise at higher ISOs (used to be one of the reasons they thought bigger sensors would prevail -that and the 35mm mindset and large number of lenses out there for 35mm). I can't predict the future -Canon seems to be still investing in both EF and EFS though and I think that for the next 3-6 years you're fine with either EF or EFS.

I heard a rumour that Canon is planning to release a new camera between the 20D and their higher end 1Ds around December? If you must have latest and greatest and have $4,000 to spend you might want to wait. If true, I'm sure the chassis will cost $2,500 $3,000 -just rumours here. I'm keeping my 20D until I can make money to justify more expensive than this extremely good camera. In my opinion, this new camera would not supplant the 20D as much as it would provide Canon a more complete EOS Digital line from Digital Rebel all the way up to the 16.7megapix 1Ds -they'd provide an true entry level Pro Camera in the $2,000 to $3,000 range. Most interesting to me will be if it has 45pt autofocus and the size of the sensor. Also interesting, Canon is releasing a new 60mm EFS f/2.8 Macro lens. Good quality and interesting choice in focal length. Amazon carries it. I think Canon is telling us something with the type of EFS lenses they're releasing and the market they are targetting. Keep watching Canon.

Back to my 20D, I've only bought a 50mm f/1.8 lens for $79 and the kit lens and a tripod. I can't wait to get a USM (ultrasonic silent 0.5 second focusing lens) with IS (Image stabilization) -if I can only decide what type of photography. But with what I have, I've taken pictures that have floored my friends and everyone who has seen them. Someone actually said, "I'll pay you for that picture." And that is a great complement to me and to the 20D and the complement goes to the 20D because my lenses are cheap! I am a huge Canon fan now and long and short of it, the 20D is an amazing camera and the best prosumer chassis out there (period!).

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Here

I purchased the Canon 20D package with the stock 18-55mm zoom lens about three weeks ago. Since then, I have taken several hundred pictures and am very happy with the camera highly recommended if you can justify the price. I've broken this review up into sections due to its length.

1. Lens

a. 18-55 mm stock lens

The lens isn't great, but on the other hand, it's not bad. On the pro side, it's lightweight, cheap, small, and seems to focus fairly quickly. The only bad thing about the lens is that it produces slightly soft pictures, but if you won't be blowing the pictures up too large, you probably won't notice.

b. 17-85 mm USM IS lens

Being obsessed with quality, after having the camera for about a week, I purchased (also on Amazon) the Canon 17-85 mm USM IS (Image Stabilized) zoom lens. I've been very happy with this lens and would recommend it if you can afford it. The IS is quite impressive it really works. This lens isn't perfect either, but it seems noticeably better than the 18-55 (and only six times as expensive!!).

2. Compact Flash

I'd recommend that you purchase a SanDisk Ultra II 1 GB compact flash card with it these are sold here on Amazon. This card provides about 5 MB per second write speed which is significantly better than many of the cheaper cards there are some websites on the net which review cards (and even one which has tested them all in a Canon 20D) it's worth looking into.

3. Battery

The battery life has been very good for me so far the specs say that you can take about 1000 pictures with flash on half of them, and I don't doubt that (although I haven't pushed it that far yet). The charger is also nice and compact (easy to travel with) and charges the batteries in about an hour and a half (fast!).

4. Design

This camera is fun to take pictures with! Through the lens composing allows precise control of depth of field, focus, and cropping it's also much easier to use in full sunlight as compared to a point and shoot digicam. It operates much like a film SLR in that you set most of the settings on the top LCD panel, compose through the viewfinder, etc., but it also adds the color LCD screen to view the pictures you've just taken. The other thing I really like about this over a film SLR is the ability to set the ISO and white balance on the fly. With film, you'd have to load a different roll of film for different lighting conditions or ISO now it's the simple twist of a dial. While these features are available on most consumer point and shoot digital cameras, they're generally much harder to get to through the menu system. One great advantage of this camera is that it has so *many* buttons and dials it's very easy to get to most frequently used functions without wading through extensive menus. They're also very ergonomically placed so I can switch most settings I care about while looking through the viewfinder just by feel.

Another nice pro is the backlit top LCD panel which makes night shooting easy.

5. Bad Points

Hmm.. Not much I can think of that I don't like about it. My camera came with a 'starter quantity of dust' (quoted from some other website) on the imaging chip but I was able to blast it off with a rubber bulb. Be aware that digital SLR's tend to gather dust on the chip especially if you change lenses a lot but this is nothing against Canon it happens on them all.

It's a shame that it doesn't show you the current ISO setting in the viewfinder (or on the top panel unless you hit a button). Several times I've left it at ISO 1600 by accident when I didn't really need that speed.

It's a little heavy, but I find that I actually like the weight makes it feel more solid.

I wish it had an IR receiver so you could use an infra-red remote with it but alas it doesn't (even though the Digital Rebel does!). I had to buy the Canon RS-80N3 wired remote (which works well).

7. Conclusion

An awesome camera overall definitely go for it if you can afford it! I still kept my old compact digicam as a backup for cases when I don't want to carry an SLR, but in general, I'll use it 95% of the time. Much more enjoyable to take pictures with than a standard digicam try it you'll like it.

Want Canon EOS 20D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Discount?

A year ago I sold my Digital Rebel on eBay and purchased the 20D. I have since not looked back. This camera has brought nothing but joy to myself and others. The sharpness and colors from the famed Canon sensor are true to their reputation. Friends and family all love the pictures that come out of this camera. I take it with me almost everywhere I go.

After selling my Rebel, I debated upgrading to the new Rebel XT or the 20D, which I'm sure many of you might be having right now before pulling the trigger. I held both in my hand and played with them at the PMA tradeshow where the XT was introduced. It was very light and felt very small in my hands. I don't have exceptionally large hands, but the XT felt like it was designed for smaller hands. That being said, it is a great travel partner to have being so compact and light-weight.

The other drawback, however, is that the user interface is quite different from the 20D. Although it may seem like a trivial feature, the dial navigation on the 20D has been immensely more convenient and practical when shooting compared to pressing the buttons on the Rebel or the XT. I didn't like having to navigate through the ISO or other changes to white balance via the LCD screen. I definitely think there's a reason why the 20D is more expensive beyond the fact that it has the solid magnesium alloy body. The user interface for me was worth the extra money as well. The more you take photos, the more you will realize the freedom that comes with controlling your aperture, shutter speed, white balance and more with the 20D interface versus the XT. That being said, it is still several hundred dollars more expensive and the XT has pretty much the same sensor (just 0.2 fewer megapixels) with the same results in a different body. So don't be concerned about getting inferior photos with the XT, because the differences are mostly all external.

I highly recommend getting the kit lens with either camera. For an additional $70-100 it is well worth it just for the range and it has pretty decent quality results. Bang for your buck it can't be beat. Make sure you pick up a EF 50mm f/1.8 II USM lens for another $70-80. This is a powerful little lens at a great price.

(...)

Panasonic HDC-Z10000 Twin-Lens 2D/3D Camcorder

I've been using the z10000 for about two weeks now. Since I'm the first reviewer of this camera I'm just going to lay out my thoughts about this camera without really polishing or organizing my review.

I was expecting professional level quality and features from this camera, and I feel that it comes up a bit short in both. I'm purposely being very critical of this camera because of the very high price tag. As the price of a device goes up so do my expectations and there are currently two other good 3d video cameras (JVC 3D Full HD Camera, Sony HDR-TD10 High Definition 3D Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Dark Gray)) that cost less than half as much as the Panasonic z10000. Overall I'd say it is hard to justify the high cost of this camera compared to the alternatives.

Why is 3d video so attractive to me in the first place? Years ago I remember many people seeing ultra high definition displays for the first time and remarking that it was "like looking through a window". The displays were very nice compared to standard televisions at the time, but I never felt that the view was as realistic as looking out of a window. Even with a large 1080p display its just a very clear moving picture. A few years ago I started to see 3d displays appear. Finally, it was like looking at a scene through a window. I have mixed feelings about watching a movie in 3d, but for home videos you can't beat the realism. It really is like looking through a window to the past.

I got into the 3d game a year ago with the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 Digital Camera with 3.5-Inch LCD. Its been a lot of fun to use, but let's be honest the quality of the still imaging is poor and the video is awful. This year I bought the JVC 3D Full HD Camera, but only held onto it for a few weeks before returning it since I had no easy way of playing back the high quality 3d video aside from using the camera.

One of the big pluses to the z10000 is that the video can be edited using Vegas 11, which I already owned. I have NOT tried the bundled software with the z10000, but I believe it will also allow you to burn Blu-Ray discs with your video.

The video quality is great with good lighting, but it struggles in low light conditions more than I believe a pro-level camera should. I did side by side recordings with my 6 year old Sony HDR-FX1 3-CCD HDV High Definition Camcorder w/12x Optical Zoom and the difference in quality is obvious.

I am impressed with the sound on this camera. It provides 5.1 recording, and I've tried it out in a variety of settings. It is very nice when I play back my video to hear voices coming from the appropriate locations. If I talk when holding the camera my voice will dominate all channels, but that was expected.

I am very impressed with the image stabilization this camera provides. When you move the camera around a scene there is the usual delay before it starts to sweep the scene, but I do not get any jerkiness or momentary blur as I have with other cameras.

The view screen does not flip out like on many pro cameras. This one actually pulls out of the camera and turns up. Forget about quick access to the camera you'll waste precious seconds popping out the view screen and turning it up each time you want to start filming.

Battery life is short. I have not run the camera until the battery dies, but the power indicator shows low after about 60 minutes of recording. The cost of additional batteries is very high, and the AC power port is located behind the battery. This is a very strange design choice as it means I have to pull out the battery any time I want to switch to external power. It also means I can't charge the battery when its in the camera. I'll have to carry the battery charger with me when I travel, and it does not utilize the same power cord that the camera does.

Out of all of the buttons available on the camera you would think one of the most important would be the one that allows you to switch between 2d and 3d recording. Oddly enough this button does not exist, and you cannot program it into any of the user defined buttons. To switch between 2d/3d you have to first hit the "menu" button on the side of the camera and then navigate through the touch screen. Very bad design decision.

The view screen is mediocre. Not as bad as the JVC TD1 which I thought was terrible, but not as good as the Fujifilm W3. It is a bit fuzzy in appearance, maybe because it is a touchscreen. I have a very hard time finding the sweet spot for viewing 3d. There is a "mix view" mode that essentially displays both video streams at the same time in 2d and I recommend using this instead of the 3d view. The mix view is actually an advantage that this camera provides because it allows you to see exactly where the convergence point is in your video. Wherever you don't see double imaging that is your convergence point and that is probably where you want the focus of your shooting to be.

There is a photo shoot button, but the location assumes you are holding the camera using the right side strap. If you are holding the camera from the top handle while recording, you cannot easily hit the photo button (unless you are left handed I suppose). This is not a big deal since I can make still images from the video easily enough, but it would have been convenient to have the shoot button available from the handle.

The lens cover is the removable type that snaps in /snaps out, not the type that is built in and flips open. Another poor design decision in my opinion, I do not like having a loose lens cover to carry around.

OVERALL I am enjoying my new toy and I love watching my home videos in 3d. It the next best thing to actually being there. The video quality is very good, though it does fall short of what I was expecting from a pro-level camera and I don't see a significant difference in video quality compared to the JVC TD1. Not enough to justify the cost difference in any case. The construction and layout of the camera could be much better, and features such as 2d/3d switching and gain adjustment are missing. Sound is impressive as is the image stabilization, and it is a comfortable camera to hold which I would not say for the Sony TD10 or the JVC TD1.

Greetings, my fellow 3D thrills seekers! I've had my Panasonic HDC-Z10000 camera for a year now, and used at a lot in various settings, so I've got some real experiences to share. First off, I must make a disclaimer: I like this camera; I think it is a useful tool in a video enthusiast's arsenal, and I am keeping mine for good. But it is not so rosy too: the camera has a lot of frustrating issues which are hard to oversee, even if you try hard. There are so many of those that I doubt any serious professional would ever make this camera his or her A-tool. That said I would not position Z10K as "professional", in spite of some existing pretense out there. Having XLR audio inputs with phantom power does not automatically qualify for professional camcorder. Let us start looking at this camcorder strengths and weaknesses now.

The camera has total of 6 CMOS sensors, or double 3MOS, which helps making beautiful bright and colorful pictures in adequate lighting conditions, but the grim truth is that those sensors are very small: 1/4.1 inch each. While this is not necessarily synonymous to poor quality, and my previous remark is my acknowledgement for this, but there are still some bad implications exist. I am not going to refer to any scientific analysis, you can do the research yourself, but in my own observation, such small size of the sensors contributes to quite poor low light performance. No matter how much you try tweaking color profiles, the picture comes out very noisy, beyond any acceptable level. Additionally, even with hefty 1.5 f-stop lens, such small sensors make hard getting ever-so-sought bokeh effect indeed. You may try hard, but it will elude you, be assured. Obviously, there is a flip side to the coin: your depth of focus gets wide, which in many cases is desired and helpful in some specific applications, but let's not forget that your creativity is still quite limited, when you need it.

White balance control cannot be any worse too. There is one push button which you use to change the mode as well as for assigning custom balance. Therefore, if you wish to go from only two of the existing temperature presets or from automatic to custom white balance setting, you have to keep pushing it to cycle through all of the existing options until you find one desired. This is very inconvenient while shooting indoors when color condition changes from take to take. Sure, you can use neutral gray reference card each time and keep your setting on custom all the time, but this is not that simplistic too. Due to small sensor size, the dynamic range is not very wide; therefore environment color and attached on-camera light color become significantly different. If you turn the light off and set custom white balance to match environment color, than turning on-camera light on would throw the color badly off balance and ruin the shot. If on the other hand, you use neutral gray card to adjust for on-camera light, than the environment color becomes significantly misbalanced. As a way of mitigating the problem, I found by trial and error that turning camera to auto balance for a few seconds, and then locking auto-tuned setting would do the trick acceptably. But since there is only one button for controlling every aspect of white balance, you have to keep cycling the options over and over again just to engage auto balance and then lock it. Very annoying and time consuming, which in many cases make you miss the shot too. I doubt one do-it-all button would be professional's choice. My other camera Canon XH-A1 for instance, has by far, far better white balance control with several dedicated hard buttons and a dial on camera body. This is where Panasonic should get their ideas if their own ones are missing. Not such professional level at all.

Next, the lens: yes, it is F1.5 which Panasonic is so proudly bragging about, but f1.5 on such small lens diameter is not a big deal really. Since the opening is so small, there is small amount of light which can get through. This, coupled with small sensor size, explains so poor low light handling. But things get even worse: since there are two of those sitting next to each other, Panasonic chose to cover them with oval shaped glass of who knows what quality, which is housed in oval hood. If you think this was a good idea, think again: there simply are no oval shaped lens filters in this universe. If there was no glass cover, and each lens had its own filter threads, you could at least buy two filters and put them on each lens individually; but no, this won't happen. This camera is completely filter-prohibitive. That is very bad because there are a lot of situations, when circular polarizer for instance, helps recovering otherwise ruined shot perspective by removing glare, water reflection, or unbalanced white sand or concrete shine, etc. With my mentioned Canon, none of this is an issue: I got a whole selection of B&W lens filters, one for each specific job. With Z10K you can forget about creativity: no filters. No, don't yell at me: I know you can have a custom hood attached, which would have built-in gelatin filter holder, or something similar, but it makes your setting immobile, heavy, bulky, and oh-so-expensive too. Try shooting dynamic scenes on a beach or run after wild animals in the forest with those things attached, and we will see who laughs last. Again, not that many professionals would approve such poor choice of design, the one which deprives them any level of light-modification creativity. And let's not forget that Panasonic Z10K does not have built-in ND filter too. That, combined with impossibility for on-lens filters, make you forget getting blurry water falls, moving objects, etc. No creativity allowed again. No professional level.

Next, recording codec and media. Z10K has many formats to choose from, this is clearly a strength that I highly appreciate. I use mostly 30p and 24p for most of my work, but having others helps too. There are two SD card slots for either duplication or swap recording, which is great on surface, but not so good in post-production. The reason is MVC codec, which Panasonic chose for this product. While their idea may have been plausible for making single file editing workflow possible, it is not so exciting in real life here on Earth, not today. It would have been by far better to record each stream separately on each card. There are so many more NLE which support L+R file workflow, than MVC. Yes I am aware of Sony Vegas, which is kind of funny: use competitor's tools to edit footage, shot by Panasonic! The software, shipped with Z10K camera, simply does not worth any consideration: it is not software; it is a gross misunderstanding, to say the least. Yes it does understand MVC in their own proprietary way, yes you can cut and glue fragments together, you can even attach background music in a very stupid single track uncontrolled way, but using it is an insult to a human intelligence. If you wish to get very annoyed and frustrated because this is something you like doing, than yes I would recommend using this so called software, but if you wish job done right, you better look elsewhere. I even went on trying using this hideous thing to edit my 3D video and burn a Blue-Ray, and it simply kept corrupting my best rated Panasonic blanks, shipped directly from Japan to my house. Several attempts after reading, double, and triple following the manual instructions were consistent as ocean tides: corrupted Blue Ray blanks. Ironic, isn't it: same brand which doesn't work with their own software! Not so professional level again.

The best option out there that I was able to find in my research was Avid Media Composer, but it does not understand MVC. You have to supply two separate files to Avid, which Panasonic HDC-Z10000 does not produce. This means you can either use some software to break MVC into two separate streams and then import (or AMA) to Avid, or you can use Sony Vegas for all editing needs. Vegas can edit MVC natively, it can even record edited material straight to Blue Ray, or create Blue Ray image without menus, but I just find Vegas to be grossly inferior to Avid in all aspects including editing workflow: matter of experience, objective and subjective preference and research. Either way, Vegas like Avid, can use two separate streams for 3D workflow, which means more tool choice for editing. And yet Panasonic elected to package their video in single MVC file, which has by far less support out there just yet. Instead, they make you use their troll-tool so called software. Not so professional level again.

Soft buttons on touch screen are nice: they are assignable from a list of available options. Unfortunately though, assigned buttons do not follow 2D vs. 3D context, which is very poor design. If you assign soft buttons to perform 3D-specific tasks, and then switch to shooting 2D, than most of those buttons would be inapplicable, and therefore show "Invalid" on LCD screen when pushed. Re-assigning them to other options, applicable to 2D, overrides previous settings, making them unusable when back in 3D mode again. A much better design would have been making assignable buttons, specific to each shooting mode: in 3D context, the buttons perform one set of options, in 2D the same buttons have their own meaning.

Parallax control dial is too small and inconvenient to rotate with one finger only, but after some practice I figured that you don't have to move it much if you adjust it once to the smallest value for the range. After such adjustment movements with the dial are tiny, which means it doesn't have to be big. Minor issue, but still worth mentioning.

Color profile function has only 6 memory settings. Compare that to XH-A1 which has 18 on built-in memory plus 18 more on SD card: total of 36.

But aside from all these mentioned issues, Z10K is still a nice tool, worth keeping. I hear someone say: "There is no such thing as perfect tool", which is true, but none argues Z10K should be one. It could have been much better tool though, if all of these problems were addressed.

If anyone interested, you can find my test footage from HDC-Z10000 in 24fps on vimeo: vimeo dot com forward slash 56306919

Buy Panasonic HDC-Z10000 Twin-Lens 2D/3D Camcorder Now

The Z10000 is a mixed bag that, for me, is an essential tool anyway. When I started down this 3D path two years ago, there were no integrated 3D cameras on the market. In May 2011, I bought Sony's HDR-TD10, a Handicam that had a single manual dial to control every manual function available (and there weren't that many shutter speed and framerate were fixed in 3D mode). Now there's a reasonably priced integrated 3D cameras with a host of manual controls and customizable features. And it takes excellent pictures in bright light. But low-light performance is poor and some of the most important features are frustratingly implemented. But while those would be nice enhancements, they are not essential. The primary selling point of this camera is the promise of a better affordable 3D camera, and it delivers. It is the best 3D camera you can buy for under $15,000. No competitors were announced at CES 2012, so it is the tool of choice for budding stererographers for the near future.

See my full review on the Just in Time Films website.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic HDC-Z10000 Twin-Lens 2D/3D Camcorder Here

The only missing in this excellent 3d camcorder is 3 CMOS per lens.

3d is very realist.

Professional controls.

In my opinion, the price is good for the quality

Want Panasonic HDC-Z10000 Twin-Lens 2D/3D Camcorder Discount?

Epson PowerLite 83+ Business Projector (XGA Resolution 1024x768) (V11H303020)

I bought this to use in my classroom and think it is great! The sound is clear and as loud as I need for all of my students to hear content being viewed. The price was very reasonable and I have not had any issues with how the equipment works. It's a great addition to the classroom. The images are clear, the remote is a nice feature and it's quite easy to use.

Its a good gift, i bought one and i loved it 2 watch movies! just buy speakers and paint you room black and its the theathers room! yay

Buy Epson PowerLite 83+ Business Projector (XGA Resolution 1024x768) (V11H303020) Now

I have been thrilled with the quality of the picture and the ease of use on this machine. I like that it has a built in speaker that really produces great sound. Very happy with my purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Epson PowerLite 83+ Business Projector (XGA Resolution 1024x768) (V11H303020) Here

This projector is very good, the picture quality is amazing and I recommend can actually see the video to 80 inches

Want Epson PowerLite 83+ Business Projector (XGA Resolution 1024x768) (V11H303020) Discount?

Q-See QCN8002B 1080p High Definition Weatherproof IP Bullet Camera (White)

My point of reference is the Foscam 8910w. That product is not a direct competitor to the Q-See QCN8002B but its what I know about and through the comparison, I think some bits of useful information is possible.

First, the Q-See is weatherproof. After the install, and for the 3 weeks since... it has rained on perhaps 3 days. The camera still functions. I looked at its via binoculars and I don't see anything noteworthy. I don't see condensation anywhere. There's no fog on the lens, etc. Again, its THREE WEEKS. I'll update this review with longer-term results.

The picture quality is very high quality. I'm used to short-distance IR. This IR projects 50 feet, in my estimation... and in my circumstances/setup... and provides a very nice clear high-contrast image/video.

I got this to make a weather camera that had a built in web server. I needed to take time-lapse video and be able to upload the images to a remote FTP server.

The images that this camera make are really great. Really, really great.

I cannot comment on the night performance as I have the camera shut off.

Perhaps one of the best features of the camera is the installation. Not having to have a dedicated power outlet for the camera is ideal for easy installation. You do need to provide your own POE Injector but those are easily found on Amazon.TP-LINK TL-PoE150S PoE Injector Adapter, IEEE 802.3af compliant, up to 100 meters (325 Feet)

All and all a very nice camera.

Buy Q-See QCN8002B 1080p High Definition Weatherproof IP Bullet Camera (White) Now

Savage 10x10 Infinity Hand Painted Muslin Background (Roma)

Looks much better in the photo. Painted canvas, so it is very stiff. Best you can do with this is squish it into a small ball and embrace the wrinkles. It worked for the application we needed it for, but we added a million wrinkles to it to make it useable.

Olympus VR-320 14 MP Digital Camera with 12.5x Optical Zoom and 3" LCD (Silver)

I currently own an Olympus DSLR (E-410), along with a Olympus SP-550UZ super-zoom camera. I decided to buy this camera because I wanted a pocket camera with a nice zoom lens that can take decent quality photos and I received an email from Olympus saying I could get $50 off at select retailers. Disclaimer: I have only had this camera for a couple days thus this review is only based off of a small amount of time of hands on time with this camera.

First -Image quality. If I compare this to my DSLR; the DSLR will beat this camera and my SP-550UZ hands down. There really is no comparison. But if I compare the image quality to other camera within the VR-320's class my opinion would be that this camera easily succeeds the other cameras in terms of image quality. The color is outstanding; oranges are ORANGE, blacks are BLACK, blues are BLUE, reds are RED, etc... Detail in the photos is also great. I don't really know how to describe detail but I will try. Ex) Took a photo of a person holding a Cheeto. The person's face, clothes, Cheeto bag, and Cheeto were all extremely crisp and well defined. The photos I took that achieved this image quality was on a moderately cloudy day with plenty of light. ISO was set at 80 and white balance was on Auto resulting in the camera using an exposure time of 1/1600th of a second and an F-stop of f/3. Jacked the ISO up and took some pictures at ISO of 400, 800. Well, I'll just say that you should never use an ISO of 800 or more on this camera unless you have a program to remove all of the noise. Even at an ISO of 400 there will be plenty of noise to be concerned about. Also, even if you have a program to remove the noise you will lose most if not all of the sharpness/crispness of the photo. (Neat Image works pretty well to remove the noise)

Second -Ease of use. Well, this is purely opinion so I won't elaborate. Since I own two other Olympus cameras I found the menus to be well thought out and easy to navigate. Much better than my 4 year old SP-550UZ and my 4 year old E-410. I really like how when given the option to change the Exposure Compensation and the White Balance it has a real time view of the current setting along with a real time view of the other settings right next to the current setting. That's just pretty sweet! Body is very nice and small. Great pocket camera.

Third -Video quality. Wow, just wow. In a bad way. 720p HD video at 30fps. Sounds pretty cool. But no, it really isn't on this camera. As a previous reviewer mentioned; yes, the colors were there. The quality was atrocious though. I'm on a college track and field team and we videotape each other usually using my SP-550UZ. Decided to try this camera due to the 'HD'. Just downloaded the videos, so much "noise" within the video itself. Not sound noise but just artifacts within the video. My blues are blue and so on but the quality of the "video picture" makes the video basically unusable. This was on a bright sunny day. Looks like it was a lower resolution video just unconverted by the camera itself to 720p. Not good. But, I bought this camera to take pictures, not video so I will only knock a single star off for this inconvenience.

Fourth -Performance. Right around 1 second from power button to ready to take a picture. Nice. Focus was much better than I expected; thus it was very fast for a point and shoot camera. Once you start zooming in focus will start to take a little longer but this is understandable. Zooming is pretty fast. Really like how you can change the Auto Focus Mode to AF Tracking. Position it on the subject, press OK, and the camera will do it's best to continually keep the object in focus. Pretty neat. Position of the flash = horrible. That is right where your finger goes so be careful. Outside in bright sunlight the screen works remarkably well. Still pretty crisp and vibrant and not too washed out. Very easy to use outside and achieve great photos, inside will be difficult due to keeping the ISO down. This is where you would use the flash, which seems to work pretty good resulting in decent pictures. Image stabilization works, not much to elaborate on here. Works pretty good taking action shots, wouldn't buy it just to take action shots but it works.

And lastly just my 2 cents. Even knowing these faults I believe that I would buy this camera again, there would be a slight hesitation but I would buy it. I was looking forward to the HD video but all's that I wanted was a point and shoot pocket camera with a nice zoom lens. Which the VR-320 fulfills very nicely. I am a very experienced photographer and always shoot in full manual. Going from being able to adjust everything to only being able to adjust the ISO, White Balance, and Exposure is not fun but this is a point and shoot camera period. Truthfully, it's kind of fun just taking this out and taking a picture that you know will be good! Hopefully this will help you make a decision as to whether or not you will purchase this camera. We all have different needs and wants and this camera fit what I needed and mostly of what I wanted.

If you have any questions just comment on this review and I will try my best to answer the question completely.

I currently have a 5 year old Canon Digital Elph and have been looking for a compact megazoom. My knowledge of camera features and operation is very basic. I don't know how to use manual controls and am not interested in learning. My needs are simple compact, easy to use, at least 12x optical zoom and no frills with decent picture quality that I can point and shoot. Set up was a breeze and I didn't need the manual. I've been playing around with it out in the yard and indoors. The pics look very good to my amateurish eyes. Price is also right. I wasn't able to find a comparable camera with similar features in this price range. All in all, I'm quite pleased.

I finally had a chance to use the video mode. Using 720P, the colors were very sharp and true in color. Using video is very simple. There is a red button on the back of the camera and just pressing it will activate video and pressing a second time will end the video. If you need to use zoom, it must be enabled prior to depressing the video button. Once video is activated, zoom is disabled. Although, not in stereo, sound is very good and not "tinny". It picked up the chirping birds, my footsteps in the grass, a neighbors dog barking, etc. I can't comment on action videos as I've not had a chance to use it for that purpose.

For the price, this camera is a real deal.

9 May edit/clarification: Optical zoom can be enabled during video recording without sound, i.e., microphone must be turned off.

Buy Olympus VR-320 14 MP Digital Camera with 12.5x Optical Zoom and 3" LCD (Silver) Now

I just bought one of the Olympus VR-320 silver cameras to try it out at my niece's Upward Football game today, and I am more than pleased with the results. It is very easy to use (which is great for a point and shoot camera I don't really want to have to take a lot of time fooling with one when I just want to take a quick shot) and the menu is laid out nicely. The time it takes to turn on and to be able to use is very fast, too, as well as when I want to take a shot of anybody in motion the camera is very responsive and takes shots quickly (another reason I wanted a camera to keep up with my niece running and moving!).

The pictures come out sharp and with great color, and the 720p video is a bonus with nice sound. I can highly recommend this camera, and I'm glad I bought it!

Read Best Reviews of Olympus VR-320 14 MP Digital Camera with 12.5x Optical Zoom and 3" LCD (Silver) Here

This camera is very basic, and does not cost a great deal. The selling point is the 24mm equivalent lens. For those of us that have been shooting pictures for 4 or 5 decades, the wide angle lens is one of the most forgotten items in new cameras, and maybe it is because, as one reviewer said, it is basic and I'm not interested in learning anything beyond that (I paraphrase). A 24mm equivalent which is about 86 degree angle of view will give the user one more option for creativity. At the price, I would buy this camera if it only had that lens and nothing else. As far as the review stating that the higher ISO rating (800, I think) is bad, it usually is for most digital cameras, and when that rating was applied to film, it didn't produce great results either. I'm rating this camera at 5 stars because I believe the rating should be tempered to the product. One cannot expect miracles at that price. When this camera is used as a camera, and used with a low ISO rating, which I do most all the time, it produces excellent results. Olympus does not put out, as one reviewer stated, pardon my language, CRAP. They also stand behind their products, and always have.

Want Olympus VR-320 14 MP Digital Camera with 12.5x Optical Zoom and 3" LCD (Silver) Discount?

I was drawn to this Camera initially by the File Size it was capable of. Also, the extreme zoom range....WOW! I am not a fan of video. I owned a Handycam once.Yawn. Too complicated. This Bad boy has HI DEF VIDEO in the camera. Push the red button to begin filming...push it again to stop. Creates awesome/tack sharp/true color .AVIs. I'm a convert! Did I mention the zoom range. I'm a retired Architectural Photographer from the 4X5-Medium Format-Generation. So, I'm WIDE ANGLE. This Bad Boy sports what feels like a 20 mm wide angle (on 35mm Camera). Then, reaches out to 400 35mm equivalent SHARP AS A TACK-NO BIFRINGING and this is HANDHELD-imagine if I had used a tripod. It's got whats called dual image stabilization I think . It works. The filters are pretty cool (I like the Fisheye at Car Shows) Like all Point and Shoots, there is no viewfinder so composing in bright light kinda sucks. I just might make myself a viewfinder shade for about One penny (a paper Coffee Cup with the bottom cut out) because this is one sweet/powerful/COMPACT super zoom with HD Video for basically Chump Change. Swoop on it!!!

Save 44% Off