Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER

Customer Ratings:

As a serious amateur, I've been fortunate enough to own a number of point and shoots including Panasonic, Fuji, several Nikon's, & a couple of Canon's. All have had their strong points and I'm not a brand loyalist by any means, but after a couple of weeks, I must say I absolutely love this camera.

My first impressions were ones of pleasant shock. The camera seemed smaller than in the pictures and if it seemed smaller, it seemed doubly more so in terms of weight. Compared to my SLR this thing is an absolute lightweight but very well built and certainly heavier than the smaller 'in your pocket' point and shoots. A great balance...although I wouldn't want to drop it. Some strategically placed silicone on the housing would make this a bit more rugged without much if any impact on cost. Powerup is about as fast as you can bring the camera up to your face amongst the best of the point and shoots. Controls are easy to use and I like the mini joystick for making on the fly adjustments in manual and scene modes. The menus are fairly well laid out although some items I had to resort to the manual to find their location for the first time.

The iA or Intelligent Auto function gave consistently above par picture quality, although I was always able to tweak it better myself (this could have been as much preference as anything). The AVCHD and HD movies worked absolutely flawless with my Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]. (NOTE:Make sure you lowlevel format these SDHC cards a COUPLE of times BEFORE first use). I do wish that you could use the normal shutter release instead of the dedicated movie button on the back face when in movie mode. I kept forgetting and tried to stop the movies using the shutter button instead of the record button. Minor nuisance, but will be overcome as I get my brain wrapped around the change in button locations.

The battery worked well past 300 stills and about 35 clips, so I am very pleased with it with the LCD display being used for most of the shots. I purchase another spare battery;Lenmar DLP006 Lithium-ion Digital Camera/Camcorder Battery Equivelent to the Panasonic CGR-S006A Battery, also available here at Amazon, and it appears to be working about as well as the original Panasonic (a great buy). The EVF or Electronic View Finder was very handy, although most of the overlaid information is very hard to distinguish in the small EVF. I CAN'T BELIEVE PANASONIC DIDN'T INCLUDE A RUBBER BOOT FOR THE EVF! Please someone, anyone, make it as an accessory.

The EZ or Extra Zoom function is quite handy. Using this feature, you can shoot at lower resolutions and get more effective zooming power out of the camera...over 30x and it works very well. The LCD screen is clear and crisp, but its performance in high ambient light is about average. Thank goodness for the electronic view finder mentioned above.

Image stabilization is the absolute best amongst my camera collection and is especially noticeable in low light and full zoom. I was pleasantly surprised how well I could take indoor pictures at night with a simple tweak of the exposure. Far better than any of my other point and shoots, although nowhere near my SLR.

The standard 3picture burst mode was fairly standard and unimpressive, but the 10pics per second for speed priority and 6 pics per second in image priority burst mode worked well for catching difficult shots like geese landing on the water and children jumping out of swings, but I still wish the resolution and picture quality was better in these modes. Still, for a point and shoot, it's ability to catch the fast action is at the top of it's class.

The lens cap interferes with zoom, but the camera will kindly remind you that you have left it on with a 17,000 volt discharge...just kidding...it will tell you on the LCD screen.

UPDATE: A new megazoom runoff was conducted by Digital Photography Review in June of '07 and can be seen here: or you can cut to the results here:

To say the FZ35 stacked up well would be an understatement, but as they point out in the above review, you will likely not be disappointed with any of the other fine cameras in the pack. The review, however, will help you to pick one that works best for your needs and preferences. (I'm still super happy and winning contests with my amateur photos).

LIKES: Ease of use, picture quality, zoom and extra zoom, HD movie, lightweight, stop action. BEST Point and Shoot I've ever owned ! ! !

DISLIKES: (all minor) No eyepiece boot for EVF, lens cap interferes with zoom, tripod mount interferes with battery/memory door when in use. Only 10 sec. max on the built in timer.

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PlayStation 4 Camera

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $59.96
Today's Bonus: $0.03 Off

I picked up the Playstation 4 Camera alongside my PS4 and it was the first thing I tried out.

After less than 24 hours it's clear that the camera has a lot of potential but is still missing a compelling gaming function. The Playroom set of minigames that come with the camera are made by Double Fine, and are a lot of fun but very very short. You won't get a ton of play out of them.

The really nice feature is the facial auto-login and tracking to see who is holding what controller. Very quick and seamless.

The sensor itself is only 720P, which is a bit of a disappointment, but its low light performance is surprisingly good. I used it with the lights off and just morning low light coming through the closed shades, and it seemed to report a much brighter room than the one I was sitting in. The image is fairly grainy, but it's definitely serviceable. Suspect the choice to go with a 720P sensor was so

they could make larger cells that absorb more light.

It also has a very wide field of vision. Definitely larger than the original Kinect.

Speaking of Kinect, the gesture recognition seems to be decent. You can wave at the Playroom robots and they wave back. But there isn't an app or anything that lets you see what the PS Camera is "seeing" as far as gesture detection so it's hard to really know. No kinect-like Skeleton overlay, at least none that I've found as yet.

Haven't used the camera for Twitch yet but I suspect that is its real draw. And it's high enough resolution that you should be able to do a PIP of your face while gaming and still be relatively recognizable.

Four stars for simply working well and being nice and compact. Much prefer this size for a camera, being able to tuck it under the lip of my TV stand on top of the Wii U sensor bar, than a large chunky footprint of my 360 Kinect, and eventually XB1 Kinect 2.0, both of which are just a bit too large for me aesthetically in my living room. I always put the Kinect camera away when I'm not using it because it just looks too big ... the Playstation 4 Camera is nice and unobtrusive and I can tuck its cord away to be nearly invisible. Considering motion gaming makes up about ... oh ... 0.0000003% of my Television time, making it small is a big thing to get me to leave it connected.

Would update to 5 stars if there is ever an actually compelling gaming reason to own the camera, but I'm getting it more for video chatting with friends and for the promise of future voice commands. But I can understand why most people would opt to skip the camera for now ... there isn't a huge reason to get it yet.

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Panasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 Lens for Panasonic

Customer Ratings:

This is a wonderful addition to my Oly PL 5 camera. Attached and unopened, it is a very compact lens, which allows the camera to slip into a coat pocket, ready to take beautiful pictures in an instant.

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Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image

Customer Ratings:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Yamaha RX-V673 7.2-Channel Network AV Receiver

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $649.95
Sale Price: $399.95
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

While others have delivered much praise for the Yamaha RX-V673 receiver, I wanted to build on their collective comments with my own findings. The intent is to share my experience with the hope it may help others make a decision on whether the RX-V673 is right for them.

In 1999 I purchased a Yamaha RX-V1000 receiver, which I've been very happy with for the last thirteen+ years. My wife and I recently purchased a new 60" Samsung flat screen television and I learned the advantages of utilizing the HDMI connection to the new television. One problem: my old RX-V1000 doesn't have HDMI connections because it's badly outdated. So I began researching receivers and, like my original search back in 1999, I found the features that I'm looking for and the quantity of favorable reviews all pointed me back to Yamaha.

So I purchased the RX-V673. When it arrived, I spent time setting it up, getting it configured, and exploring everything it had to offer. I now have educated experience and agree with the majority of reviews. This receiver is an outstanding piece of equipment that performs exceptionally well and has an amazing amount of features and capabilities.

With all that stated, I want to share some observations and advice I think might help others.

The best way to make use of this receiver is to be prepared to do some homework. You can pull it out of the box, plug a network cable in, and then attach all your components. When you fire it up, you'll probably find things will be working, but this is really just the start. The best way to utilize this receiver to its fullest extent is to become familiar with the documentation. The documentation is actually written well and does a good job of explaining all the features and customizations that can be made. I'm a technical writer by profession and found the documentation to be well thought out and easy to follow.

Be aware, the receiver does not come with printed documentation. Documentation is supplied on a CD with the receiver.

Before receiving the receiver, I'd suggest downloading two documents from the Yamaha website. (If you can't login to Yamaha's website, these documents can be located elsewhere on the Internet.) Go to Google and search for RX-V673. The first link should be the product page on Yamaha's website. Link this page, if you think you might be interested in purchasing the receiver. Click on the Support leaf and this will take you to a page with all the documentation. Download to your computer or tablet the following PDF documents:

RX-V673 Owner's Manual

RX-V673 Quick Guide

These two documents offer everything you'll need to get the receiver set up and configured. You'll also need a list of manufacturer codes to program your existing remote(s) into the Yamaha remote, but this is contained on the CD supplied with the receiver.

You'll want to have these documents ready when you install the receiver. I found it best to download them to my Kindle tablet. I reviewed the quick start guide first and spent an hour or so skimming the entire user manual. This made installing and configuring the receiver much easier. When the receiver came, I was already equipped with the documentation and familiar with the equipment setup and configuration.

If you have legacy equipment to connect to the receiver, the RX-V673 is generously stocked with inputs on the rear panel to accommodate many of these devices. This is something that made this receiver an advantage over others. The RX-V673 supports one optical input and many phono audio and video inputs. It does not support S-video inputs. I have three devices that need a phono audio and video connection. The receiver only supplies enough connectivity for two of these devices. Consider each device you'll want to connect to the receiver and review the available inputs to ensure the receiver has not only the connections to support each of your devices, but also the quantity of inputs you'll need.

If you have a turntable, the RX-V673 does not come with a phono preamp. You'll need to purchase one separately. Phono preamps are pretty cheap, unless you want a high-end, audiophile preamp. You can expect to pay between $25 and $50 for one, which plugs in line with your existing turntable phono plugs.

During the setup process, the RX-V673 utilizes a YPAO autocalibration feature using a supplied microphone. This works very well, although, for me, I found it helpful to rely on my own ears and walk through the audio calibration myself. This process is actually not difficult at all, once you get used to the GUI. The GUI displayed on the television is very easy and intuitive (in my opinion, I know others have said otherwise) and I had no problem fine tuning the settings made by the YPAO feature. You don't have to go this far. The YPAO feature does a fine job on its own and you can certainly rely solely on this, if you choose.

One of the features I found most striking was the net radio stations. I had no idea there were so many fantastic stations available. There are thousands in multiple genres. The audio quality is fantastic and accessing these stations is easy. I find while I watch TV, when a commercial comes on, I press the Net button on the remote, which switches me immediately to the last Internet radio station I was listening to. I can listen to a station I like while watching the television and wait for the commercial to end. When it ends, I press TV on the remote and it immediately switches me back to what I was watching. Pandora and other network audio applications are also available as are network audio servers I have configured on other computers. I have two other laptops and was stunned to see the receiver showed these as available immediately, without me even knowing I was able to access them. I was thrilled!

The remote supplied with the unit is a helpful companion, but not an effective way to manage other remotes. My old RX-V1000 had a much better remote that enabled me to collapse my other remotes into it. This remote doesn't allow that, so you'll either have to learn to live with multiple remotes or purchase a universal remote, such as a Logitech Harmony.

Yamaha supplies an excellent free app for the RX-V673 that works great on my Kindle. A similar app is also available for the Apple. The Kindle app can be found in the Amazon App Store under Yamaha AV Controller App. The app provides access to many of the features the remote manages and also unlocks a few more, such as bass and treble adjustments. This app isn't just a glorified remote, it provides powerful abilities from a remote location and its control over the receiver is instantaneous.

For example, the RX-V673 provides the ability to set up a zone 2 listening environment. I want to have speakers in my office/living area the floor below the living room where the receiver is installed. While in the lower level of my home, I can be in my office downstairs and use the Kindle to access the receiver and tell it to play music through zone 2. I can select a source, such as Net radio, music from my server, etc., and control this music while I'm downstairs. Keep in mind, this can be accomplished while someone is watching television or listening to music in zone 1 (the family room upstairs). The only limitation is that both zones cannot play a different Net radio, Pandora, or Rhapsody station at the same time. This is a very powerful feature. Without the app control on the Kindle, I'd have to walk upstairs to the family room, turn on the receiver, and get things set up for zone 2. The Kindle app works flawlessly! The GUI is great and it's easy to understand and operate.

From a sonic environment standpoint, Yamaha seems to have greatly enhanced the quality of sound in their integration of various acoustical environments. The RX-V673 comes equipped with multiple proprietary environments sampled from the original locations, such as The Bottom Line, Roxy Theatre, Vienna symphony hall, an athletic sports arena, and many more. My old Yamaha receiver had this, but its implementation wasn't so convincing, so I never used it. The RX-V673 *is* convincing--convincing enough that I used it to watch the AFC Championship game using the Sports setting. The entire room filled with the sound of the stadium with the commentator's voice pushed to only the center channel. I could hear people all around me. It was an amazing sonic experience. During commercials, I put on Net radio, which was preset to the Roxy Theatre setting, and it sounded fantastic.

This RX-V673 is so loaded with features and customizable settings, I'm finding new features and uses each time I sit down and explore its capabilities. Network AV receivers are certainly a thing of the present--a modern-day tool that has expanded its use as technology has evolved.

My advice is to do your homework on this receiver and you'll more easily be able to customize it to your liking. I've found its performance to be excellent and its features outstanding. It has allowed me to easily integrate my existing setup and has given me vision on how to expand my sonic enjoyment throughout my home (with a zone 2 setup and use of network streaming media utilizing Airplay). I couldn't be happier with my selection and heartily recommend it to anyone shopping for a network AV receiver.

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Logitech HD Portable 1080p Webcam C615 with Autofocus

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $54.68
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is no doubt an excellent webcam with some fine features, including 1080p HD video recording, 720p HD video calling, autofocus, and full swivel, for which I rate it five stars. Sadly, I'm among those few for whom it isn't a good choice, for reasons that will become clear below. I'll post these comments about that for others who might profit from them, along with a suggestion for those for whom this webcam is a good choice.

System requirements

If your computer is relatively new, say three years old or less, you probably have no reason to worry about system requirements. However, those with older computers still running the software they were designed to work best with may not be able to use this device's advanced features, or if you have an even older fossil like I do, you might not be able to use it at all. For some reason, when I chose this camera the system requirements weren't given on the main Amazon product page as they usually are. Amazon has now posted them, under the heading Compatibility.

For software, you have to be running Windows XP (SP2 or higher), Windows Vista or Windows 7, or Mac OS 10.5 or higher. (The info Logitech supplied for Amazon says Mac OS 10.5 is required, but the Logitech website says 10.4.9 or higher will work, at least for some functions, as pointed out in a comment to this review. If you have a Mac you can find your operating system number by clicking on About This Mac in the menu under the Apple logo. I'm still running OS 10.3.9 myself, and love its stability--never crashes even under heavy use.)

To use only the basic functions of this webcam the hardware requirements include a 1 GHz or faster processor, 512 MB RAM, and a USB port, with USB 2.0 recommended. That last recommendation matters--if you only have USB 1.1 (12 Mb/second), your ability to stream video will be restricted to what you could do with cheaper, non-HD webcams. (Mac users can check their hardware using the About This Mac function mentioned above.)

To use the full functions of this webcam, including 720p video calling and 1080p video recording, you need a 2.4 GHz or faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB RAM, a USB 2.0 port, and high-speed internet (for HD calling or other HD streaming) of 1 Mbps upload speed or higher. (My trusty old PowerBook doesn't have any of those features except compatibility with high-speed internet.) If your system doesn't meet all those requirements, you're better off getting a cheaper webcam and not paying for the advanced features of this one.

A suggestion

Logitech has an older webcam, their premium model C910, that has the advanced features of this one plus built-in dual mikes for stereo sound recording (the C615 only records in mono), 10 MP still photos (only 8 MP for the C615, though in practice that's not a big difference--8 is enough!) and a high-quality Zeiss lens (the C615 has high-quality glass but not Zeiss, which has a reputation for the highest quality). Right now the C910 is only a few bucks more than this one, so you might want to consider it as well. It does lack the folding and swivel features of this one (the C910 only swivels vertically), which are pretty cool for some uses. The system requirements are almost exactly the same. (According to the info here at Amazon the C910 will work with Mac OS 10.4.11 or higher, while the C615 requires 10.5 or higher, but the Logitech website says 10.4.9 or higher will work for both, though it also says only the C910 is officially supported by Mac OS. If you own an earlier version of 10.4, the upgrade to 10.4.11 is free at the Apple website, by the way.) (Edit: Amazon has dropped the price of the C615, so now the gap in price with the C910 is more substantial, but it will probably tighten up again.)

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Canon PowerShot SX150 IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $249.00
Sale Price: $119.99
Today's Bonus: 52% Off

First, let me say that while I am not a professinal photographer, I do earn some money from photographing weddings and other events for friends and acquaintences, and consider myself to be an advanced user and photography enthusiast. I shoot primarily with Canon DSLRs and was looking for a compact camera to supplement my current photography equipment. The Canon PowerShot XS150 IS is a very nice compliment to my gear and overall, I am pleased with it.

Canon has produced a very good alternative for the compact camera market in its PowerShot XS150 IS platform. The camera boasts a 14MP picture size with 12x optical zoom capability and the camera delivers. The XS150 IS is a little larger and heavier than most compact cameras but is of quality construction and durable. The case is molded plastic and has a very ergonomic design with specific places to rest your fingers and thumb for one-hand operation. All the controls can be operated with the right hand while holding the camera.

The picture quality is very good. Canon's processor provides vivid colors and impressive clarity for a compact design. The large viewing screen is impressive and easy to see, even in bright sunlight. The controls are easy to use and placed such that they won't be accidentally changed. The controls in the on-screen menu are easy to use and, if you're familiar with Canon's menu system, you'll be able to start shooting right away. Those that aren't familiar with Canon should read the manual, but even then, the menu selections and control layout are very intuitive and easy to use.

The camera provides a lot of special shooting features that can be used not only for still photography, but also for the video recording. There's an "easy shooting" mode for those that want to pick up the camera and start shooting right away, allowing the camera to make all the decisions about ISO, white balance, focus, etc. There are scene and filter shooting modes that allow the photographer to select a style for their photos (monochrome, color accent, color replacement, miniature mode, macro, smile and face detection, beach and snow scenes, fireworks, etc.). For those that want more control over their photography, the camera does offer shooting modes in Manual, Program, Aperture and Shutter Priority.

The movie feature works well and provides decent HD video that can be copied directly from the SD card to your computer. The movie feature is a nice function, but keep in mind that this camera is not a movie camera, so don't expect Hollywood quality from it, but it's nice enough to document short events for display on HD TVs and the web. The stereo sound for the movie function is quite good as well, but the microphones will pick up the sound of the zoom lens motor whirring if you use the zoom feature while shooting video. The lens motor sound can probably be minimized or eliminated in some video or sound editing programs such as Adobe Premier, DVD Studio Pro, or Soundbooth, etc.

The flash is a little different for this camera. It's centered over the telescoping lens but is manually activated (you have to lift the flash open with your finger) to turn on the auto-flash feature. While this may seem like an annoyance at first, it's actually not a bad feature, just different; and it prevents that annoying "pop-up" of the flash when you really don't want flash but the camera's sensors require it.

The XS150 IS is a little larger and heavier than most other compact cameras but is still very portable. The weight and size are detemined mostly by the fact that the camera uses two AA batteries, and the size of the lens for this camera. Still it's a small camera for what it can do and will easily fit into a cargo pocket or purse, or in a case that can be worn on a belt or attached to a backpack.

The only real complaint I have about the camera is the battery life with alkaline AA batteries (this is why I rated it 4 stars instead of 5). While it's nice to have a camera that accepts a common battery type (AA) that can be purchased almost anywhere in the world, I would recommend getting the rechargeable NiMH AA batteries because the battery life for alkiline AA batteries seems to be a little short, especially if you're going to shoot video.

Overall, this is a great compact camera and it will meet most user's needs especially if they are looking for a camera that provides a lot of shooting features in a small package with HD video and is easy to learn to use. I highly recommend it.

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Nikon 4809 SB-910 Speedlight Supplied with; AS-21 Speedlight

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $549.95
Sale Price: $499.95
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

I was a bit surprised when I saw Nikon had introduced the SB-910 relatively quickly given the old SB-800 was around for longer when the SB-900 introduced so my suspicion is they got very tired of dealing with the overheating issues that the SB-900 had. Granted for many people those issues were not THAT big of a deal since believe me, having to wait 10 minutes for a flash to cool down during an automatic "time out" is far better than frying your flash; however, for pros who are about to take that picture of a ring being put on a finger, or the first kiss, etc. this is a very big deal and the SB-910 addresses that.

Physically, you can't tell the two apart unless you look closely. The color correction gels on the 910 are also hard and better built. Internally, the 910 takes much longer to overheat and when it does, it slows down the flash rate (not sure about power) instead of just shutting down. I had fun playing with this flash (I don't own it yet since my current SB-800 is more than good enough) but if I were to buy one today, this would be it.

Who should get this?

If you do many events where power is important (bouncing lights off ceiling), rapid recycles, etc. get this.

If you do a lot of off camera CLS work, get this.

If you have an SB-900, I'd probably hold off.

If you have an SB-800 and don't need the easier controls, hold off.

If you have an SB-600 and need more power or a flash commander, get this.

If you have an SB-700 and need more power get this.

If you're just an average shooter who uses flash now and then at the kids' party or as fill flash here or there or just want an commander, the SB-700 is good enough.

If you're strapped for cash and don't need a commander, find a nice used SB-600...possibly used SB-800 if you can find it at $300ish, get that.

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Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x Photo/Laptop Backpack (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $419.95
Sale Price: $312.68
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

I got this backpack as a Father's Day present. I'd been looking for a large backpack to combine the camera gear and the laptop, and this seemed like an ideal bag to carry all my stuff for the weekend getaways.

Unfortunately, my experience with the backpack did not survive the first encounter. I loaded the backpack up with my camera gear (2 D/SLRs, 5 lenses, three flashes, batteries and PSD and other gear) and the laptop. The total weight including the backpack itself was 30.2lb. The first time I tried to heft up the pack to wear it, the top of the left strap began to tear from the bag. That was it. That was all it took to convince me to return it to Amazon. I'm sorry, if something as fundamental as the shoulder strap of the backpack can't hold the weight, then I have no confidence in the durability or the workmanship of the pack.

For those interested, I've uploaded a photo of the damaged strap.

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ViTiny Pro10 Portable Digital Microscope 10x - 200x

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $419.99
Sale Price: $295.98
Today's Bonus: 30% Off

This little jewel opens up the digital photography world to the next step past macro-photography. It is a handheld microscope camera with video capability. Unfortunately it is subject to the same optical physics that make a microscope difficult to operate focusing and depth of field. However, one has a two eyed view on a 2" x 2.5" screen on the back of the instrument rather than the microscope's small round lens. The screen upon activation tells you that it is a "Digital Mobile Microscope". While useful for field applications where it it difficult to bring the subject to the instrument, one is more likely to bring mobile subjects to the kitchen table or work desk.

The manual seems to be a machine translation from some undetermined source language and is therefore somewhat limited. It needs to be rewritten by an American who has learned to use it. However, once one figures out the basics and determines that the instrument is relatively rugged, most functions can be determined using a combination of paging through the manual and pushing buttons.

This instrument should find use among naturalists, (professional & amateur) forensic professionals and anyone interested in exploring and documenting the world below the limit of visual acuity. Buy it now and generate a demand for the next model with more features.

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Nero 12 Platinum

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $129.99
Sale Price: $53.99
Today's Bonus: 58% Off

Do NOT purchase this product. I purchased it from Nero's web site, as a download. I tried repeated (unsuccessful) installation attempts. Each displayed the number "1158" and no other error text. I then contacted Nero.

I responded immediately, and thoroughly, to their requests for information. Finally, after more than a week without resolution, I reluctantly requested instructions for obtaining a refund.

Nero's exact response was as follows: "Thank you for your e-mail. Please be advised that we are unable to offer a refund, as defined by our terms of trade. These terms were accepted with the purchase of Nero from our website ."

If you have doubts about this review, try searching "Nero error 1158" for countless similar complaints.

I previously owned Nero 7 Ultimate. It was a great product. However, the company has now slid so far downhill that they will not even provide a refund for a product that fails to install.

Following Nero's final response, I immediately contacted my credit card company. They (American Express) were wonderfully helpful. If you purchase the product anyhow, and encounter similar issues, I suggest you also contact your credit card company.

This is the first time I've seen a product that fails to install. Further, the one or two complaints I've had, in the past 25 years, have been dealt with professionally. Even companies consisting entirely of a single developer have responded more appropriately. To see a company, like Nero, behave so unprofessionally is truly disappointing...and unexpected.

I truly hope they revise their approach towards customer service and return to their previous excellence.

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Canon Matte Photo Paper, 8.5 x 11 Inches, 50 Sheets (7981A004)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $4.99
Today's Bonus: 75% Off

After getting the Canon i960 printer, I had to try this paper. One it was cheap. And two, the diverse reviews here intrigued me to no end. After making a few prints on this paper, I began to think I knew why the paper was so cheap...it was THAT bad!

Then, when I came to do a review, I fortunately read the one that cautioned printing on the right side of the paper. There was a right side? I then read the directions with the paper--there is indeed a right side, and it is whiter than the back. It will be hard for some to tell the difference. But the difference from printing on the right side and the wrong side is truly astounding! I'm a big glossy paper fan, but there is a nice look to this matte paper. And it is MUCH cheaper than the Photo Paper Pro. It is also much cheaper than buying greeting card paper.

But be aware, the money you save not buying more expensive photo paper will be going to buying more ink. Compared to glossy paper, this paper drinks ink. I've been making calendars with it, and was shocked to see the way the ink was consumed. Yet, I can't see making calendars with any paper than this. It makes beautiful calendars! I print a borderless 8x10 photo, using my Canon photo software on the bright white side, and a calendar page, using my calendar software, on the opposite side. The pages bind very easily with a 1/4 inch plastic binding comb. And as I said, it makes a strikingly beautiful photo calendar.

Thus, if you have only one type of Canon paper on hand, I would have this one. But if you can't give up the glossy look for photos, it won't work for you. Personally, I prefer using Kodak paper when making glossy prints on my Canon. And Kodak has a satin finished paper, but there is the Kodak name all over the back. One of the great things about this Canon paper is you can print on both sides. But do make certain you know the front from the back, before printing a photo.

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Sony Cybershot DSCT300/B 10.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical

Customer Ratings:

Lets get to the bottom line:

The Good:

This camera takes excellent pictures as a response to CNET and other reviewers who note that the DSC-T300's pictures are soft/noisy/high contrast/ et cetera are reviewing this from a professional photography point of view. Comparing this to an SLR or any other non-subcompact isn't reasonable. Just like we wouldn't compare a Chevy Pickup with a BMW sedan. Photos taken with this camera are intended for "everyday shooting." I will use this for vacations, parties, or tours. I would not use this to photograph my own wedding. For everyday shots, the quality is superb. If you are looking for a professional camera in a subcompact chassis, then this is about as close as you will come.

The optical zoom is fantastic, as is the image stabilization -I do not have a very steady hand. Of the first few test shots that I took with this camera, one was of a license plate from a car parked about 100 meters away. I zoomed in with full optical and digital zoom, and snapped a photo of what looked like a very grainy and pixelated white blob jerking quickly around the screen. To my surprise, when I viewed this shot, the camera had cleaned it up so that not only was there no motion blur, the license number was perfectly visible. I could even see the county name on the bottom! Needless to say, I won't be taking many pictures from this far away, but still it is good to know that the feature is there if I ever need it.

The smile shutter works surprisingly well, and I use it all the time. What not many of the other reviews that I read talked about was the functionality of the smile shutter. When the feature is enabled, the camera is not in normal photo mode. You will have to take it out of Smile Shutter mode if you want to resume taking pictures. Once enabled, the smile shutter constantly looks for faces, and puts an orange box around each one. It will identify up to 9 faces. Once a face is ID'd, it judges how much the person is smiling, and if they are smiling enough, then a picture is taken. It will take pictures of smiles until you take it out of smile mode. In fact at a party of mine, I put the camera on a tripod, set it up for smile mode, and told people to go smile in front of it. By the end of the night, every single person had a smiling portrait in my camera. Excellent feature. The funny thing is, no one believes that the camera actually can determine who is an isn't smiling so when they finally see the red-eye flash go off, 90% of people cant help but smile a real, and perfectly captured, smile of pleasant surprise. When in this mode, this camera only captures happiness.

The Add-A-Smile Feature is completely useless, but because of it, your camera will be a hit. I have tried the add-a-smile feature on 20+ people and more often than not, they end up looking creepy. However, this is hilarious. You will never seriously use this feature, but its a joy to have all the same.

Video is surprisingly good. When in "fine video" mode, I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and broadcast quality. "Fine video" does take lots of memory though 1 hour ~ 4 GB. To fit more video on the card, you can switch to "standard" but unless you are using this ONLY for youtube, don't bother with standard.

Touch Screen Once you learn it, it is a very intuitive interface.

The Bad:

There is a learning curve on the touch screen Most people will be turned off initially by the touch screen. I have found that the learning curve has put people off from borrowing my camera to take pictures. I always have to explain how to use it. Not a huge deal, I bought the camera for me, not for people who want to take pictures of me.

Fingerprints collect on the screen well, its a touch screen, what do you expect?

Bottom Line: This is a great camera for everyday shots. For shots that you do not intend on editing professionally, this is a great camera. For shots that are for viewing pleasure, this is a great camera. If perchance you do want to edit professionally photos taken by this camera, the resolution gives extreme detail.

All in all, I have never considered returning this camera.

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GOPRO HD 1080P HERO MOTORSPORTS DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA

Customer Ratings:

This complete kit comes with many different ways to stick it to a car, bike, helmet ect..so no worries there. It is easy to set up and change between options. I have only used mine a few times so far but I am very happy with the picture, the stability, the audio, the size and how easy it was to put on my helmet. The HD (1080 setting) is wide screen only. The only thing that can be a hic-up is that it only records in the MP4 format which limits the video editing programs that can support it. I went out and purchased a video transfer program. It converts one format to another. There are some very good software programs out there that are under $50. Many give you a trial period too. I plan onusing this unit for many years ahead and take care of it between each use. I give it an A+ so far and I found my best deal here on Amazon.com.

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Blackberry Torch 2 9810 Unlocked Phone with 1.2GHz Processor

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $799.99
Sale Price: $181.05
Today's Bonus: 77% Off

For most people, the Torch 9800 was the first decent touchscreen phone RIM brought to the market. None of that SurePress nonsense, and the screen was actually responsive enough to be of use when you didn't necessarily want to use the trackpad/keyboard.

For all intents and purposes the Torch 9810 looks NO different than the 9800. If you put them side-by-side, I'm not sure if anyone would be able to tell which is which. That's alright though, since RIM focused on what's really important, and that's the hardware of the phone.

Updates:

The processor in the 9810 has been upgraded, same one that's in the Bold 9930 Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2 GHz. There's no multi-core functionality or anything like that, but the processor upgrade definitely helps makes the Torch 2 a snappier phone.

"Liquid Graphics Technology" the Torch 9810 is touted as having this feature too, along with most of the OS 7 phones. Basically RIM put in a separate graphics processor to handle all the visual stuff, which again, does help make the phone seem more fluid and responsive but don't think that means you won't see the all-too familiar hourglass. You will at times, just not as often.

Screen resolution has been bumped up. It used to be 480 x 360, but they've increased it to 640 x 480. I was hoping RIM would jump on the qHD wagon and get some phones with that kind of screen resolution, but it looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer.

Updated camera software: the camera is still 5 MP, but the zoom was extended from 2X to 4X, and face detection was added to the Torch 2. There is no front-facing camera, so doesn't look like Video Chat will be working anytime soon on a BB phone....

OS 7: nice OS, browser is once again improved. The amount of space it takes up in memory seems to have shrunk as well about 15% less than OS 6. Two new business apps are included, called BlackBerry Protect and Balance. Protect allows your business to remotely monitor, configure and wipe, if necessary, a remote smartphone so when the phone disappears, your whole business life doesn't disappear along with it. And Balance separates business from personal stuff on a BlackBerry, which helps avoid the possibility of confidential data accidentally being sent to all those shady contacts.....

Alright so is it worth it??

This one is honestly a judgement call so I'll say it like this: if you have the original Torch, you might not like it, since it feels like this is what the Torch 9800 should've been all along. If you have an older Blackberry you will like this.

Pros:

1) The upgraded hardware really helps make the phone a pleasure to use. With the faster processor and the increased RAM size, the phone's no powerhouse but it becomes somewhat competitive with what's out on the market today.

2) Battery life gets a nice improvement: I believe this was an OS issue as much as a hardware issue on the Torch 9800, but it seems that RIM corrected the OS part with the new OS 7 battery usually lasts me a day, even with Pandora going. Nice job RIM. (Good note to make: the old Torch's battery is compatible with the new Torch)

3) Phone calls hey, let's face it, the Torch is a PHONE. It can do a whole lot of other stuff but at the end of the day, it's a PHONE, and I should be able to make PHONE CALLS. Never had a dropped call yet especially in NYC. Something I hated about the iPhone was that especially in the city I would lose a bunch of calls. Never happened with this Torch. Not yet anyway....

4) 4G RIM's first 4G phone right here. I only experienced the speed once near NYC. I got around 4 MB/s down it was beautiful. 4G service is very spotty though at the moment, especially with AT&T. Should get better as time goes on.

Cons:

1) Battery cover: GOD, I really hate the back that RIM put on this Torch. I don't know what they were thinking, but I trashed it as soon as I saw it. I'll use the old Torch's cover, thank you very much....

2) Same old, same old: RIM tends to get stuck in a rut when it comes to taking some chances with designs. I was hoping the Torch 2 might have some design improvements or at least some visual improvements, but instead, it's just more of the same. I hope RIM gets willing to take some risk in this field soon....

3) Top buttons way too sensitive: this was a problem on the first Torch too. It was way too easy to lock your phone. RIM, in keeping with the same design elements, also migrated this problem to the Torch 2.

Bottom line: the Torch 2 is a good phone, really what the Torch 1 should've been. If you're okay with it looking like the original Torch, then by all means jump on this. For the rest of you you may want to try another Blackberry, such as the new Bold 9930 or the Monaco, which should be coming out sometime this month.

I'll update this as I use the phone more, but feel free to leave a comment or question below. I'm here to educate, so if I got something wrong, let me know....

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Toshiba Satellite S855D-S5148 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed

Customer Ratings:

I am a computer science student so I am pretty well versed when it comes to computers. I know my hardware, can write operating systems, and am constantly programming. I began searching for laptops because I needed a more powerful one. I play a few games so I also wanted something able to power through some graphics. This laptop has pretty amazing specs, especially for the price. Windows 8 is pretty intuitive once you get used to it, so don't let that defer you from getting this laptop. The operating system that it comes with is 64bit. The quad core amd and radeon graphics card can crunch through just about anything. Plenty of RAM, plus it is up-gradable to 16gigs if you desire. The hard disk is the only thing that can slow some operations down, but at this time solid state is a little too pricey. I would have loved to have a back-lit keyboard, however for the price and specs I wasn't going to let that be the reason I did not buy this laptop. I researched laptops for weeks and this turned up to be the best; and at a very reasonable price. I would most assuredly recommend this laptop.

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Canon EOS T2i Rebel SLR Digital Camera with Canon 18-55mm IS

Customer Ratings:

I have really enjoyed this camera. I bought it a couple of months ago and have probably taken a thousand or two pictures so far. I'm currently on vacation and have taken it with me everywhere. It has taken many fantastic pictures. I would recommend this to anyone.

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