Got my hubby the Kindle Fire HD for Christmas. This cable allows him to see things from his Kindle Fire on his TV. Great for games or Netflix.
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Monday, December 30, 2013
GTMax 10FT Micro-HDMI to HDMI Cable for Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7 inch , Kindle Fire HD 8.9 inch / Ki
Got my hubby the Kindle Fire HD for Christmas. This cable allows him to see things from his Kindle Fire on his TV. Great for games or Netflix.
Canon VC-C50iR Reverse-mount Communication Camera
I recently purchased this camera thinking it was IP compatible. It was not and unfortunately had to return it. However, I have used this product before and found it very usful for building security and monitoring.Save 55% Off
HDE Pinhole Mini Wireless Camera CCTV Security Video Surveillance
doesnt work,, the camera heats up so fast and has no picture. its not worth the money, dont buy this item,, waste of time
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For $23 this little camera works very well. Becareful not to lose the litlte spring that goes inside of the antenna.Read Best Reviews of HDE Pinhole Mini Wireless Camera CCTV Security Video Surveillance Here
works pretty good til you get like 30 feet then its blank but then i pic up the reciever and it comes in not bad for price think im gonna get another 1Want HDE Pinhole Mini Wireless Camera CCTV Security Video Surveillance Discount?
I love it. Hooked it up to my computer, adjusted the receiver and started recording. I would recommend it to anyone needing covert home securitySave 69% Off
Levana 32108 Era Advanced 2.4 Digital Wireless Video Baby Monitor with Picture Capture and Digital
Having a baby monitor with a camera sounded exciting. We could check on our little guy on the monitor before coming in the room to make sure he was really awake and not just talking in his sleep. Checking on him if he was too quiet would have been nice also. Unfortunately, we did not have the great experiences the other reviewers had. Although we really wish we could have said the monitor was super, we cannot.First, the monitor came to us broken. It had a white screen and only could be turned off by taking out the battery. I called the customer support line a few times and they were trying to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong to give it a white screen. On my third call, I finally got them to send me the return authorization form by email so I can get the monitor repaired. I promptly filled it out and sent it to them (having to pay the postage myself).
Did someone email me to let me know if/when I would be getting my replacement? No.
Did I have to wait over a month to get my replacement? You bet!
My monitor came back to me without the piece that is used to load the pictures on a computer. Disappointing, but it gets worse.
When we tried the monitor out it was really cool. The monitor worked for about four days before breaking again. We turned it on one night only to find a big black blob in the middle of the screen. Only the bottom 10-20% of the screen was barely visible and the top was whitewashed, save for the big blob.
I emailed, waited two working days (they are supposed to get back to you within one day) and then called. I was told it looks like the baby monitor was dropped and has a crack in it, so the warrantee would not cover this. I told the lady that it did not fall but she told me "you have to see it from our point of view that it looks cracked."
Let's imagine it did fall. Would falling on a thick carpet really damage this monitor? And if it would, is this the type of product you really would want to have? Of course, no one tries to drop their cell phone, but if they all broke from falling once, we would be more than dissatisfied with the quality and durability.
Instillation was fairly intuitive. The battery was already partially charged on the monitor so I was able to plug in the camera and get an image right away. Lorex is easy enough, too, but with Lorex you have to pair the camera with the monitor, and it takes a bit of time to read the instructions.
The Levana camera is small and pivots and rotates quite well, giving you a lot of flexibility with placement; but darn if it didn't give us the angle we needed, which was to be placed high on a shelf aimed down into our son's pack `n play. We settled on placing it on a night stand and seeing through the side netting. Lorex actually does well on placement, too, but not quite as many option as the Levana.
The Levana has a zoom lens, but don't make this your buying point. The zoom feature doesn't work like a camera zoom. Here you press a button and the monitor thinks for a long moment and then zooms in super close into the center of the screen and probably not where baby is, or what you even want to see; I'll never use it.
When you put the Levana monitor on audio to hear if baby is crying, talking, etc, you have to crank up the sound to hear properly. We have a sound machine playing in the background, but our Lorex is able to give us clear audio of our son when he's awake even at the lowest setting.
The Levana monitor is quite clear, even at night. Our son looks like he's bathed in sunlight even though it's completely dark in his room. Both Levana and Lorex have good night vision pictures.
The Levana model you can use to talk to baby... but not really all that great, it sounds muffled.
Levana has music options to sooth baby to sleep; not all that great. The three songs sound like there's static, and there's an annoying buzzing sound to all the songs that would actually keep me awake. This makes me think there is something wrong with the speakers on the Levana monitor they need to work on the sound quality.
You can take pictures with the Levana that are stored on the camera. The pictures are okay, but don't expect picture quality.
You can pair the Levana to multiple cameras, as you can with the Lorex monitor.
You can turn on the nightlight from the monitor, as you can with the Lorex. The Levana nightlight seems a bit softer than the Lorex.
The Levana includes a temperature gauge so you can see what the temperature is in baby's room not all together accurate. It usually registers about 9 degrees off from the thermostat in the bedroom. Still, this is a nice feature.
The sound indicator on both cameras is good, but the Levana shows sound so easily. For example: our sound machine is on all the time in the kids room, so the Levana monitor constantly shows sound like the kids are talking. The Lorex model doesn't pick up the sound machine, only when the kids talk and make noises.
Battery life on the Levana monitor lasts longer than the Lorex but it's a turn off for me. It takes a LONG time to charge the Levana monitor, and for the length of time to fully charge the battery it should last a lot longer than it does. If I had to guess, I would say it takes a solid 6 hours to charge and lasts about 90 minutes. I do notice that sitting off the charged the Levana monitor will drop down to 2 bars pretty quick. It beeps at you when the battery is about to die.
You can turn the Lorex camera off to conserve battery life when not in use. You CANNOT turn the Levana monitor off to save the battery. You can turn the screen off, and you can turn the screen and audio indicator off, but if you do this when the camera isn't plugged in, and go to use it again, the battery will be dead and you will have to plug it back in. I really dislike this. As it is, I have to keep the camera plugged in all the time and there isn't a docking station for it.
THREE STARS: Overall the Levana is a nice baby monitor. It does what it needs to do, which is help you keep an eye on baby. If that's all you need then this is a good monitor. But the inability to turn it off and save the remaining battery life for future use really turns me off, because sometimes I forget to plug it back in, or am not in a place to plug it in; being able to turn it off would be a great help. Also, the audio is kind of poor and the temperature guage though nice, isn't accurate. I'd suggest looking at other models for the price, but if your set on this monitor you'll probably be happy with it. For the price, this definitely has a lot of features and is a good value. You can add more cameras to this set up and have a total of 4 cameras. It can play lullabies, take pictures, talk to the baby with PTT, temperature monitoring, timers, nightlight, etc.
Here are the pros and cons I found with it.
Pros:
The setup is extremely easy. After charging the handset, I was able to turn it on and be connected to the camera right away.
The night vision is actually pretty good quality and I was able to see my baby in pitch black.
The overall quality of the picture is decent. It is clear enough that I can tell what my baby is doing.
The LED sound bar is a very nice feature. If you have the volume turned way down, the sound bar will still come on and show colors depending on the intensity of the noise. If the baby is crying out loud, the color would be red.
You can expand the system and buy additional cameras.
You can mount the camera to the wall and it was easy to angle it so it will show the baby in the crib at the proper angle.
It can also be a camera and you can take pictures of the baby.
You can play lullabies for the baby. My baby doesn't really care for the feature but it's a nice feature to have.
It comes with a SD card so you don't have to buy one for storing pictures.
Cons:
The battery life is horrible. Even with the power saver on that would turn off the screen after 1 minute, we were lucky to get 4 hours. Imagine the first night when we didn't have the handset on charge and waking up to realize that it was dead. If our baby had made any small noises, we wouldn't have heard it.
While the PTT is a nice feature, the quality of the voice coming through the camera is not great. It almost doesn't sound human and the first time I tried it, my baby seriously seemed scared of the voice.
The temperature monitor, while a good idea, seems to be always off. We would have the A/C set to 69 and the temperature would still show as 86 even after the A/C running all night.
There's not really an easy way to take pictures of your baby. You have to go to the menu to turn the camera feature on and then proceed to snapping the picture. This can mean missed moments.
The digital zoom, while a nice feature, takes about 5 seconds before it will zoom in and it can only zoom in so far and zoom back out. Also, in the 5 seconds that it takes to switch views, the sound is off so you can't hear what is going on in the room. This isn't as big of a deal but I like to be able to hear everything while she's sleeping.
Reading the manual, if you do decide to expand the system, you can only talk to baby on camera 1 and none of the other cameras. It would be nice if it gave you an option to choose which camera you would like your voice to come out at.
Overall, there are a lot of nifty features in the device and for the price, it is a great deal. However, do realize that some of the great features are fair in quality.
EDIT: A little bit after 1 month, the screen on the monitor started to fade and disappear. You could not see the baby anymore. It's pretty much overexposed and we tried to turn it on and off but still, even the logo is white washed out. I had to change the star rating because it is defective. We tried to contact customer service and they are making us pay to return their defective unit to them, wait 2-4 weeks for it to be researched and then we will get the unit back and return postage will only be paid for if they find it to be defective. Unfortunately, we have determined it's not even worth the trouble especially when that means we would be without a baby monitor for almost a month. We will be looking elsewhere. This is a wonderful baby monitor. It has tons of features and worked just right out of the box. I didn't have to pair them as it does it automatically.
Pros:
+ You can have a two-way communication when the baby wakes up. I think this is a big feature to have in a baby monitor. That way you can assure the baby that you are there if you are in the bath room or somewhere where you cannot attend to the baby immediately.
+ Video is clear and in color.
+ Automatically switches to night vision when it is dark.
+ Long range signal. I tried it on from the 2nd floor of a brick building while I was inside my car parked at the back of the building. The video came out clear although starts to skipping frames and choppy audio.
+ Sensitive, I can hear anything happening in the baby's room at night.
+ You can control most of the functions through the parent unit which is the size of a cell phone. You can activate the LED light (with changing colors), start the lullaby music, change the volume, and take pictures.
+ The parent unit can be carried through your pocket with its own built-in battery.
+ SD card is included.
+ You can charge it even on a PC or any standard USB charger.
+ Expandable to 4 cameras.
+ 100-240V
Cons:
The battery is only for quick sojourns around the house, a couple of hours on the porch, in the kitchen or in the bathroom; it is not intended to be left on throughout the night.
The battery compartment cover is almost impossible to open. I needed a bread knife to help me open the top and place the battery.
It doesn't have control via the parent unit to move the camera angle.
You cannot view it on the internet.
The sound from the tiny speaker on the camera is puny
Interface is fine but can be improved. My definition of a perfect interface is that you won't need a manual to operate.
Considering all the cons that I listed are mostly available to higher priced cameras, this baby monitor is fully featured and does a great job.We have bought this monitor twice. Both monitors did not charge. Levana will take orders all day, but when it comes time for someone to help you try to fix it, they aren't there. They won't honor their warranty....actually, they honored their warranty by telling us to buy a new one. Don't waste your money on this company that won't stand behind their product!
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Sunday, December 29, 2013
Meade 0610-03-10 ETX -LS Telescope with ACF Lightswitch Technology
With scopes a buyer has to approach with patience and the right expectations. There are plenty of articles out there describing what you can expect and what types of scope you can use for different types of viewing and it's well worth reading up on this before buying any scope.I bought this scope because of the LightSwitch feature. This means the onboard computer uses a combination of GPS, digital compass and pattern recognition to figure out where the scope is and to align it so it can find objects stored in it's Go-To database and so it can track objects as they move across the sky. Go-To scopes without LightSwitch require some knowledge of the location of different stars and manual alignment steps before you can use them to locate and track objects.
The advantage of LightSwitch is that instead of slewing the scope to the vicinity of the object you choose to view, leaving you to do final adjustments, it will put the object in the eyepiece every time.
The other attractive features of this scope are it's portability, the always excellent Meade optics, ACF which reduces distortion in the image and the price which is a grand lower than the less portable 8" LX200 without LightSwitch.
Being an early adopter of this scope I have battled through a few bugs and shortfalls in the design, but bottom line when this scope does what Meade intended it to and provided you have the right expectations it's very rewarding and very easy to use.
If you're thinking of buying this scope or you have one and it's giving you problems you might find some points from my own experience useful:
*The scope's primary interface is fairly rudimentary a single-line LCD on the hand controller and can be extremely frustrating, especially when the scope does not seem to be functioning properly. However this scope has an RCA video output which can be used to display additional information: multi-line menus; status info (such as GPS signal stength); error messages; on-board Astronomer Inside media collection. I found the video display makes this scope *much* easier to use. You'll need to provide your own monitor. You can buy dedicated field monitors, I use a cheap portable NTSC DVD player with an AV-in.
*The scope can be powered by 8 C-type batteries in the internal battery compartment. IMHO Meade should have omitted this entirely. Battery life is short and if it goes in the middle of observing you'll have to replace them (in the dark) and go through the alignment process all over. Apparently though two batts in the compartment nearest the eye-piece will ensure that internal state, like time and location, will remain after the scope has been switched off. I use a portable 12v DC power supply purchased for less than $100. When updating the firmware you should use a constant power supply since this takes a while.
*The scope has an SD card slot but the manual is not entirely clear about what type of card you need. It's actually a mini-SD card, I use a Toshiba 2Gb MiniSD card that comes with an adaptor. It must be formatted as FAT32. The slot for the card is a little awkward and you should use care when inserting/removing. When upgrading the firmware of the scope put the card in *before* switching on, When using the SD card to store pictures insert it *after* switching the scope on otherwise you'll just get a blank display.
*Take the lens cap off the CCD finder carefully. Meade did tell me that the CCD can be twisted when removing the cap which could cause it to fail later. The computer uses the CCD finder to snap pictures of the sky so it can locate stars for alignment, if the CCD doesn't work LightSwitch won't work.
*Before taking the scope out it's worth testing the CCD camera to make sure it's functioning properly. Just use the Snap and Store function from the menu with the lenses cap off and the formatted SD card in I simply took snaps of the inside of my apartment then load the SD on your computer to view the pics.
*Heavy light pollution and clouds or other objects blocking the view of the sky can also cause the CCD finder to fail to do it's job, make sure you're going to use this scope in a darkish open area.
*The mount for the red-dot finder on the early models was somewhat flimsy and the finder was prone to movement during shipping. Make sure the red-dot finder is secured tightly with screws as in the newer iterations. Before taking the scope out you'll want to align the finder by centering an object a few tens of feet away, then adjust the finder so it points at the same object. Don't forget to switch the finder off, if the finder battery dies it's replaceable by sliding it sideways out of the center of the finder where it says in tiny letters "Battery".
*Some of these scopes have a problem obtaining the correct location using GPS. These scopes shipped with firmware version 1.07 and this problem was fixed in version 1.2g. You can download this from Meade and save it on the SD card, insert the card and switch the scope on to upgrade.
*The accompanying AutoStar software suite can be used to control your scope from a laptop, *but* the driver is *not compatible* with Windows Vista or Mac OSX. I use Windows XP 64bit installed on a virtual machine (VMWare Fusion) on my Mac laptop. After the driver has been installed, go to the hardware manager and look at the Meade USB device properties to find the COM port it is simulating. Then in AutoStar make sure the set the same COM port under the "Telescope" menu and away you go.
*This scope does not have an option to use an equatorial mount at this time, so it's not practical for astrophotography with exposures longer than maybe a minute or two. Most astrophotography requires very long exposures *or* many shorter exposures in the same orientation which requires an equatorial mount. Since it is a single-fork design it's possible there never will be an equatorial mount option or if there is it might not be very stable.
*If your scope has the correct GPS coordinates and the CCD finder is able to take pictures but the scope consistently fails to align this could be due to drive inaccuracies or misalignment of the CCD finder. There are menu options under the "Setup" menu to align the CCD finder (Center Finder) and to train the drive.
*If you've read all the above and your scope still doesn't function properly send it back and get a replacement. Make sure the supplier gives you free shipment because this scope weighs 30lbs without the tripod.
In summary employing a video monitor and 12v DC power supply and going over as much verification of the scope before heading out can mean the difference between an extremely disappointing/frustrating night out in the cold and a fantastic rewarding journey through the Universe.
My first LS (when it was still known as the ETX-LS) had a faulty GPS that was replaced by Meade. The second
one is not the best either, and suffers from at least 5 problems, which
I list below.
1. GPS sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, all from about the same
location (by this I mean front yard compared to say, pavement in front
of front yard). GPS on my phone works great and picks up something like
7 satellites. ETX LS, half the time, picks up zero and asks for my
manual input. That is unacceptable. Why would I buy a GPS scope
otherwise?!
2. Scope has slewing problems in manual alignment mode. This happens
especially when it slews to a target star in manual alignment mode and
asks me to centre the star. I cannot do so because the slewing has
mysteriously been disabled.
3. Scope has slewing problems in normal GOTO mode. Sometimes I ask the
scope to goto an object and it does that, albeit unsuccessfully. So I
have to do a manual adjustment using the slew keys. Nothing happens. I
adjust the speed of the slewing to the maximum speed and still the scope
sits still on its base.
4. The scope has displayed albeit only once levelling problems.
Once, the scope thought that "level" was 30 degrees below the horizon
and promptly stayed there. I promptly aborted the operation and directed
the scope to shut down. Well, it carried the mistake in levelling over
and came to a rest 30 degrees past its normal vertical resting position.
5. The audio sometimes shuts down mysteriously. Not that I care much
about a talking telescope, but sometimes after I ask it to go to an
object (again the alignment doesn't work, as mentioned above), it does
so and starts talking about the object. Or, should I say, attempts to do
so. The screen shows "Press A/V to cancel MEDIA", but there is no sound.
I had done nothing with the volume and the scope was speaking on
start-up.
6. Auto-alignment and manual alignment are both hopeless. One caveat is
that I am in quite a light-polluted area (Cambridge, MA) but can still
see some stars in the sky on a good clear day. When the scope slews to
its first alignment star, say Vega, it is way off when I can the star in
the sky. And because I cannot correct the slew sometimes, the bad
attempt fixes. Once, after "alignment", the scope happily informed me
that Jupiter was below the horizon when it was high up in the sky!!
Basically I've spent hours
outside trying to get the scope aligned and seen objects rise and set
behind trees. I think 80% of the time I am with this scope is spent
figuring out what is wrong with it.
This second scope was sent back to Meade. The third scope surprise, surprise had a faulty GPS too. Now, Meade said that the latest firmware would solve the problem. I waited for that, and that didn't work. So I sent the third one back for a full refund.
Since then I have reverted to scopes which do not claim to auto-align for you. I find that one great thing about these older scopes is that you can manually slew the scope if necessary. With the LS6, you cannot. You are reliant on the controller and if that fails, the scope is not movable. Sure, you can try to force the scope to move, but it feels quite tight and I am not sure it's meant to do that.
Bottom line is this: the LS6 promises much, delivers little.
Buy Meade 0610-03-10 ETX -LS Telescope with ACF Lightswitch Technology Now
I bought a Meade LS-6 and it was delivered before Christmas 2009. Right out of the box the unit had a firmware read error and would not start up. Meade had me return the unit and promised to ship a new one immediately. I just received my new scope today, Jan 11, 2010. This new scope will not find GPS satellites. I am out in the middle of my back yard under clear skies. My Meade LX200-GPS is sitting 10 feet away and it finds GPS immediately. My hand held GPS finds 6 satellites with strong signals in under 30 seconds. But my brand new LS-6 with the latest ver 1.3 software will not find GPS. How sad.This leads me to the following conclusions:
1. Meade is manufacturing a lot of junk. What are the odds that I would get 2 defective scopes unless the factory is simply manufacturing a lot of garbage?
2. Meade has no testing or quality control. It is one thing to make junk but how can you possibly ship these units to a customer? They did not even bother to turn the units on. This is inexcusable.
3. Meade customer service is terrible. They do not accept Email so I wrote them 2 paper letters regarding the first scope. I did not even get the courtesy of a response. Of course you have to wait 5-6 days before you realize that you've been ignored.
I have been a Meade customer for 20 years and I will never buy another one of their products. This is a company that has a manufacturing facility that is simply out of control and they simply don't care.
Read Best Reviews of Meade 0610-03-10 ETX -LS Telescope with ACF Lightswitch Technology Here
Great product idea but very poor implementation. Customer support is a nightmare. The telescope came with a defective firmware. I spent many hours and even days researching online for a solution with no success. The customer support refused to send a replacement before "troubleshooting" is done. They promised to send a replacement firmware maybe a dosen times, and never did. I bought the scope in December 2009 and there still no solution and no help from Meade, more than half a year later. Over $1500 spent on a non-working product. Shame on them and buyers beware!Want Meade 0610-03-10 ETX -LS Telescope with ACF Lightswitch Technology Discount?
I have been stargazing since 1996, and I own 2 other telescopes from 2 different manufactures, so I've been around and I know what good telescope is capable of. The 6" optics on this ETS-LS will provide you with plenty of objects to view, its a perfect size for easy transport too. I had the fortune of owning the ETX-LS 6 ACF and I enjoyed the scope so much, I eventually upgraded to its bigger brother; the LS 8 ACF. I have no doubt that the newer LS 6 ACF has matured into a wonderful unit capable of a lifetime of stargazing. The ETX-LS 6 ACF had wonderful optics, and as a primary visual stargazer, that was extremely important. Go for the ACF optics, I have visually compared side by side with standard scopes, and I really like the ACF, it has tighter star images to me. The GOTO worked wonderfully for me, I even interfaced it with a number of freeware programs such as Stellarium, to permit me to select objects on my computer and have the scope slew to them, a super feature. I routinely placed objects within the field of view of a 14mm eyepiece once I did a sync to a deepsky object, and type of accuracy is very good. The intermittant GPS issues have been resolved by Meade with the latest firmware. And even though I did experience some of the GPS issues with early firmware, to me it wasn't even a big deal when it had no GPS fix. Once you entered in your date, time, city, it would slew to the first star, you center it, press Enter, and go to the next. Thats all that is involved even in the manual alignment. The bottom line is that there will be times that you will want to do a manual alignment, such as when your views are blocked or in my case, when your doing some sidewalk astronomy and there are just too many lights or buildings around. That was one bit of misinformation out there at the initial release of these scopes, that if you didn't get a auto-alignment, your done. Well, that is simply not true. I have done almost all my alignments with auto, but a few with manual just to test and like I previously said, sometimes it will be the preferred method.The Astronomer Inside was a very fun, and downright educational tool. I must admit, I wasn't expecting that to be of much use for me, with some years of stargazing underneath my belt. But it proved downright fun and informative, and a great "wow" from first time stargazers during the times I took the scope out to public events. There is one recommendation that I will make to you considering this scope, get a external power supply like a PowerTank. Running off of batteries just doesn't cut it much, you will drain them very quickly. Also, if your going to use your scope at home, get a AC adapter too.
I have always recommended a 6" scope to those looking to get into astronomy, or those looking for a 2nd scope. The ETX-LS, and now the LS 6 ACF, has matured to a wonderful scope capable of a lifetime of happy stargazing.
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Kodak DC280 2MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom
I am a photographic and computer enthusiast and having these two elements come together is a delight for me. So, I have all the very expensive stuff, including KODAK's $20m commercial digital cameras. So, I know what quality is and how much it costs. Bottom-Line as starters, the DC280 makes great color shots with very suprising Hi-detail. The Advertisments say "good" for 8x10 photos, however, as a very picky guy, when you get past 5x7 print sizes, the pictures start to turn fuzzy. But the 5x7 prints are shockingly clear with brilliant colors. But, so what, how many prints does one make larger than 5x7 anyway. This camera is easy to use & small, and I carry it on vacation locations, when I don't want to carry my larger and heavier commercial camera. I was truly shocked at the excellent picture quality of the 280. ALSO, KODAK includes great software, so after a picture taking day/nite, one can easily connect to the yellow video plug on your TV (or Hotel TV) for a slide show of the days activities. I would recommend purchasing a 64MB memory card with the camera purchase, so you'll get plenty of picture opportunities (75+ shots) without having to worry about using up memory. In other words, since you can erase shots you don't like, take MANY, MANY shots and pick the best ones you like for printing or e-mailing. I bring my laptop with me on trips, so in the evening, I can copy the photo-files to the hard disk, and erase the camera memory card, in preparation for the next days photo activities. KODAK provides serial, USB cables, and software to accomplish this simply. Definitely do NOT buy a digital camera with less than 2,000,000 pixels. (The older models, presently having good sale prices, are technology of 2/3 years ago, and you'll wish you spent the extra money for this camera). Since KODAK has been the color business for 100 years, (well...50+years) its no surprise that they have created an electronic imager (the CCD Chip) with the BEST Color quality and detail. This is a must have, you'll not be dissappointed. If you have another few hundred dollars, check out the SONY or OLYMPUS dye-sublimation printers, which produce actual photo quality continuous tone prints up to 4x5 sizes; These printers are not dot-matrix's with all the little dots. The camera and the printer makes for a great combo family gift for under $2m, that anyone in the family can use without having to even turn on a computer, as the printer prints directly off the camera memory card. SO that you don't make yourself craze, and since its slightly different than a typical film point and shoot camera, be sure to read the instruciton booklet, before pushing all the buttons. The documentation KODAK gives you is very easy to understand, so take it slow when you open the Box for the first time. It's so intuitive to use, after the first 2 outings, you NOT need to keep going back to the booklets. JLW/991203.
Buy Kodak DC280 2MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom Now
Although it sometimes feels like we're all still beta testing various digital imaging technologies, including digital cameras, products like the Kodak DC280 make me believe the "dark ages" might be coming to an end.This is a good mid-range digital camera, perfect for those who want to capture images that will look very good on the Web. The biggest plus of the camera is image quality; this is the best camera in this price range that I tested, with two-megapixel resolution. Having quite a bit of hands-on experience with various Sony cameras, I and my partner were actually stunned by how clear the DC280's images were in a variety of lighting conditions.
There is very little to complain about in terms of interface and usability. I scanned the manual, and then just started using the DC280. The menu system and buttons are quite intuitive. One minor quibble is that one is pretty much forced to use the DC280's viewfinder left-eyed; otherwise the LCD screen smudge factor so common to digital camera will rear its ugly head. However, I use the LCD for the majority of my shooting, so this isn't a huge factor.
The DC280 uses a USB connection to transfer images to your computer. The camera mounts as if it were a hard drive, and one can preview large thumbnails of images before copying them over to your hard drive. While I was able to open the images directly into Photoshop, Fireworks couldn't get into the camera; this may have been a problem with how I have my file associations set up, however.
The camera comes with a number of features and extras. The bundled software, Adobe's PhotoDeluxe and Pagemill, are more than adequate for editing images and creating Web pages. Various simple visual effects and borders can be applied in-camera, and you can run a slide-show right out of the camera using the supplied video cable.
The DC280 includes four rechargeable AA batteries, a recharger, and four AA alkaline batteries. You can get started right out of the box. My camera sucked the alkalines dry after about 50 photos and a couple of downloads; I would suggest buying an extra set of rechargeables to carry around with you, and an AC adaptor.
This is not the perfect camera for all applications. For one thing, there are few manual controls on the camera for focus, aperture or shutter priority, and the optical zoom limited to 2X. This will mean that photo enthusiasts might want to look at something the next step up, such as the wacky-looking Nikon Coolpix 950. As others have reported, low-light shooting is not at the quality that one would hope for from a camera at this level.
All-in-all, the DC280 is an excellent camera for the price, perfect for Web photos.
Read Best Reviews of Kodak DC280 2MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom Here
With this camera, you will get great colors on your screen. I tryed the same picture with the three different qualities and with all I got excellent pictures. It has all the basic features you might need in any camera. It has a good zoom, the 'physical zoom' is not that good, then I discovered the digital zoom which is great.It consumes a lot of batteries, but you have more than enough with the rechargable batteries and of course, the battery charger included in the camera. I bought an additional charger because I never found that the camera came with its own, so don't buy another charger.
I'm more than satisfied with the 8MB flash card. It is true that you can only take 12 pictures with the highest resolution (1800x1600) and higest quality, but with standard resolution(800x600) and the medium quality you still have very good pictures and can get about 52 pictures, which is good for a weekend. If you have a long trip and don't have a pc to download the pictures, then you might consider another flash card.
BAD THINGS: It weights a little bit more than a traditional camera of the same size, but still, it's much better that other big cameras. It doesn't come with a camera bag. You have to buy it appart.
In summary, a great camera.
Want Kodak DC280 2MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom Discount?
I finally upgraded from my original 2 year old Digital Camera a Casio 5000SX that was great except for a poorly designed battery door. The Kodak DC280 Zoom is better in every category clarity, features, memory capability, analog zoom, except for one the delay in the time from pressing the shutter until it snaps the picture. Keep in mind, that the processing time is quite fast the Kodak is ready to take your next picture quite quickly, thanks to some in-memory processing, but the delay from when you click the button until the action is captured is quite lengthy. I find it nearly impossible to get good action shots with this camera. For example, I take quite a few pictures of sand volleyball on my weekends. Only the highest flyers the guys that can jump out of the sand and hang like Vince Carter were captured in the air, and only with me clicking the shutter button at least 2-3 seconds *before* they jumped. However, if you don't have to take a lot of action shots, well this this is an excellent camera for the money for both amateur and professional alike.Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD (Body Only)
Summary:Outstanding (absolutely stunning) image quality, especially in low light and difficult lighting (high dynamic range) situations
19 point-and-shoot auto modes great for beginners new to D-SLR
Extremely easy-to-use menu system
No compromises feature set not stripped of high-end features
Bright vari-angle screen with LiveView for hard-to-reach shots, but don't consider this a replacement for the viewfinder for most situations
Nice compact body easier to travel
D5000 vs. Nikon D60:
Dramatic improvement in low-light and difficult light image quality
Improved auto white balance (but still not perfect)
Slightly bigger (taller and deeper) body, slightly heavier
11 autofocus points, 3D matrix metering, Auto D-Lighting
Faster continuous shot performance (4fps vs 3)
Up to 63 JPEG/11 RAW images in continuous burst mode (the D60 can capture up to 100 JPEG/9 RAW images)
RAW+JPG with choice of JPEG compression
Full feature set including bracketing
13 additional auto / scene presets
Additional in-camera editing including perspective control and fisheye
Slightly smaller viewfinder, but adds optional grid line support
LiveView with HD Movie Mode
Multi selector supports diagonal movement instead of 4 directions
Quiet shooting mode reduces shutter noise in quiet situations
support for optional Nikon GPS unit
HDMI output
same outstanding 18-55VR kit lens
D5000 vs. Nikon D90:
Equivalent image quality, altho D5000 tends to underexpose capturing all detail vs. D90 tendency to overexpose high contrast shots
D5000 LiveView mode adds subject tracking
Easy to use auto / scene presets along with context sensitive help
More sophisticated interval shooting and time-lapse mode
Additional in-camera editing including perspective control and fisheye
Significantly more compact, lighter body
No autofocus motor in body for older or more professional lenses
No top LCD; must use back display to review settings
No depth of field preview
Lower resolution screen than D90 but vari-angle allows you to compose hard-to-reach shots
Slightly slower continuous shot performance (4fps vs 4.5)
Up to 63 JPEG/11 RAW images can be captured in continuous burst mode (the D90 burst is limited to 25 JPEG/7 RAW images)
Quiet shooting mode reduces shutter noise in quiet situations
.78x Pentamirror viewfinder vs. the D90's brighter .94x Pentaprism
Single command dial means more access to Menu for changing settings
Built-in flash cannot command external flash units with Nikon Creative Lighting System
No option for extra battery grip
Kit lens only 18-55VR vs 18-105VR
D5000 adds Airflow Control System in addition to dust reduction system
Better value, especially body only
Detailed Review:
Having bought my first D-SLR (a Nikon D60) last November, I was intrigued with the announcement of the D5000. At the time of my D60 purchase, I was considering the D90, but after holding both in person, I chose the D60 for its the much smaller form factor, lighter weight, and much lower price tag. I have been largely happy with the D60, although its low-light performance while dramatically better than my old point-and-shoot camera still wasn't fantastic.
Given the D5000 uses the same sensor and imaging sensor as the D90, but in a smaller lighter case, I decided to upgrade. And I must say I'm exceptionally pleased with the D5000.
What is to like over the D60?
1) Stunning Image Quality even in Low Light, without a tripod or fast lens
The D5000 takes exceptional pictures, especially in low-light and in challenging lighting scenarios. The D5000 is the first camera I've owned that can take a picture at night and capture everything (and in some cases more than) my eye sees. And this is in Automatic mode (flash off), without a tripod, using an average-speed (f3.5-f5.6) Nikon VR lens. Truly impressive.
I went back and took the same night shots in the same settings with the same Nikon 16-85 VR lens and the results are noticeably better on the D5000 vs my D60. The difference between the D5000 and D60 is almost as dramatic (in low light) as the difference between my D60 and point-and-shoot camera. I've posted a few example images to illustrate.
Images captured even at ISO 1600 have exceptional detail and very low noise. Even when you zoom to 100% the D5000 renders these tough shots beautifully.
Highlights are controlled and not blown-out, while even low-contrast areas of the picture are captured.
2) Ability to capture details in challenging light, automatically
The D5000's ability to capture all details of an image, even at night, with areas of highly contrasting lighting is even more impressive than it's low-light performance. As some have noted, the D5000 has a tendency to slightly underexpose these pictures to preserve detail. (The D90 tends to over-expose these shots, illustrating that the D5000 is not entirely a "D90 in a small case".)
In one example (posted to the customer images), a night-shot of the famous Castro Street theater the D5000 captured the bright neon signs, architectural lighting of the facade, and even the mosaic tile and billboards in the very dimly-lit entry. All again in automatic mode, no tripod, F3.8 ISO 800. When I post the sample pictures they will tell the story better than I could ever describe.
I can only think that this performance is related to a combination of improvements over the D5000: 11 autofocus points, 3D matrix metering, next-generation Active D-Lighting, latest Nikon EXPEED processor.
3) No-compromises feature set that is still easy to use for the beginner
One thing that annoyed me about the D60 was its lack of some features (eg. bracketing) intended to "dumb the camera down". The D5000 has every control you would ever want, yet its menu system remains extremely easy to use even for a beginner.
Example features the D5000 offers that are not available on the D60:
RAW-JPG ability to select JPEG quality (Std,Basic,Fine)
bracketing (useful for HDR post-processing)
and I'm sure there are many others I have missed.
The D5000 also includes a number of additional SCENE modes (a total of 19) for the beginner used to point-and-shoot simplicity. Everything from Night Landscape, Sunset, Food, Pet Portrait, Sports, and more.
4) Useful Live View and Vari-Angle Display for those hard-to-reach shots
A first for Nikon, the D5000 includes a "vari-angle" articulated LCD. Despite the specs on paper (230,000 pixels vs the 920,000 pixels on the D90) the screen quality is outstanding very bright and easy to see even in sunshine.
Using the Live View mode, you can take pictures in hard-to-reach angles such as above a crowd, or looking up from a low angle, or taking a self-portrait. What doesn't work so well in Nikon's implementation is that the hinge is on the bottom of the camera, so if you're using a tripod your choices are limited.
New to the D5000 LiveView (not on the D90) is subject tracking, which keeps focus on a moving subject within the frame.
As others have pointed out, the D5000 LiveView autofocus performance is very slow. The more that I have used it, I must say that LiveView performance is probably worse than your point-and-shoot camera. Some other owners on the Nikon forums have reported complete failure of LiveView autofocus, although on my D5000 it works.
As it is, I compose 99% of my shots in the viewfinder, which gives you the super-fast response of a DSLR in the first place. For me the ability to use LiveView in hard-to-reach situations is a nice feature.
What could be improved?
Well, first of all, the video is more of a marketing idea the sound is monoral, you can't change auto-focus once you start recording, and the video has the infamous "jelly effect" when moving from side to side
Although the case is much smaller than the D90, it's still over 1/4" taller than my D60, and doesn't feel nearly as comfortable in my hands.
The tilting screen is great, but the bottom-hinge design is of limited effectiveness when using a tripod.
Live View autofocus is very slow for a D-SLR (even worse in some situations than a compact digital camera)
Auto White Balance just doesn't get it right with certain lighting. But it's easy enough to correct with a custom white balance (if you have the time when taking the shot) or post-processing the RAW image. I just don't understand why my $300 Canon SD870 does auto-white balance so much better.
All in all, however, the outstanding image quality especially in low-light, and features offset the very minor areas that could be improved. For that, the D5000 gets my 5-star vote.
So I just wont send it to repair until it fails, crossing fingers here though. Anyway if it ever presents a problem I will just send it to Nikon since it has full warranty and Nikon's policies are to repair the unit no matter the time or when it fails, could be a lot of time, they will repair it fast for free.
Ok now to performance, this camera performs as good as the D300 or D90 step up brothers IQ wise. High ISO performance is top notch, a few reviews over the net show that it has less noise than D300.
This little consumer grade camera will do just about everything than other more expensive DSLR's. Like full manual settings, high exposure shots, D-Lighting, in camera editing, etc, etc.
The little screen is just perfect, the size and weight too. The menu is user friendly, everything it has looks like a true 2009 model. 5 stars, cant find a flaw.
This camera lacks an integrated autofocus motor, but that feature is for use of older lenses and some exotic ones. So it has 87 variety of Nikon and aftermarket lenses to choose from,
that is one of the reasons I bought this camera, saving money discarding a feature that I wont ever use since Iam new to phootgraphy and Iam just starting making my own lens collection, with only new AF-S type of lenses that come with their autofocus motor. It doesnt have a top LCD display but I really dont like them, they look old. They are usefull, but really not a need.
It has the video feature, wich it isnt as a camcorder quality but way better than a Cybershot, and its a DSLR so I wont go deeper about its video performance, wich anyway is HD 720p, for short clips is perfect.
The 4FPS continuous shot is quite good, not professional but works pretty good, almost no different or noticeable than the 4.5FPS on the D90.
The thing I like most, is the lightweight, coupled with my 70-300vr its ironic how light it is next to a ton of weight from other cameras with heavier lenses.
Cant go wrong with this little camera. This is a great choice if is your first DSLR, or if its your 2nd body. Because if you are serious about photography, for more money u can get a more solid, body with more features, that are usefull for the professional photographer. But for everyone else, this 12.3 MP sensor is the same as the D300 or D90. The Image quality brings a tear to the eye, Period!
Buy Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD (Body Only) Now
If you're looking at this camera, my guess is you've done your home work and figured out that if you want a good DSLR on a budget, your choice is pretty much down to D5000 or Rebel. I came to that conclusion fairly quickly but making that decision was not easy. On paper Canon had better specs for the price but both cameras looked close ...There are numerous reviews comparing those cameras. Most of them are long, detailed and come to the same conclusion both cameras are good not really helping much at the end. So here I'll try to keep it focused and tell about the key differences which helped me to set my mind.
1. Low light shooting. Recently I went to a party and a friend of mine gave me his Rebel. What I didn't realize before is in order to autofocus the Rebel needs to pop up flash and fire it a few times. Of course, it's not at full power, but still it ruins everything because you can't take a picture without distracting people. You catch some interesting face, point, shoot and those few flashes totally distract the person. Nikon has a white lamp, it's enough to focus but most people won't get distracted. So if you plan to take pictures of people in party like set up Nikon gives you an advantage. (well, to be fair you can get an external flash which has a lamp for autofocus assist, but we are talking about the cameras here)
2. Tilting LCD. Rebel has bigger and better LCD. However, I'm not a paparazzi, but time to time i need to shoot over a line of people in front of me (parades, street performance, small crowded room etc). With the tilting LCD you can raise the camera above your head and still be able to frame the picture. I found that very useful and Nikon has an advantage.
3. Extra preset modes. Probably like the most people I used to keep the dial on "Auto" most of the time. And it worked ok most of the time. But I never could quickly figure out how to take a picture of my daughter blowing birthday candles or perfect sunset or something white on white etc. So when I tried the extra "Scene" preset modes on Nikon, I was really surprised how much better can those pictures be comparing to the "Auto". Try them out and keep in mind Rebel doesn't have many of those modes.
4. Feel. Nikon has very solid feel in your hands. Maybe it's subjective, but I do like this feeling.
So overall, Rebel does have a lot of specs slightly better than Nikon. It's smaller, lighter, the screen is bigger and has better resolution, it has more megapixels. Yes, it's all nice to have but this is a choice between good and even better. However Nikon offers some things Rebel just doesn't have (see above). So I bought Nikon and feel happy about it.
A few side notes. The cameras are getting better and better and in a couple years you'll be able to buy a much better camera for the same price. The lenses and flashes on the other side are not changing much and hold value really well. So if you have a choice, try to buy the best lense (and for an expensive lense don't forget to buy a protective filter) and flash you can afford and maybe save some money on the body and upgrade it in a couple years if some new cool technology pops up.
Hopefully my review will help you to decide one way or another.I did a lot of research before I decided to go with D5000 including going to BestBuy and other camera stores and handling the camera to make sure it feels right. In the end I got the best deal through Amazon (even though a D5000 kit at Costco had an unbelievable deal). I choose not to buy a kit because I wanted specific lenses with the camera. I wanted one lens that I can travel with without the need to change lenses and another that I can use primarily in doors in low light conditions. I got the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM IF Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras lenses. I also got a Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and an Eye-Fi 4GB Pro SDHC Wireless Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-4PC to wirelessly upload pictures to my laptop (D5000 has built in support for Eye-Fi SDHC cards). Last week Eye-Fi came out with Eye-Fi 8GB Pro X2 SDHC Class 6 Wireless Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-8PC that has more features and almost the same price (bummer!). I also got UV filters for both lens to protect the expensive lens glass.
The cameras I compared before buying were, Nikon D90, D60, Canon Rebel iTL, xTi, etc.
I have used it for two weeks now with great results. Camera is very easy to use, I still have not looked through the manual and have been able to find advance setting easily. The auto-focus with both the lenses is very fast (faster if using the view-port than using LiveView). I still have not been able to find a camera case that I feel good with that is compact enough to easily carry around and I can get my essential accessories in.
One big factor for me for selecting this camera was the swivel lens. Being a big guy, I run into scenarios where I do not have clear line of sight to the subject I am capturing and have always wanted the ability to move the camera higher or away from my body to take great shots and the swivel LCD does a great job at it. My tipod mount has not had any problem with restricting the swivel movement, but I have seen it at a store, where the tripod mount was huge and restricted the LCD movement.
Again overall highly recommended camera.
Want Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD (Body Only) Discount?
Having had the D5000 for a few months now, and having used it with a few different lenses, I figured I'd better chime in here, in hopes of pushing this one's rating just a bit higher. It's certainly deserving. One of the reasons this camera got a bunch of bad reviews all over the place at first was because of the recall. Definitely a bummer. But by the time I received mine, the problem had been dealt with, and I received a perfectly working model. So how is it?In a word: fantastic. I've owned one other dSLR in my life, and it was a Canon, and it was a while ago. Needless to say, this was a HUGE step up for me.
In getting truly serious about my photography, this camera has been the tool I've dreamed of having for a long, long time. It's fast, light, takes wonderful pictures, and is reasonably priced to boot. The menu system is well laid out, and there's a very useful info button if you want the quick-and-dirty of what a particular setting does. I've used this camera with Nikon, Sigma, and Tamron lenses, and with all of them it has just performed seamlessly. Of course, now that I know everything there is to know about this camera, it only makes me want a D3X that much more. But parting with 7k for a camera is more than a little crazy, especially at my level.
So my parting advice is this: if you really, really know what you're doing, you'll probably be a little disappointed and somewhat limited by this camera. While it does an admirable job at higher ISO's, it's no $7000 camera. In fact it's no $3000 camera. Meaning that you will see noise at the higher settings, plain and simple.
But if you're not expecting miracles, then this little gem of a camera might just surprise you with a few.
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