I purchased the squaretrade 2 year warranty for my camera purchased on E bay. The camera mal functioned after one year and square trade fixed the camera with out a problem. Afer many, many and I mean many photos taken the camera it mal functioned again, I called squaretrade to have it repaired again under the warranty, but they refused stating the cost of the repair exceeded the cost of the camera, 1st repair was $ 135.00 cost to square trade, and they would not repair or replace it again. They only thing they could do is send me a check for the difference of the original cost of the camera less the 1 st repair cost which was about $ 22.00. So read the fine print, this is not an unlimited warranty! I was a little disappointed. The rep on the phone stated that the comera should have not been repaired the 1st time because of the high cost of repair compared to the cost of the camera.
Showing posts with label best canon digital camera review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best canon digital camera review. Show all posts
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens
List Price: $125.00
Sale Price: $110.00
Today's Bonus: 12% Off
Once upon a time the 50 mm lens was THE standard camera lens and was THE optical benchmark by which manufacturers were judged and compared. Although the basic lens focus has now shifted (at least at the low to mid amateur level) to zooms you can still benefit from years of research and development that went into designing the 50 mm lens and this here lens may be the best lens, dollar for dollar, that you can ever buy. The question is can you afford not to own this lens?
Years of development have brought us a lens that has a fast aperture of 1.8 far faster than any consumer zoom lens and that is sharp as a filed tack. Be forewarned about the sharpness . . . if you are taking pictures of people, this lens is unyielding in its sharpness and may well surprise you and your subjects whose every blemish is captured. The lens has a fabulously shallow depth of field if you want to use the 1.8 aperture to blow out a background. This lens is also ridiculously inexpensive. It is not USM so it is a little loud. It does not have a moving focus scale. For the money though this is heaven.
As to the build quality yes, it is plastic. No, it's not built like the Rock of Gibraltar. If you are going to give this lens extensive use as your everyday lens and you shoot a lot, it may not hold up all that well as one reviewer suggests. However, I've now had this lens and used it fairly regularly (although not as the primary lens) for about 8 years and it is still in great condition. In my mind, spend the $$ on this first before you go and drop $330 on the 50mm 1.4 USM lens and I think you'll find it gets the job done nicely and that the extra $250 on the 1.4 may not be worth the difference in build (major difference), speed (minor difference) and image quality (minor difference).
Nikon Coolpix S10 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Vibration
I'm a rabid photographer of scenery, wildlife, friends, families and pets. I take pictures with tripods, while walking, from horseback, from the car, during parties, indoors, outdoors...whenever it strikes me to take a photo. I would estimate that I take at least 300 photos a month. I currently have an olympus 740 so I bought the nikon looking to get a little smaller camera with the same zoom capabilities but with image stabilization. I read the manual to this camera from cover to cover and it has lots of options to tinker with. I took more than 1000 photos in every situation I could think of and eventually ended up returning the camera because of the medium indoor low light issues.
The good:
The camera has a NICE brushed metal feel to it. Looks like it would hold up well and not show scratches easily and feels quite sturdy.
It's really comfortable and easy to hold the camera and either telescope the lens or press the shutter without straining your hand.
The LCD has great resolution and colors. Some people don't like that it doesn't have a viewfinder but I hardly use a viewfinder.
Rechargable battery (although the initial charging time is something like 8 or 10 hours, the later chargings are less).
The lens cap just flips back with an easy touch, no pulling it off and having it dangle and bounce into action shots.
The camera worked great for scenery shots during the day.
I took some great moonlight shots without the use of a tripod with this camera using some of the many, many features. My other camera could never take these shots.
I liked that there wasn't an external telescoping lens and the lens did all its telescoping inside the cylinder.
I was impressed with the shutter speed and zoom capabilities.
Image stabilization was awesome in sunlight.
What I didn't like:
I found that ANY dust on the lens created an orb in the photo and I had to keep cleaning the lens because dust would easily get into the cool snap cover.
Low indoor light made for blurry (or sometimes grainy images), even with image stabilization and I had to tinker with a lot of the settings to get half way decent photos and even then they weren't great.
If I used a flash in low light, it often whited out people's faces. My friends thought that the flash was too blinding but I can't speak for this because I didn't see it. I used tons of settings (much to my friends' frustration) to try to find a good setting and I didn't find one.
Direct sunlight caused lots of sunspots (I think because of the lens angle because the same exact shot with my olympus had no sunspot and it was seconds between shots)but you could use polarizing sunglasses over the lens for a super easy fix.
The light from the flash doesn't always bounce as one would expect. I'm not sure if it's because of the angle of the turned lens cylinder or what but it the light didn't seem to spread naturally and would end up either too focused or weirdly casted shadows would appear. Again I'd take the same photo with my olympus which has a different flash placement and the photos would turn out fine.
I took some shots of my pets indoors and they didn't like the flashing red light the camera uses for measuring/focus in low light.
I had a lot of color issues (mostly a yellowing of the images) under flourescent lights in a lot of low light photos but I could fix them Adobe photoshop.
This could have been a bad camera but just in case you buy this and have the same issues, you'll know it's not just you :)
The good:
The camera has a NICE brushed metal feel to it. Looks like it would hold up well and not show scratches easily and feels quite sturdy.
It's really comfortable and easy to hold the camera and either telescope the lens or press the shutter without straining your hand.
The LCD has great resolution and colors. Some people don't like that it doesn't have a viewfinder but I hardly use a viewfinder.
Rechargable battery (although the initial charging time is something like 8 or 10 hours, the later chargings are less).
The lens cap just flips back with an easy touch, no pulling it off and having it dangle and bounce into action shots.
The camera worked great for scenery shots during the day.
I took some great moonlight shots without the use of a tripod with this camera using some of the many, many features. My other camera could never take these shots.
I liked that there wasn't an external telescoping lens and the lens did all its telescoping inside the cylinder.
I was impressed with the shutter speed and zoom capabilities.
Image stabilization was awesome in sunlight.
What I didn't like:
I found that ANY dust on the lens created an orb in the photo and I had to keep cleaning the lens because dust would easily get into the cool snap cover.
Low indoor light made for blurry (or sometimes grainy images), even with image stabilization and I had to tinker with a lot of the settings to get half way decent photos and even then they weren't great.
If I used a flash in low light, it often whited out people's faces. My friends thought that the flash was too blinding but I can't speak for this because I didn't see it. I used tons of settings (much to my friends' frustration) to try to find a good setting and I didn't find one.
Direct sunlight caused lots of sunspots (I think because of the lens angle because the same exact shot with my olympus had no sunspot and it was seconds between shots)but you could use polarizing sunglasses over the lens for a super easy fix.
The light from the flash doesn't always bounce as one would expect. I'm not sure if it's because of the angle of the turned lens cylinder or what but it the light didn't seem to spread naturally and would end up either too focused or weirdly casted shadows would appear. Again I'd take the same photo with my olympus which has a different flash placement and the photos would turn out fine.
I took some shots of my pets indoors and they didn't like the flashing red light the camera uses for measuring/focus in low light.
I had a lot of color issues (mostly a yellowing of the images) under flourescent lights in a lot of low light photos but I could fix them Adobe photoshop.
This could have been a bad camera but just in case you buy this and have the same issues, you'll know it's not just you :)
Sony NEX-6 16.1MP Compact Interchangeable Lens w/ 3" LED Screen
List Price: $1,403.00
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 29% Off
This is an exceptional camera. For many years I have been a Leica and Nikon fan, thinking that these brands offered state of the art photography. Three years ago I purchased a Sony DSC-HX7v and was astounded at the picture quality, but was disappointed with my inability to see the LCD screen outdoors. With this in mind, I purchased the Sony NEX 6 with its electronic viewfinder, though I was concerned about the quality of the 16-55 kit lens that had been discounted by reviewers. Accordingly, I purchased an adapter so I could use my favorite Leica Summicron 40mm and Elmar 90mm lenses. Again, I was surprised. Using a tripod, I took pictures with the kit lens and the Summicron. Both were equally sharp, but the color rendition of the Sony G zoom lens was a slightly more vivid than the Leica product. I like the benefit of a lighter and more compact camera with all the features I want in a DSLR. In the past, I thought Sony made cameras for casual photographers, but am now impressed with the exceptional quality of their digital cameras and camcorders.
My principal objection to the NEX 6 is that its WiFi and the Sony software program require PCs. Sony should recognize that serious photographers also use Apple products.
ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz/3D Ready, 2700
I've only had my ViewSonic PJD5123 one day, which is a little premature for reviewing, but with only one review posted, I thought another would be helpful. I actually made my purchase on that review's recommendation, since I could find no others.
First, let me say that my purchase was largely price-driven. I figured I'd have to buy a used projector, but the low price Amazon charged was the hook that caused me to bite on this brand-new one. My second criterion was that it had to work with a Mac; it does! I did have to purchase an extra cable for my Macbook Pro unibody ($29.99 from Apple). I could have gotten a third party cable for much less (and may still do that for a backup), but the reviews on them were not as favorable as those on the Apple one.
So I took the plunge, even paying an extra $4 (Amazon Prime) to have it delivered in two days. It arrived on time and I found everything in the box as advertised. The written documentation is worthless, but their CD has much good information. You can also go to the ViewSonic website and download their PDF manual to read before your purchase arrives (highly recommended).
I installed the software on my Macbook Pro, connected the ViewSonic PJD5123 and fired it up. My computer (running OS X 10.6.7) recognized the projector and the computer screen's image shone on the white wall across the room, but it was very blurry. My heart sank. Thinking I'd bought a pig in a poke, I began lamenting the irritation of having to ship it back. Then, I began to turn the adjustments this way and that, and the picture on the wall became as clear as the one on the laptop screen. Was I ever relieved!
Then I wondered, will it work in an environment with a lot of daylight? Because I teach college courses and give seminars in rooms with many windows, I needed a projector with enough brightness to provide a clear text and picture in broad daylight. Now please do not misunderstand. The picture and text are better at night, but they are just fine in the daylight.
Someone may wonder how it works for movie watching. I've been watching movies on my 17" computer screen, so when I focused the ViewSonic with a movie projecting from it on the wall, I held my breath hoping that it would provide at least an acceptable picture. Wow, was I every pleased! I now have a huge screen on the wall that looks as good as the one on my computer. This is a bonus I'd not planned on.
Another concern for me is the voltage. I travel internationally and was delighted to find that this little projector works with 110-240v/50-60hz. With a plug adapter I'll be in business in the USA and foreign countries.
I almost forgot to mention that while there is no carrying case, a remote (with batteries!) is included. I've barely used the remote, but the features look sufficient for my use. As for the bag, what do you want for a rock bottom price? I'll likely go to the local thrift store and find a suitable case for less than three bucks!
Do I have any concerns or disappointments? So far I'm not disappointed at all. This projector does all the basic stuff I need and provides a very nice picture. My only concern is that when I shut it down I do not hear the fan running to cool it down before final shut down as the instructions indicate. I will call or email the company to see if its shut down feature is defective. My guess is that it is just fine. Other than that, it seems to work A-OK!
Please note that this is not a heavy-duty, latest and greatest feature-filled projector. For such a product you'll likely pay three or four times what this little fellow costs. But it does what I need and even has an eye to the future with a sticker that boasts "3-D READY."
ADDED 6 JULY, 2011
Just a quick note on the issue of the fan not running after shutdown to cool the projector: I emailed ViewSonic on Saturday of the July 4th weekend and they responded promptly the following Tuesday after the holidays. Here's their email response:
"Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for contacting ViewSonic. Our newer projectors have a feature in which the unit will cool off on its own when needed. This new feature is so that the unit can be used more on the go , ViewSonic and a few other brand name companies have added such feature to recently manufactured projectors . If you should have further questions please contact us back. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide assistance."
Well, I couldn't believe what I'd read, so I called ViewSonic and talked to a technical person. He assured me that the email was, indeed, correct and that the unit is working just fine. He said ViewSonic designed this projector so that one could immediately pack it away after using it. For me, this is a blessing in disguise! It means that I can use the projector until the close of class, and immediately walk out with it.
Summer 2012 Update: Just to let everyone know, I am still using the PJD5123 with satisfaction. Some have questioned whether it does, indeed, work with 240V as well as 110V. If you look on the bottom of the unit, it says AC 100-240V 50-60HZ.
First, let me say that my purchase was largely price-driven. I figured I'd have to buy a used projector, but the low price Amazon charged was the hook that caused me to bite on this brand-new one. My second criterion was that it had to work with a Mac; it does! I did have to purchase an extra cable for my Macbook Pro unibody ($29.99 from Apple). I could have gotten a third party cable for much less (and may still do that for a backup), but the reviews on them were not as favorable as those on the Apple one.
So I took the plunge, even paying an extra $4 (Amazon Prime) to have it delivered in two days. It arrived on time and I found everything in the box as advertised. The written documentation is worthless, but their CD has much good information. You can also go to the ViewSonic website and download their PDF manual to read before your purchase arrives (highly recommended).
I installed the software on my Macbook Pro, connected the ViewSonic PJD5123 and fired it up. My computer (running OS X 10.6.7) recognized the projector and the computer screen's image shone on the white wall across the room, but it was very blurry. My heart sank. Thinking I'd bought a pig in a poke, I began lamenting the irritation of having to ship it back. Then, I began to turn the adjustments this way and that, and the picture on the wall became as clear as the one on the laptop screen. Was I ever relieved!
Then I wondered, will it work in an environment with a lot of daylight? Because I teach college courses and give seminars in rooms with many windows, I needed a projector with enough brightness to provide a clear text and picture in broad daylight. Now please do not misunderstand. The picture and text are better at night, but they are just fine in the daylight.
Someone may wonder how it works for movie watching. I've been watching movies on my 17" computer screen, so when I focused the ViewSonic with a movie projecting from it on the wall, I held my breath hoping that it would provide at least an acceptable picture. Wow, was I every pleased! I now have a huge screen on the wall that looks as good as the one on my computer. This is a bonus I'd not planned on.
Another concern for me is the voltage. I travel internationally and was delighted to find that this little projector works with 110-240v/50-60hz. With a plug adapter I'll be in business in the USA and foreign countries.
I almost forgot to mention that while there is no carrying case, a remote (with batteries!) is included. I've barely used the remote, but the features look sufficient for my use. As for the bag, what do you want for a rock bottom price? I'll likely go to the local thrift store and find a suitable case for less than three bucks!
Do I have any concerns or disappointments? So far I'm not disappointed at all. This projector does all the basic stuff I need and provides a very nice picture. My only concern is that when I shut it down I do not hear the fan running to cool it down before final shut down as the instructions indicate. I will call or email the company to see if its shut down feature is defective. My guess is that it is just fine. Other than that, it seems to work A-OK!
Please note that this is not a heavy-duty, latest and greatest feature-filled projector. For such a product you'll likely pay three or four times what this little fellow costs. But it does what I need and even has an eye to the future with a sticker that boasts "3-D READY."
ADDED 6 JULY, 2011
Just a quick note on the issue of the fan not running after shutdown to cool the projector: I emailed ViewSonic on Saturday of the July 4th weekend and they responded promptly the following Tuesday after the holidays. Here's their email response:
"Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for contacting ViewSonic. Our newer projectors have a feature in which the unit will cool off on its own when needed. This new feature is so that the unit can be used more on the go , ViewSonic and a few other brand name companies have added such feature to recently manufactured projectors . If you should have further questions please contact us back. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide assistance."
Well, I couldn't believe what I'd read, so I called ViewSonic and talked to a technical person. He assured me that the email was, indeed, correct and that the unit is working just fine. He said ViewSonic designed this projector so that one could immediately pack it away after using it. For me, this is a blessing in disguise! It means that I can use the projector until the close of class, and immediately walk out with it.
Summer 2012 Update: Just to let everyone know, I am still using the PJD5123 with satisfaction. Some have questioned whether it does, indeed, work with 240V as well as 110V. If you look on the bottom of the unit, it says AC 100-240V 50-60HZ.
Canon EOS 7D 9 Lens Deluxe Kit with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
Great camera, great price. It's a good package to start with, and has good basic
starter lenses. It also came with a nice bag. Everything arrived promptly. I'm very satisfied with my Canon 7D camera and package.
starter lenses. It also came with a nice bag. Everything arrived promptly. I'm very satisfied with my Canon 7D camera and package.
Fujifilm FinePix S4500 Digital Camera - White (14MP, 30x Optical
I chose this camera because of the price point. $150 for a bridge camera with 30x optical zoom is fabulous and I like white. It should be noted that purchasing the white one forfeits any warranty on the camera as this color is an import model with no U.S. warranty. No matter. The camera has a nice balance in your hand, is easy to operate and has a built-in pop up flash. The zoom is very responsive and quick. The auto-focus however is average. While shooting an object in bright daylght the system had a hard time with near and far focus. It couldn't decide weather I was shooting the subject or the tree way in the background on a few occasions. The pictures are crisp and clear so you won't be dissapointed there. Purchase a good sized SDHD card and 4 rechargable AA batteries as this unit is power hungry. It comes with a lens cap that I recommend NOT attaching to the wrist strap as it gets to be a tangled mess since the lens cap teather is a bit short. I was surprised to find a sharp eyepiece much like a 35mm camera to aim with. You can use this or the bright sharp and colorful rear display. For the $150 price point it does what it should and then some. 7.9 out of 10 stars. Scotty Gumballs
SkyCaddie SGX Golf GPS
List Price: $399.95
Sale Price: $219.95
Today's Bonus: 45% Off
Let me start by saying I love researching products before I buy them, mostly online but I am also not afraid to ask people their opinion of a product I have my eye on. I was looking at both the line of sight digital rangefinders and the GPS units. My friend has a Callaway and while accurate i felt like using it on every shot would be a headache (and of course you always have to have a clear view of the pin). I have friends that have older versions of the golf buddy and of the sky caddie and seemed happy with both. I liked the fact that that the yardage is documented by someone actually walking the golf courses with the sky caddie. Based on my research the error factor can be (+ or -) up to 10 yards on a straight GPS unit which is obviously hugh and made me reluctant to include the Garmins of the world which were nice but straight GPS. Also the 30.00 annual "fee" charged for the SGX was not a deal breaker with me as it is with some people on the 'Net provided that the unit delivered as advertised.
I was very pleased with the SGX after my first two outings. The SGX indicated the distance to all of the hazards and to the front, middle, and back of the green and on my home course I which I found to be very accurate. I couldn't wait to take it to a new unfamiliar course.
Well now I will have to wait because my SkyCaddie SGX froze up and would not reboot even after a hard reset. To be fair their customer service is sending me a new one( I had to provide a credit card which will only be charged if I don't return the old one) but it is going to take five business days. I am pleased they are not sending me a refurbished unit and not making we wait to receive the old one but expediting the shipping as I requested would have gone a long way in restoring my confidence in their company. Based on earlier reviews i will admit it appears their customer service dept.has come a long way but after this experience I am definitely going to get the extended warranty.
I am going to give the SGX two stars for now and hopefully more if the new one proves more reliable!
VIZIO Thin and Light CT14-A0 14-Inch Ultrabook
List Price: $899.99
Sale Price: $599.99
Today's Bonus: 33% Off
I must admit that I was not expecting the world when I picked up the CT14-A0 version of the Vizio thin-and-light laptop as a secondary notebook to take on vacation, for general family use if one of the main computers goes off into the weeds, or perhaps to use a dedicated Linux machine.
The build quality is superb, all metal, and the unit has an elegant, understated design. For web browsing, email, watching videos, light photo editing (cropping, red-eye removal, and the like), and typical office tasks (word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations), the Intel Core i3 processor in my first model (the CT14-A0) is far faster than I expected it to be. I love the clear, bright display and the high resolution, as too many (and even more expensive) ultrabooks offer only the generic low-end 1366 x 768 resolution.
The keyboard is a joy to type on and I'm finding that I like the slightly larger beveled keys far more than the traditional island-style keys on my Sony laptop. I noticed a bit of keyboard flex, but I'm a heavy typer and have experienced some degree of flex on every laptop/notebook I've ever used; the keyboard is still top-notch as far as I am concerned. Because of the types of computing tasks I do, I typically use a Bluetooth mouse with laptops/notebooks more than I do the trackpad, but I think that I can get used to this trackpad; by the way, there is a recommended driver update for the trackpad on Vizio's site.
There is a full-sized (not micro) HDMI port for connecting sound and video to a large monitor or TV. (An HDMI cable is, of course, not included.)
Sound quality was better than I expected, although a disclaimer is in order: I don't typically listen to music while working, and I'm no audiophile.
The SSD had no funky partitioning scheme to undo; there was just a single partition. I appreciated not having to waste any time getting the system set up and running properly.
Three possible cons:
* There is no SD card slot; you can easily find an inexpensive USB adapter for your flash memory cards if that is an issue, but without a dedicated slot, you won't be able to keep an SD card permanently mounted as a sort of secondary hard disk for extra storage.
* There are only two USB ports, one on each side; the good news is that they are both USB 3.0.
* The keyboard is not backlit; however, the screen is bright and the keyboard is silver, if that helps.
My humble suggestions to Vizio for future models:
* Include an SD card slot.
* An 8-GB memory option would be sweet.
Unless the cons represent a problem for you, it is difficult not to like this machine. It seems that Vizio sat back and watched the ultrabook market develop, learned from the mistakes of others, and only then released an initial series of excellent ultrabooks that hit most of the right notes. I look forward to seeing more from Vizio in the ultrabook market.
Epson PowerLite X12 Business Projector (XGA Resolution 1024x768)
We needed a projector for our stock club and so I asked the advice of my son who is a professional video tech. The Powerlite X12 met all the specifications he indicated were important and fell within the price limit established by the club. I am very happy with the unit. It is very light, easy to operate and has great features including 2800 lumens which allows us to use the unit without turning out most or all the lights. Also Epson was one of the brands he recommended based on his experience and I have had great success with Epson printers. The unit was delivered prompty and without any damage or problems. I also like the fact that it came with a carrying case that will make transporting it to monthly meetings more convenient.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4
List Price: $149.00
Sale Price: $134.99
Today's Bonus: 9% Off
Adobe Lightroom is Adobe's flag ship digital image development program. When I say "image development" I mean just that. Think of Lightroom as a digital darkroom and now you know what is possible in the software.
The first lesson you must learn when using Lightroom is... stop shooting in JPEG. Lightroom can do some amazing things, even with JPEGs, but if you want to enjoy the benefits Lightroom has to offer, you really need to shoot in RAW. You can pull some shadow and some highlight detail from JPEGs, but there is an order of magnitude difference in the amount of detail present in a RAW file.
The other thing to realize is that yes, if you have Photoshop, you can do everything Lightroom does. The difference, for now, is Lightroom 4 uses new controls not in Adobe Camera RAW (at the time of this writing Adobe now offers a new Camera RAW version), which is where a lot of the new highlight/shadow recovery comes from, so for now Lightroom is quite a bit nicer than Photoshop in that regard. The other, most important piece, to remember is that Lightroom is designed from the ground up to only include the functionality you need for digital photography you can't do advanced photo editing where you replace a goat's head with a person's or remove trees and so on. If you need that kind of software, buy Photoshop. If all you want is to develop your digital images as they were shot, with some spot removal tools, cropping and so on, Lightroom 4 is the place to be and the interface is designed with just these things in mind.
Next, if you are new to the product, check around the web for tutorials (Adobe has a few) and buy a book. You'll need it. The interface isn't horrible, but not all of the tools are intuitive enough that you can just pick it up and run. There is a lot of hidden power to be tapped and if all you want is to just skim the surface and not dig into the details, you might be better served with something like say, Photoshop Elements instead.
For users new to Lightroom, there are 7 modules now that you work with primarily. The first is the Library module. This is where you allow Lightroom to troll your hard drive looking for images (you can determine where it looks). This is where you would go to quickly find an image you've tagged (you can keyword tag your photos). The next module is Map. If you have a camera with GPS functionality or want to manually input the location data, you can use this module to locate your images on a map of the world. Next up is the Develop module. This is where all the magic is done. In this module you can choose white balance, change color temperature, change exposures, add sharpness, enhance shadows and highlights, perform lens correction and so on. It is amazingly powerful stuff. You then have the Book module, where you can create photo books in a streamlined manner and send it to Blurb for printing or create a PDF for printing wherever you might print books. Next up is Slideshow. Here you create Slideshows of images and can run it like a presentation with some added text and so on. Then there is the Print module. I still use Photoshop for printing since I know how to get the results I want from there, but I will be trying Lightroom again now that we have a new version. And finally you have the Web module that can be used to upload your photos automatically to many services you already likely use or have seen, such as Facebook.
So what's new/different between Lightroom 3 and 4? First up is the geo tagging. For those of you lucky enough to have GPS built into your camera (including camera phones!), you can now have Lightroom import this information and tag your photos according to your locations. This means you can search via say, Indiana and find all the photos there. The inclusion of a map function allows you to see where the photos were actually taken, so if you were in a pub taking photos in New York City, then found your way to another pub 10 miles away, your photos are separated by 10 miles (scale miles!) on the map so you know exactly where the photos were taken.
Next up is the book module. I've used this extensively in the beta, just to try it out, and it is fairly intuitive and easy to use. I haven't yet submitted a book for printing, but that is just a button click away as well. You can easily create books and send them off to Blurb (Adobe partnered with them) or print to PDF for printing elsewhere. The results are nice, but if you have to be in control of every aspect of the layout, InDesign is the way to go here.
You can now, if you are lucky enough to have a camera that does video, import and perform color/white balance corrections on DSLR video. I have seen it used and borrowed files from friends (my DSLR doesn't do video) and it works. It's not as easy to use as a dedicated video program, nor as robust, but it works. I watched a video on the Lightroom YouTube channel where they took a snap shot from a video, color corrected the photo then applied that correction to the video as well. I tried that out, and it works, but results aren't always what you want. You may be able to do it, but I haven't found it, but it seemed to me you had to apply the correction to the entire video, not just a scene. So those of you looking for video editing, you are better served with real editing software, not using Lightroom for this.
Another major improvement is highlight and shadow recovery. When used properly, you can actually pull detail out of a photo, even some JPEGs, you never would have thought was there. You can also do faux HDR with a single image instead of a series of images and, believe it or not, the results are actually quite nice (if you like HDR that is). The highlight/shadow recovery is similar to the sliders you knew and loved in Lightroom 3, only they are so much more powerful here.
When Adobe releases the next version of Photoshop, it will likely be amazing given how awesome Adobe Camera RAW seems to function in Lightroom.
So there are a couple questions you have to answer.
If you already own Lightroom 3, is it worth the upgrade for you? If you live your life in Lightroom 3 and rely on it for your livelihood, yes, buy 4 without question. The new highlight/shadow tools can work magic on your photos. For the rest of us who don't make our living and it's just a hobby, the question comes down to new functionality. If you like the idea of geo location of photos, the enhanced shadow/highlight functionality and video support, buy it. If Lightroom 3 gives the results you want and you're just a hobbyist, you may wish to wait or not spend the money at all.
If you don't have Lightroom already, should you buy this over Aperture? That depends. If you know Aperture and the functionality it offers, then Lightroom 4 may be a steeper learning curve for you. Personally I feel Lightroom gives ME better results, but I'm not an expert at Aperture and I've learned on Lightroom. If the option is DxO vs Lightroom, just buy Lightroom. It is worth the extra money.
If you want digital imaging software that allows complex cutting and editing, you don't want Lightroom.
One other nice feature of Lightroom 4 is the new pricing structure. The prices are set at a point where it actually makes sense, if you are a hobbyist and especially a professional, to move to Lightroom.
I give Adobe Lightroom 4 five stars. It does an amazing job, works really well and the details it can pull, even from JPEGs, is astonishing.
Adobe has hit a home run here.
ALSOif you are on the fence, why not head over to Adobe's site and download the 30 day free trial? It's free and it doesn't hurt to try before buying for sure.
EDITyou will need Adobe Camera RAW 6.7 Release Candidate to export to Photoshop with your adjustments. That's a bit annoying as LR4 should have been released with the latest Camera RAW download to avoid this mess.
EDIT2Camera RAW is no longer beta. When you open Photoshop and try to import a Lr4 file, it should prompt to download the latest version of Camera RAW.
EDIT3Adobe has finalized Lightroom 4.1 make sure you download and install this as it fixes some performance issues. LR 4.2 is currently in release candidate mode (you can use LR 4.2 RC1 until Oct 31, 2012 if you want an extended "trial.")
EDIT LR 4.2 is now available as a full release. It is no longer a release candidate. This update adds a lot of camera support along with some performance updates.
ASUS G53SW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop
I've had this computer for about 3 days, and my feelings on it went from wanting to defenestrate it, to pure love. For starters, I ordered a separate 256GB corsair solid state drive so I can have fast boot and load times for the OS and apps. Now, installing an additional hard drive in most laptops requires mostly just removing the bottom plate, but not for this laptop. With this laptop, I had to remove the keyboard by prying it out and then carefully unlatching the connectors from the computer. Then, I had to remove the the piece with the touch pad and unscrew a set of screws that are holding the bottom plate in. Then, I'm finally able to remove the hard drive cover underneath the laptop after the last bit. Why did Asus have to make such a trivial thing so complicated?
Anyways, after I finally got to the hard drive bay I found out that the second empty bay has no bracket to hold a hard drive in. I looked online and nobody was selling them. Yes, that's right: this computer IS ADVERTISED as having the capability of storing an additional hard drive, but the company is not including or even selling any bracket to allow me to do it! I couldn't find them anywhere! So luckily, my drive was a solid state, with no moving parts. What I ended up doing is taping some business cards underneath the solid state drive and letting it rest evenly on those, and then folding one of them between the space that the drive and the bay would occupy so that it doesn't wiggle around. No issues so far, I'm pretty furious that I'm being put in this situation, and I'm definitely giving Asus a call and demanding that they ship or sell an extra bracket to me. There is absolutely no reason at all why I have to do this.
Lastly, once I got everything in place I decided to use the recovery cd's that I created in the beginning to reformate/unpartitian the primary drive and install windows 7 on the solid state drive... but guess what? The recovery cd's do not have the capability of reformatting. What I had to do was hunt down an .iso of windows and burn that to a disk, then use it as my windows install... because the recovery cd is not a 'true' windows. I don't understand why Asus doesn't include a generic windows dvd since, you know, I PAID for the licence and it costs them next to nothing. They did include a driver CD, which is generous.
So that's all the bad stuff out of the way. Once I got everything up and running and with the right setup, things got much better. For starters, the performance on this thing is top-notch. With a solid state drive as the main OS, this laptop boots up in 20 seconds. It handles everything I throw at it with ease. I have the laptop outputting to a second 24 inch monitor as an expanded desktop and it runs starcraft at full resolution and mostly high settings at around 40-60 fps. Best of all, it doesn't 'downclock' to cool down like most of the laptops out there do. The reason for this is an extremely efficient cooling system in the back that blows air out one vent and sucks in air at the other. This keeps things relatively stable, and quiet. I'm not waking up my GF while I game on starcraft after she goes to sleep, and in comparison the Envy 17 I had and returned before this (which cost a beefy 2300) sounded like a jet engine.
This is a top-notch gaming rig, and I'm very happy with it so far. Would I recommend to anyone else? Well, it depends. If you're going to be happy with the measly 500GB of storage, then yes. However, if you want to do what I did or install a larger capacity hard drive, then I recommend you tread lightly or have a certified technician do it for you.
Anyways, after I finally got to the hard drive bay I found out that the second empty bay has no bracket to hold a hard drive in. I looked online and nobody was selling them. Yes, that's right: this computer IS ADVERTISED as having the capability of storing an additional hard drive, but the company is not including or even selling any bracket to allow me to do it! I couldn't find them anywhere! So luckily, my drive was a solid state, with no moving parts. What I ended up doing is taping some business cards underneath the solid state drive and letting it rest evenly on those, and then folding one of them between the space that the drive and the bay would occupy so that it doesn't wiggle around. No issues so far, I'm pretty furious that I'm being put in this situation, and I'm definitely giving Asus a call and demanding that they ship or sell an extra bracket to me. There is absolutely no reason at all why I have to do this.
Lastly, once I got everything in place I decided to use the recovery cd's that I created in the beginning to reformate/unpartitian the primary drive and install windows 7 on the solid state drive... but guess what? The recovery cd's do not have the capability of reformatting. What I had to do was hunt down an .iso of windows and burn that to a disk, then use it as my windows install... because the recovery cd is not a 'true' windows. I don't understand why Asus doesn't include a generic windows dvd since, you know, I PAID for the licence and it costs them next to nothing. They did include a driver CD, which is generous.
So that's all the bad stuff out of the way. Once I got everything up and running and with the right setup, things got much better. For starters, the performance on this thing is top-notch. With a solid state drive as the main OS, this laptop boots up in 20 seconds. It handles everything I throw at it with ease. I have the laptop outputting to a second 24 inch monitor as an expanded desktop and it runs starcraft at full resolution and mostly high settings at around 40-60 fps. Best of all, it doesn't 'downclock' to cool down like most of the laptops out there do. The reason for this is an extremely efficient cooling system in the back that blows air out one vent and sucks in air at the other. This keeps things relatively stable, and quiet. I'm not waking up my GF while I game on starcraft after she goes to sleep, and in comparison the Envy 17 I had and returned before this (which cost a beefy 2300) sounded like a jet engine.
This is a top-notch gaming rig, and I'm very happy with it so far. Would I recommend to anyone else? Well, it depends. If you're going to be happy with the measly 500GB of storage, then yes. However, if you want to do what I did or install a larger capacity hard drive, then I recommend you tread lightly or have a certified technician do it for you.
Sony Xperia Z C6603 Black Factory Unlocked LTE BANDS
List Price: $711.00
Sale Price: $448.11
Today's Bonus: 37% Off
I finally switched from IOS to Android and I have no regrets at all.
For two an half years I was very pleased with my iphone 4 but I got tired of the UI and the small screen.
What attracted me with the Xperia Z was the Build quality, far much better than those cheap plastic Samsung build, but still not as good as an iphone. The waterproof feature was also one of the thing that made me make the move. This phone is just beautiful...
The phone is very very fast and responsive, I was impressed. I really like the widget that allow you to access to different phone configuration very quickly. Turning wifi, bluetooth and GPS OFF in just 4 clics. Every thing is faster with Android, access to configuration, killing running application, switching application ... Apple should learn something here.
The 5 inch display is just gorgeous, every things look great... photos, videos, web browsing ...
Regarding the camera, I was a little disappointed with the Sony Camera App, it has a lot of feature but the final image was not that punchy so I purchased an app called "HDR camera+" and waooo... this app literally changed every thing with the camera and get the best out of this 13 megapixel sensor. Exposure, color tone, color temperature, color saturation, sharpness... everything is so much better ...
What I miss from IOS is the Airplay feature build into the system. Android has some third party application available to stream music and video but it does not work as well as IOS.
For example It recognize my Yamaha RX-V773 as an Airplay receiver but I was not able to stream any music, the Android music player just got stuck.
But I can stream music and video to my Philips 46 inch TV ... I don't get it....
Now about battery life, it's not that great ... This 5 inch full HD display suck a lot of juice and don't expect more than 5 or 6 hours oh intensive use. I mean by intensive use, 3G connected and display on all the time ...
The problem with that phone is that you can't stop using it all the time ... So get prepared to get some extra juice somewhere ... for example an external battery pack ....
OMAX 40X-2000X Digital Lab LED Binocular Compound Microscope
This microscope is awesome. Viewing it from the eyepiece to connecting it to the laptop was incredible! The price was phenomenal for this micropscope! Very happy with the purchase. I did have a bit of a problem at first viewing it on my computer, I emailed the company,with a very quick response to help me. It was me that wasn't focusing correctly to view it on my screen, but I was happy to know they are there to help with problems if you need them!!!
Sharp LC-70LE847U 70" Class Quattron LED Smart 3D TV (Old
List Price: $3,699.99
Sale Price: $2,249.99
Today's Bonus: 39% Off
I originally bought the Samsung 60 inch model 7050 from Costco and I was very impressed with the picture and overall quality; I did have issues with the Samsung; like I could not get the Audio Return Channel to work. Since I bought the Samsung we remodeled our theater room and the new arrangement allowed for a bigger display. I have been eyeing the 70 inch sharp I was hesitant to get the larger Sharp because I did not feel I would keep the beautiful picture the Samsung offered right out of the box. When I exercised the incredible Costco return policy I came home with the Sharp Aquos LC-70C8470U and wall mounted this beast on to a brilliant articulating wall mount. To say the least, the entire family was impressed with the size of this thing. It was not that hard to see that the picture was not the quality of the Samsung. The picture looked a bit soft and the color uniformity seemed less than inspiring. Knowing that I had 90 days to test out this new monster I did not waste any time calibrating the set with my copy of the Digital Video Essentials (DVE) HD Basic Blu-Ray disc. I spent a night and the next morning trying to dial this TV in to give it a fair chance of surviving in my home. The following are the values I came up with after calibrating with the DVE Blu-ray disc. I use a PS3 Slim for my Blu-ray player and the video signal goes through my Onkyo 709 receiver. I am not sure if all Sharp displays come from the factory with the same video quality, but if they do, people who buy this TV should try the settings I found to work pretty good. In the end, the picture quality improved. The softness and color was brought back closer to what the Samsung was. I still think the Samsung offered an overall better picture but for now I am close with the Sharp 70 inch and the Audio Return Channel works as it should. The internet apps all work really near perfect. I have stopped using the PS3 and Xbox to access any of the things the Sharp offers. 3D content of the Samsung was superior and the Sharp is not bad either. For those looking for size the sharp will work well after adjusting the picture quality. If 60 inches is big enough than go with the Samsung.
Sharp Aquos LC-70C8470U
Calibration settings:
OPC: off
Backlight: +10
Contrast: +30
Brightness: +3
Color: -2
Tint: +8
Sharpness: 0
C.M.S. -Hue:
R+6
Y-1
G0
C+16
B-14
M-7
C.M.S. -Saturation
R-3
Y0
G-4
C+14
B-4
M-6
C.M.S. -Value
R0
Y+5
G+5
C+7
B0
M-2
Color Temp: Med-High
R Gain (hi): -30
G Gain (hi): -3
B Gain (hi): +3
Motion Enhancement: AquoMotion240
Quad Pixel Plus 2 (advanced)
Active contrast (off)
Gamma Adjustment: 0
Film mode (advanced)
Digital Noise Reduction (Middle)
Monochrome (off)
USB Polygraph
List Price: $199.95
Sale Price: $99.95
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
I followed this product all over the net to try to find a more insightful look at this product.
I found plenty of download links (it is made by a company called Swamiware, (not much of a comfort), however this product deserves an honest description, because after all, who doesn't dream of having their own (real) polygraph test, to use at their own whim? This product, while impressive in that it uses all of the usual connections to attach & monitor your 'subjects', including two (2) skin galvanization finger monitors that gauges increased/decreased perspiration, one (1) finger-style pulse monitor (for detecting your subject's heart-rate), and finally, a breathing apparatus that is strapped around their abdomen to detect respiratory functions as the test is being administered, so you have EVERYTHING that a standard polygraph examiner has in THEIR professional repertoire.
Bottom line, for $69.99 you will get a box full of all of the above-mentioned features and after installation, you are essentially an unlicensed 'polygraph examiner' and the results are nothing short of amazing...! By law, it has to be advertised as being used strictly for entertainment purposes, but don't let that hold you back for an instant, this little gem will astound everyone involved (and I am a born skeptic).
The few things I miss are a half-decent instruction manual, but it has a small learning curve and the more you test people, the better you get. The software provides spine-tingling evaluations that will keep you busy for many, many hours of usage not to mention totally freaking out your friends every time you analyze them!
If you use Vista, expect some issues, mine seemed to crash frequently until I put it on a machine with XP or lower OS platforms.
That said, I highly recommend USB Polygraph Lie Detector, even if you just use it at parties, people will go home talking about it's amazing properties. While I wouldn't use it to base furthering my relationship with my wife and/or significant other, or to use it as some sort of investment decision tool but it is bound to produce some incredible results that's guaranteed to influence your friends and associates in how they ultimately decide to phrase things to you in the future... Truth or False, put someone you know in the 'Hot Seat' and have a blast revealing the truth, which is often stranger than fiction! You will be in possession of all the tools that a professional polygraph examiner has, for a fraction of the cost.
Here's several tips and techniques I have for all you potentially new unlicensed examiners:
First, ask the question, then watch what happens to their body after you've questioned them. I found spikes that went right up means the subject is thinking and as long as the spikes were up, the subject is thinking about his answer (count those spikes to reveal how many times they went into deep thought, the wider these peaks are, the longer the subject was thinking about your question. Now, if the spikes go down, that almost always told me that either the subject was trying to use countermeasures to throw you off, or that they we're not being truthful. Voila...! Please send me $5 because You are now an unlicensed polygrapher...! lol
Hope my review helped someone out there, who's been looking at this product like I was. Forget the Presidential Version, it's not something even worth considering and I don't even like the concept as opposed to the normal version and should never have been produced, in an effort to cash in on the older, more venerable & already-passed Presidential election. Get the normal version and you'll be happier with your new purchase than you possibly imagined. I am, anyways...!
Garmin Approach S3 GPS Golf Watch
Let me begin by saying I am not a scratch golfer. I typically shoot in the high 80's. I've owned a skycaddie and utilized the golfshot app on my iphone. The sky-caddie was ok....I would regularly forget to bring it with me and became annoyed with the subscription model. I also grew tired of it's bulkiness. The golfshot app was cool but it was murder on my iphone battery. I also didn't particularly like exposing my Iphone to the elements. I had a few close calls when it bounced out the golf cart and fortunately landed on grass.
So I made my mind up to invest in another yardage aide. I spent a week researching and weighing the pros and cons of gps vs. laser. It came down to a few key points. First, as I mentioned previously, I am not a scratch golfer. I like exact distances but do not hit my clubs consistently enough for +/5 yards to make that much of a difference. Second, I know me. The idea of taking a laser rangefinder out every time I need a distance is unappealing. It'll end up staying in my bag after the novelty of it wore off. The exact distance a laser rangefinder provides is appealing but overkill for the vast majority of golfers including me. Most of us only need a fairly accurate distance. Third, I wanted something that was portable enough to ensure I would use it frequently.
Admittedly, handheld gps units are good but cannot match the accuracy of a good laser unit. That's not the point. GPS units allow you to enjoy the game by giving you fairly accurate distances to hazards and greens. They also serve to speed up the game. If you've ever golfed a public course on a Saturday you know what I mean (people searching for yardage markers, etc.).
So here's my take on the Approach S3 after two rounds. Set-up was fairly easy with the exception of the language issue others have mentioned. I followed the instructions of one of the other reviewers and it worked. The first time at the course it took about 4 minutes to acquire the satellites. The second round (at a different course) it took less than a minute. The yardages seemed to be spot on 50 yards or more from the green. Inside of 50 yards I became skeptical of the yardage the S3 was giving. Fortunately, I rely mostly on feel at that distance anyway so it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I think this issue is endemic to most GPS units.
The "measure" feature is pretty cool and easy to use. There is a dedicated button on the upper left hand side of the unit and was helpful in enabling me to check my club distances frequently. The scoring feature inaccurately showed my score in each round but I later found that either I failed to enter in my score on one of the holes or it didn't register. Either way, I was able to go back and update for the missing hole and it correctly calculated the score. I'll keep an eye on this and update accordingly.
Battery life is acceptable. I had about 70% of battery life left after a three and a half hour round. It should be able to get through a two round day.
I love the portability of the unit....being able to look down at your wrist and get a distance is great. My buddy, who has a Sky Caddie SGX, started asking me for distances when he saw the Approach was mirroring the distances he got from his Sky Caddie. You just can't beat the convenience.
My one complaint is the "green view". Moving the flag pin on the watch can be frustrating at times due to the size of the screen....it's just not conducive to that type of feature. Each time it took more than one try to position the flag stick correctly but not annoying enough to be a deal breaker.
In conclusion, I don't think you will be disappointed with the S3 if you're expectations for accuracy are grounded. Remember, it will not be as accurate as a laser rangefinder (given you use the laser correctly...they have their own set of issues).
So I made my mind up to invest in another yardage aide. I spent a week researching and weighing the pros and cons of gps vs. laser. It came down to a few key points. First, as I mentioned previously, I am not a scratch golfer. I like exact distances but do not hit my clubs consistently enough for +/5 yards to make that much of a difference. Second, I know me. The idea of taking a laser rangefinder out every time I need a distance is unappealing. It'll end up staying in my bag after the novelty of it wore off. The exact distance a laser rangefinder provides is appealing but overkill for the vast majority of golfers including me. Most of us only need a fairly accurate distance. Third, I wanted something that was portable enough to ensure I would use it frequently.
Admittedly, handheld gps units are good but cannot match the accuracy of a good laser unit. That's not the point. GPS units allow you to enjoy the game by giving you fairly accurate distances to hazards and greens. They also serve to speed up the game. If you've ever golfed a public course on a Saturday you know what I mean (people searching for yardage markers, etc.).
So here's my take on the Approach S3 after two rounds. Set-up was fairly easy with the exception of the language issue others have mentioned. I followed the instructions of one of the other reviewers and it worked. The first time at the course it took about 4 minutes to acquire the satellites. The second round (at a different course) it took less than a minute. The yardages seemed to be spot on 50 yards or more from the green. Inside of 50 yards I became skeptical of the yardage the S3 was giving. Fortunately, I rely mostly on feel at that distance anyway so it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I think this issue is endemic to most GPS units.
The "measure" feature is pretty cool and easy to use. There is a dedicated button on the upper left hand side of the unit and was helpful in enabling me to check my club distances frequently. The scoring feature inaccurately showed my score in each round but I later found that either I failed to enter in my score on one of the holes or it didn't register. Either way, I was able to go back and update for the missing hole and it correctly calculated the score. I'll keep an eye on this and update accordingly.
Battery life is acceptable. I had about 70% of battery life left after a three and a half hour round. It should be able to get through a two round day.
I love the portability of the unit....being able to look down at your wrist and get a distance is great. My buddy, who has a Sky Caddie SGX, started asking me for distances when he saw the Approach was mirroring the distances he got from his Sky Caddie. You just can't beat the convenience.
My one complaint is the "green view". Moving the flag pin on the watch can be frustrating at times due to the size of the screen....it's just not conducive to that type of feature. Each time it took more than one try to position the flag stick correctly but not annoying enough to be a deal breaker.
In conclusion, I don't think you will be disappointed with the S3 if you're expectations for accuracy are grounded. Remember, it will not be as accurate as a laser rangefinder (given you use the laser correctly...they have their own set of issues).