Schlage BE365VCAM716 Camelot Keypad Deadbolt, Aged Bronze

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $238.00
Sale Price: $116.12
Today's Bonus: 51% Off

For years we have been using a key pad activated deadbolt for front doors in our various homes no keys to lose or give to various family members only four digit codes. Up until now, all of the key pad units we have installed, extend and retract the deadbolt using a small battery powered electric motor.

This issue we've encountered is when the batteries become weak, the motor (in some cases) does not have enough power to retract the bolt and we must revert to another entrance to get into our home. Although these unit allow one to use a key to override the electronics, we never seem to have the key "on us" when it's needed. Fortunately we have a keypad on our garage door and that serves as an alternative entrance when this occurs. These deadbolt retraction failures have been occurring more and more often even with fresh batteries. I suspect the motor is or has worn out.

With this in mind, I shopped the market for an electronically activated dead bolt with manual bolt action. In other words, instead of a motor extending and retracting the deadbolt, one would use a lever or knob to perform this function. The keypad (electronic segment of the unit) would serve to activate the manual knob or lever. I found the Schlage BE365VCAM619 Camelot Deadbolt Keypad, Satin Nickel on Amazon at an extremely reasonable price and it has all of the features I wanted electronic key pad activation, manual extension and retraction of the deadbolt upon activation.

The unit arrived yesterday and after a few problems with the unit being confused as to whether the bolt was retracted or extended (my fault), the unit works perfectly. Note, I already had a deadbolt lockset on the door, so it was a simple process of removing the old, and installing the new.

It's an extremely high quality unit without the cheap plastic casing my prior unit had on the inside casing. It's all metal. Changing or adding key pad codes (combinations) is relatively easy. One must enter the units six digit master code (don't lose this code, keep it in a place that you can go to each time you wish to change the codes Using a permanent marker, I wrote it on the inside of the lock), and then enter your personal four digit code. We use two codes however the unit can store many codes. You may want to add a temporary code to let a service technician into your home, then delete that code when the work is completed.

One feature I like is the lighted key pad which our old unit did not have. If we forget to turn on the porch light, by simply pressing the "schlage" button at the top of the keypad, the keys light up.

Here's the basic operation.

When you're leaving the house, close the door, press the "schlage" button, wait for the click, then extend the deadbolt. You'll hear a confirmation click confirming that the locking knob/lever has been disengaged from the deadbolt after the deadbolt has been extended.

When you arrive home, simply enter your four digit code, you'll hear a click, then manually retract the deadbolt and enter the home. I you wish to use the keypad light; simply press the "schlage" button to light it up. Obviously this is not needed during daylight hours.

Basically the nine volt battery is operating the keypad, a knob/level engagement solenoid and the keypad back light and should last for hundreds and hundreds cycles.

Bottom Line I highly recommend this high quality unit.

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Nikon D5000 12.3MP DX CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $999.95
Sale Price: $949.95
Today's Bonus: 5% Off

I've had this camera for 6 weeks now. Initially there was a recall on the D5000 for a failing power chip but my camera was not part of the recall. There are several nice features of this camera but none more important than it takes beautiful pictures. Shots taken at full 12.3 Megapixel fine outdoor have incredible detail. I've made blowup up to 12 x 18 and the clarity is stunning. The camera fits nicely in the hand. It has 11 focal points and 16 presets for specific situations (i.e. sunset, indoor party, sport mode, photograph children, etc. ) This makes it a very easy camera to use in the automatic mode but yet, it has all the manual settings for those who want to venture out into creative photography. One very special feature is the articulating 2.7 inch LCD display on the back of the camera. This display folds out allowing me to get low shots of the grand children without me bending over (I got a bad back) or allows me to lift the camera high and shoot over a crowd (like at a parade). Do not underestimate the advantage of this moving display. For me, it clinched the deal. The camera will shoot 4 frames per second for action pictures and that's pretty fast. You can also capture pictures in RAW format for those who want to work with Photoshop in super fine detail. Another feature that is pretty neat is the outline feature. Within the camera, you can select a picture you've taken and it will create an outline picture with white background. I take pictures of the grandchildren and print them in outline on white paper and they can now have very personalized coloring pages of them! For an artist who like to paint, they can use the outline pictures to have a sketched "canvas" that they can paint with everything being in perfect proportion. For educators of small children, imagine the possibility of the children coloring themselves on pages just like a coloring book. These "coloring/painting" pages are created WITHOUT destroying the original picture! This is a very nice camera that exceeded my expectations. The camera in automatic is rarely fooled and every snapshot I take makes me glad I choose the D5000. I got the two lens kit which covers from 18mm to 200mm. The camera even has some photo editing features you can do right from the camera like spot removal. All in all, I could not be happier with this camera. Nikon does a nice job with their products and this unit has rekindled a love of photography that had gone dormant in me.

Follow up after 5 months of ownership.

I continue to enjoy this camera very much. It is a solid performer. I recently bought rubber "armor" skin for the camera to protect it and that has worked out well. The camera does a very good job in Auto mode and you are tempted to just keep it there for all your pictures. However, I have branched out to the "program" mode which allows you to override the settings it chooses and play around with adjustments on aperture and shutter speed for "more creative" photography. I bought David Busch's book on the D5000 which gives you a lot of info not in the manual. The Vibration Reduction works very well on the camera and I'm getting good looking pictures on a regular basis. Our son got married and I gave the D5000 to my nephew and asked him to take pictures as he saw fit. From that I got a bunch of good family pictures that I will always cherish.

So, my rating remains the same with absolutely no regret. After moving to the D5000 from a point and shoot camera the difference has been night and day as to the quality of pictures I've been getting. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of a DSLR to consider this camera. It is fun to use and has a plethora of features that makes photography fun without breaking the bank.

ONE year ownership follow up:

After a year of ownership I am happy to report the camera continues to please me with it's great picture taking ability. There has never been any time in the last year that I regreted getting this camera. It has continued to perform flawlessly and I still have not used all the special features of this camera. The price has dropped (to be expected) and I think the D5000 is a great buy. One caution though. If you get this camera, be prepared to start loading up your hard drive with 12.3 megapixel pictures. With this great resolution, you never want to dial it back down, even though you can. Nice job Nikon!!!!

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Sigma DP1s 14MP Sensor Digital Camera

Customer Ratings:

I guess you probably read the technical reviews and now are wondering what insanity would compel you to buy a DP1? If you're reading this review, you're seduced by the idea of great photos from a small package. Period.

If you like sharp, stunning results and come from the learn-the-camera school, you'll forget how much you paid for it long before you forget the joyous photographs you took with it. It's slow all right, but to me it's just part of the way the camera handles. I can handle that.

I researched cameras for weeks before I settled for a DP1s via Amazon for an amazingly reasonable price. I read many reviews panning the camera. My favorite critique was "on-off button in a bad place". Geez. If Sigma put it where this reviewer wanted it, someone else wouldn't like that location, either.

The bottom line is this: If a camera is capable of producing stunning photographs (which it does), then buy it and LEARN TO USE IT. I love my Nikon D80 and lenses, but I don't always want to carry it with me. I've had two small Canon point-n-shoots and they were tough and reliable, but the small size consistently gave me distorted, average grade photos. It disappointed me greatly when I compared them to the Nikon's quality.

So I searched for the holy grail of gear: a smallish camera with a sharp edge-to-edge lense and big pixel resolution. I think I've found it.

I purchased the optional lense barrel and hood including a Hoya UV filter. The lense barrel actually makes it easier to handle. And best of all, no one pays any attention to me because I put that little Sigma around my neck with the OEM strap and I blend in with the crowd. Folks stiffen up when you poke around with your big DSLR with pro-sized glass; however, few know that I'm packing DSLR resolution in the little camera.

I heartily recommend it to the serious photographer who wants a powerful and small package.

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Canon PowerShot SX280 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 20x

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $399.00
Sale Price: $239.00
Today's Bonus: 40% Off

Initial indications after taking just a few photos at different settings left me very impressed with the SX260. Picture quality and zoom are fabulous. Startup is quick as well as the speed at which it focuses and ultimately takes the photo. Finger grip on the front is a nice touch for a camera of this size and weight. It can easily slip out of your hands and this certainly helps (I always struggled with this on my smaller, lighter Canons).

Some annoyances are the flash on the top where you tend to place your finger. Not sure about the "easy setting" on the dial for taking pictures. I understand the overall point, I just don't know how it makes things any simpler than the full auto function. I would have liked to see them take this off the dial and replace it with a pre-programmed scene setting or the capability to have a fully programmable setting. Along those same lines, there appears to be a couple "empty" spots on the dial that I think could have been reserved for the ability to pre-program some settings.

I would probably give the camera a 4.5 rating given the flash location, but the picture quality and zoom for the price make this an awesome point and shoot.

I have not yet used the GPS, but will try this weekend to see how it affects the battery.

UPDATE April 27, 2012:

Went on a 7 hour hike with the GPS on, took 80 photos and a couple videos and battery is still at full strength. Very happy with the photo quality. Still highly recommend this camera.

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Sanyo Eneloop AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargable Batteries

Customer Ratings:

Funny, everyone seems so thrilled about how they come charged out of the box. While this is nice and convenient, the bigger picture is *why* they can come charged out of the box: they discharge at a much slower rate than normal (NiMH) rechargeable batteries. If you use your battery-needing product often, you may not notice this, but for things you use sporadically, this is a godsend. No more coming home from vacation to find your TV remote control is dead. No more grabbing your digital camera after three weeks of not using it only to find it won't start up.

These batteries are, indeed, the best of both worlds: they have the power and reuse advantages of a good NiMH battery, but the slow steady discharge of an Alkaline disposable. Look no further -this is the rechargeable you've been waiting for.

And if you had to guess, I'm happy with my first set and about to order more... :)

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Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $169.00
Sale Price: $144.00
Today's Bonus: 15% Off

I bought this lens along with the Nikon D50 kit that included the 18-55mm lens.

It does Macro (200-300mm) down to about .95m (3 ft). It does tend to hunt for focus quite a bit using the camera's AF-A setting, but does not when in AF-S, however focus is lost quickly when hand-holding. In this situation I end up using an indoor studio with the camera on a tripod, so I set the focus manually anyway.

The Macro setting allows up to a 1:2 magnification at 300, and about 1:3 at 200mm. This is done by allowing closer focusing than the normal 1.5m (5 ft).

When using Macro, the lens is locked to 200-300mm, and you must focus to the normal range before you can flip the switch and zoom back to under 200mm. This can be a slight problem as the lens DOES NOT have a M/A focusing switch. You must go to manual focusing via the camera, focus to normal range, flip lens macro switch, then you can go back down below 200mm and/or re-engage your autofocus.

I have not had any major problems with this lens, and actually enjoy the pictures that I get from it during sports and other telephoto needed activities. It does need a steady hand at the extreme end during lower light levels because it does not have VR, but for what it is made for I have not had any trouble getting sharp pictures. Just don't use it in low light without a tripod.

Focusing is smooth in the normal mode from 1.5m (5 ft) to infinity and it just under 1/4 turn from lock to lock. (Macro is 1/2 turn)

Zooming is smooth from 70mm to about 200mm, and then bunches up (gets slightly harder to turn) from 200 to 300. It zooms back down smoothly the entire way. It is not internally focusing, so at minimum (70mm at infinity) it is about 5" out from the camera, and at maximum (300mm at 3 ft) it is about 8" long.

It has a manual aperture ring at the base, but for autofocus cameras it recommends leaving it locked at max (f/22). [Since it is a D-model lens, it is made for the DX-sized sensor which is smaller than 35mm, and will have vignetting on 35mm, but all DSLRs are autofocus so why they included this is confusing. Just leave it locked at f/22]

The filter ring is 58mm in size. Includes caps, and cylindrical hood that fits nicely, and stores backward on the lens covering the body during storage. Mine has a matte-black finish, but I've seen regular semi-gloss plastic as well.

If you are on a budget, and want to get into telephoto or Macro photography, this lens is great. It does take a bit to get used to, but for the price, I have been satisfied.

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HP dm4-3090se (14.0-Inch Screen) Laptop

Customer Ratings:

Favorable:

* Sharp, anti-glare screen

* Hybrid hard drive speeds up boot times noticeably

* Unique red-backlit keyboard

* Impressive battery life, given the specs

* Beats Audio provides better-than-average sound

Unfavorable:

* Premium HP Envy lineup is only $150 more

* Lid is a fingerprint haven

* Terrible speaker placement

* Tight USB ports

* On/Off Wi-Fi button easily pressed by accident

Introduction:

As a college student, my main justifications for selling off my previous computer was for better portability and battery life. Lugging my thick, weighty Dell around campus wasn't very fun, and although it got the job done, I ultimately decided a different laptop would serve my current needs much better. My initial goal was to end up with a thin and light or possibly an ultraportable. A Toshiba Portege r835 or Asus Zenbook perhaps. So, how in the world did I end up with the HP dm4-3090se? The short answer: The formerly mentioned machines simply didn't have the features I longed for. The longer, more descriptive answer: I can't wrap it all into one sentence, but keep reading and I promise I'll tell you!

Specifications:

I'll keep this section short and sweet since Amazon has the specs readily available on this webpage. This computer came with an i5-2450M @ 2.5 GHz and Turbo Boost Technology of up to 3.1 GHz. 500GB 7200RPM Hard drive with a 20GB mSATA drive*. 6GB of RAM. 14-inch anti-glare (matte) screen with a maximum resolution of 1600 x 900. Red-backlit keyboard, no number pad included. 3 USB Ports ( Two 3.0 and One 2.0), HDMI Port, Ethernet Port, Card Reader, Beats Audio with Subwoofer. In other words, this laptop is loaded.

*HP has recently increased the mSATA capacity from 20GB to 32GB. My machine came with a 32GB.

Unboxing and Initial Impressions:

I bought this laptop off Amazon and it arrived a couple of days later by UPS. Upon opening the box, I was greeted with the power cord, battery, setup instructions, a packet featuring advertisements for HP's many accessories and Norton Anti-Virus, and the laptop itself nicely placed in a cloth sleeve. There is some widespread confusion about whether there is a Beats Audio headphone included and I can say with certainty that there are no headphones, of any kind, included with this computer. It would have been nice, but HP isn't feeling quite that generous.

I pressed the power button, located in the top, left corner, expecting a somewhat slow boot time. Any brand new Windows-based computer has to go through the dreaded "Preparing Windows for first time use" screen before use. From my experience, this can take up to three minutes! So it goes without saying that I was completely taken aback at how fast the setup was. I can't give you a specific time length, but it was asking what I wanted to name the computer in well under a minute. And thanks to the hybrid hard drive, boot up times are always between 10-15 seconds.

Design and Features:

As this is the Beats Audio Special Edition of the current dm4 lineup, the user is graced with a nearly all black finish. A major plus, for me anyways, is the matte black covering most areas. This cuts down the reflections and annoying glares that come being outside in the sunlight or in a classroom full of florescent lights. The top lid is all black, save the now iconic Beats symbol placed in the very center. Open the notebook up and you are greeted with even more black. In fact, the keyboard, trackpad, and palm rests are graced in a mute, matte black finish . It makes for one very cool-looking laptop, to say the least.

The screen is gorgeous! The first thing everyone should know, is that this is a matte screen. Simply put, the horrendous reflections brought on by glossy screens are a thing of the past! I know glossy has had its fair share of user backlash, and it still stumps me as to why computer manufacturers continue to put these screens on the majority of machines. This screen also features a resolution of 1600x900, also a rarity in the 14-inch laptop world. Text will be smaller, but less pixilated and much sharper.

The next thing I went for was the keyboard. It has a red-backlight! Keep in mind, this feature can be turned off or on by pressing F5. Some users may be turned off by the color, and I admit that it probably isn't for everyone. It isn't blinding bright, but at the same time it isn't particularly mute. For me, it is just right. And to top it off, typing is a breeze!

The Beats Audio provides a very loud and clear sound. I primarily listen to hip-hop and R&B and noticed right off the bat how natural the sound was. There is a subwoofer as well, lending a hand on the low end. Given this combination, music sounds full and without noticeable distortion. It's a shame, however, that HP placed the speakers on the very front, at an angle. This often muffles the sound, especially if you have the notebook in your lap or on the bed.

Drawbacks:

First off, there is no dedicated graphics card, only the industry standard Intel HD 3000. This particular con varies on severity, depending on intended use. The causal user probably won't notice the difference, but for you gamers and video editors out there, consider a different laptop.

The lid cover, and even the keys, attract fingerprints heavily. Being black, fingerprints tend to show up more than usual.

The USB ports are quite tight. Attempting to inject and deject my USB flash drive was a job in itself. It took two hands, one to hold the computer in place, the other to pull the device from the port.

The Wi-Fi switch is in a terrible location. The F12 key serves as an automatic on/off switch of your wireless card and accidentally pressing it during a download or Skype conversation can have tumultuous effects on one's sanity.

What Makes This Laptop Worth the Purchase (Conclusion):

See, I promised if you kept reading I would tell you why I chose the dm4-3090se! The current going price of this laptop is around $830, and if you are still reading this review, you obviously want to be as informed as possible before making such a purchase. I don't blame you. After hours of debating, I ultimately chose this machine for the following reasons:

* The i5 Sandy Bridge Processor. Dual core @ 2.5 GHz

* 6GB Random Access Memory (RAM)

* The screen. A matte finish and 1600x900 resolution. This was the deciding factor in my purchase.

* Hybrid Hard Drive

* Red-backlit keyboard

* Beats Audio

* USB 3.0

* HDMI

Laptops with comparable specs are normally in the "premium" category and beyond the $1000 price point, such as the HP Envy line. Granted, for only $150 more you can have an Envy with an all metal finish and a slot-loading optical drive. But you also get a standard resolution (1366x768) glossy screen and an added pound of weight to carry. So for me, the screen was what set this laptop apart from the competition. People often overlook this pivotal feature, assuming all laptops are glossy and reflective with a single resolution. But the screen is what you will be looking at, possibly for hours, and if you aren't happy with the screen, how can you be truly happy with the laptop?

Savvy shoppers tend to be weary of HP and the company's shaky reputation. This will unfortunately deter many prospective buyers who would be perfectly happy with this computer if they gave it a chance. Initial usage is impressive, with the few complaints being quite trivial. If the previously mentioned specifications fits your needs, I urge you to seriously consider this laptop. It is truly unlike any other notebook currently on the market and is a true miracle for the anti-glare, pro-matte screen consumer.

EDIT:

For readers obsessed with numbers, here is the most recent Windows Experience Index:

Processor 7.0

Memory (RAM) 7.4

Graphics 5.9

Gaming Graphics 6.3

Primary Hard Disk 5.9

EDIT: After reading comments by Zvika and OJMH, I installed Intel's Rapid Storage Technology driver, restarted the computer, and was able to see the true capacity of my mSATA drive. It is in fact 32GB! I have edited this review to reflect that. I don't know what drive is 20GB under the System Properties menu, but like Reinaldo mentioned, the mSATA is not visible by this method. So I believe this drive works as a cache, which is the true reason for such a fast start-up. Either way, this systems performance is more than adequate and I am still happy with it! Thanks to Reinaldo, OJMH, and Zvika for the clarification.

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Casio Exilim EX-FH20 9.1MP Digital Camera 20x Optical Zoom 1000

Customer Ratings:

These other reviews seem to be missing the point. This is the only dsl on the market (that I can find) that will shoot video in 1000 fps mode. This is not a super-high resolution camera, although it takes fine pictures, but it's high-speed capture mode works like a charm. The need for higher levels of light is inherent to hi-speed filming so even videographers working with the most state of the art models will necessarily experience this drawback. If you are looking for an affordable alternative to the multi-thousand dollar hi-speed cameras this is a great choice. If you want a super-high resolution camera, obviously this product isn't what you're looking for.

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Sony NEX-3NL/W NEX-3N NEX3NL NEX3NLW Compact Interchangeable

Customer Ratings:

I am upgrading from a point and shoot digital camera so to me this is light years ahead of what I had.

After extensive research, I was waiting for this camera for a long time and was hoping that the included lens would be great. My overall impression from other reviews is that the camera isn't ground-breaking but it does a lot of what people will want and cut out things people wouldn't necessarily use. The included lens from what I can tell is very middle-of-the-road and functional.

If you are upgrading from a point-and-shoot like me (Canon ELPH in my case), then you will be amazed by this camera for the reasonable price it costs. To be honest, I don't have time to mess around with settings to get the "optimum" look for pictures, but the automatic settings on this camera work great to take care of my new baby. Maybe when I get some more time to sit down with the manual and tweak some stuff I will try to do more manual stuff, but at this point in my life I just want great pictures fast.

If you are already a DSLR person or you already have ICL (like the previous NEX 5R), then there is really no reason to get this one unless you want something with a slightly smaller form factor.

The accessories that came with the pack are great so far. The little bag it came with fits everything I would bring along with me.

OVERALL:

I would place this camera in the nice sweet spot of: "I want better pictures than my iPhone/Smartphone can provide on the fly, but I don't want to lug around a DSLR." and in that category, this one is best bang for your buck in my opinion.

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Glidecam 2000 Pro Hand-Held Stabilizer

Customer Ratings:

I KNOW THIS REVIEW IS LONG, BUT IT IS HELPFUL... READ ON:

I recently bought the Glidecam because i was looking for smooth footage for my films, and I made the right choice. After spending more than one whole hour just trying to balance the stabilizer, I tested it out, and when the gib doesnt rotate all by itself, the camera gets some pretty smooth footage, now here are some things you should know:"

1. I tested this stabilizer in my apartment, which with all the mess, does not have much running space, so my shots are too short to really judge to detail

2. If you have one of those small DV cameras like the panasonic NV-GS250, or basically any camera thats smaller than the one in the picture then THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU BUY THIS becasue you WILL have a rough time getting the stabilizer to work. When the camera is too light, the gib in the middle (where the handle is) rotates on its own, and since the counterweights provided are only multiples of one amount of weight (eg. so many pieces of 1/2 pound weights) then adjusting the "camera to counter-weight" ratio is difficult.

3. The stabilizer is VERY VERY sensitive, i balanced it out with the camera attached (a DVD is provided to teach you everything about stabilizing the Glidecam) and when i flipped open the camera's lcd screen the whole thing became unbalanced, and i had to balance it again, which is time consuming.

4. This stabilizer revolves 360 degrees from side to side, and rotates 360 degrees so you can stand still and have the camera get a shot of everything in the room around you instead of you rotating around.

Now DO NOT PRESS THE BACK BUTTON JUST YET! It is time consuming to set up the stabilizer, but (according to the DVD provided which has many many shots taken using the stabilizer) the shots that you will take with this stabilizer are 99% perfect, your video will turn out so smooth it will appear like the camera IS ACTUALLY flying... I actually managed to shoot like 3 or 4 seconds worth of smooth footage before the camera started rotating because of the camera's light weight. I personally plan to either find a bigger and somewhat heavier camera, or buy light enough weights to add to the counter-weights till the stabilizer is prefectly balanced....

OVERALL: If you are looking for a Stabilizer for a good price, totally go for it, if you are looking for something more professional, Glidecam has many other products for more professional use.

Hope this was helpful

Enjoy :)

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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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Lowepro CompuTrekker Plus AW

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this backpack for my husband, who is an avid digital photographer. He shoots with a Digital Rebel XT, and has the usual (and perpetually expanding) assortment of lenses, filters, cords, laptop, and tripod to be hauled about. This bag carries it all, with room to spare. It is sturdy and well constructed, nicely padded, and the little miscellaneous pockets and pouches are logical and abundant (for things such as memory cards, pens, notepads, etc.)

It is larger than we expected. Of course, that is *why* it has so much room, but if it were full to capacity it might be difficult for a small-framed person to carry comfortably. That is absolutely the only reason I did not give it 5 stars, it is a great product!

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Lorex LW2110 Wireless Digital Security Camera

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $159.95
Sale Price: $89.99
Today's Bonus: 44% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program My husband installed this security camera on our front porch and the receiver on our Samsung TV. The installation was reasonably simple once the RCA adapter was found inside the box. The biggest concern with installation was finding a power source for the camera on the outside of my house. For many people the need for a power source near the camera will be a deciding factor as to whether or not to buy a wireless or wired system. (Wireless systems require a power source near the camera to run the wireless transmitter.) The receiver is located in the center of my house with the signal traveling through several walls and a brick facade. Despite this, the picture is still clear on my TV. The video only refreshes a few times per second giving a choppy display as you would expect from a security camera and not a webcam. There is no audio included with this system; however, if you're looking for a wireless digital security camera with good range and picture quality and connects to most devices, this camera may be a good choice for you.

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Night Owl Security STA-84 Night Owl Security 8 Channel STA DVR

Customer Ratings:

I have been using this system now for over 6 months. It has never crashed, and has actually saved me in a legal matter. A major delivery company delivered 3 laptops to my home, leaving them on my porch except they really only delivered 2! Caught on tape! BAM, no problem getting that claim paid extremely quickly.

The set up of the dvr is not entirely intuitive. It does include a helpful CD/DVD installation media; which includes a full manual, and software for most every platform for controlling and viewing the cameras. The best resource is the company's website. They have a very robust website, with video links to every imaginable question answered and demonstrated on film.

You could just stick up the cameras, plug them in, and everything would work. No doubt, most will want to delve in a bit to customize some of the settings.

I will break this into 2 sections. The DVR itself including software, and the cameras.

The DVR:

It is black in color, light weight, and housed in a metal case. The are multiple ports on the back for up to 16 bnc connectors, Video out: vga (dsub) and BNC (includes adapter BNC to RCA plug), usb mouse, ethernet, pan tilt and zoom, and DC power supply input.

You should know that if you are putting this near your entertainment stack, there is an annoying red light that will incessantly blink when motion is detected and the unit is recording. You can obviously fix this with a bit of tape.

The interface is a bit quirky, but you can figure it out fairly quickly. Mostly, left click selects, and right click takes you back. Somehow the network autoconfigure, automatically opened all of the necessary ports on my Verizon FIOS router. I am capable of accomplishing this task, but it was nice not to have to worry about it. The main port that need to be opened is 9000 (media) and port 80 (web) on your network. You will also need your IP address. (this is the ip for your router, not your computer) visit ipchicken . com to find it quickly.

!!!!!> !!!!!

I do not recall seeing it anywhere in the manual but you MUST set a user name AND password for any of the network stuff to work.

You will need to adjust the color for your cameras. None of my cameras had good color by default. I was able to achieve pretty good results by fooling around with the color options in the camera control submenu.

Other than setting the motion areas (accomplished by clicking and dragging) and color recording time slots, if you choose that -there is not much else use for the dvr's menus. Most everything else you will do through the web interface.

I did not use the DNS web address that is offered. I used the nightowl dvr software (NETVIEWER) that is available from the website or off of the cd. It is very robust, and allows for a multitude of options. From the nightowl dvr software menu you can designate cameras to send you digital snaps when motion is detected (you need a gmail address). To use NETVIEWER you need to have port 9000 open on your router. Then input your ip address (ip chicken remember) the user name (you pick) and password (no restrictions here).

From netviewer you can play back captured footage. Simply select a date, and a channel (camera), you will then be presented with a time-stamped list of all the recordings for that date. As you play back these files, they are automatically saved to your computer. The default path is under "Local Settings". Once these files have been downloaded, you can really easily convert them to standard *.avi file using the converter that is on the included dvd (or download from website). it takes mere seconds and I used it to give to the police, and the delivery company.

There are Pan/Tilt/Zoom features available in the Netviewer console as well, however none of the included cameras have this feature.

You can also playback LIVE video only, using an iPad or iPhone. The Nightowl app is available in the app store. It is a drag that you can only view live video, but their support team has assured me that you will have that ability in an upcoming release.

One GREAT use for this is checking to see if your amazon delivery has been left on your porch yet or not!

Overall the DVR does exactly what it claims. I have a 500gb drive, and I still don't think I have begun to overwrite yet (another feature you can set from the DVR interface). The playback is clear, and reliable. The motion capture record works very well. You can have it capture june bugs flying around, up to squirrels, or only catch the delivery driver stealing your laptops.

THE CAMERAS:

They are a step up from total crap. They do not fogup, so far none have failed, and if they do get a little rain on them, it tends to roll off quickly. I did treat mine with rain-x so they work even better now, but it was never a problem before through rain, sleet, AND snow.

You get 8 with the STA186. They are all the same. A hooded full metal body, and painted metal base. The cameras are connected to the dvr via the included BNC+DC combo cables that are included. I think they are all 60ft long. I needed 2 cables of 100ft, which I found here on amazon for a very reasonable price. The power is provided by 2 included DC power supplies (some people call them transformers). Each power supply powers 4 cameras (there is a sort of Hydra connector that turns the single plug into 4). Be sure to note the 'sex' of your cables before you run them. It matters which way the power plug goes! I was in some pretty inhospitable spots with my install and would never want to have to go back. I used a 5/8" speed bore for my cable runs to get through. This is a fairly tight squeeze that requires you to first push through the BNC connector, then power connector. A little expanding foam or caulk will fix the hole.

The camera mount is secured by 3 screws. The included screws are total crap you will likely want to use your own. You will want to the have the cameras removed from the base while mounting the bases. The camera is easily removed from the base by unscrewing the set screw that allows the camera to rotate around a recessed collar. The further adjustment of the camera is accomplished by a ball-socket connection that can be secured using the finger adjustment nuts.

A helpful hint I used was to have the iPad on the ladder with me as I adjusted the cameras.

One issue with the cameras is the night-vision feature sometimes creates some distortion in medium-low light. When the camera is getting confused as to whether to run in night mode or full color. Speaking of Night mode they shine here. The night vision feature is excellent, and in some ways more clear than the full color.

My overall impression is very good on the system as a whole. The biggest complaint is the camera quality. The DVR interface is a little less than intuitive but the NetViewer software is excellent. iOS APP works great on the iPhone and the iPad.

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Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF-S

Customer Ratings:

Pics from this camera are great. Presently I am using only automatic/basic mode since I am new to DSLR. The whole bundle worth for money. But the bag and tripod not a very good quality. Seems better than similar deals. Dealer is very responsive. I would strongly recommend this product/bundle to a friend.

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Vivitar 8400YL ViviCam 8 MP Compact System Camera with 2.4-Inch

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.99
Sale Price: $65.98
Today's Bonus: 67% Off

Just got this camera, and so far find it to be a fantastic value. I was drawn to this camera by it's price and megapixel size (of up to 8.1). This price I got it for is very competitive with similar cameras of lower 3-6 megapixel ranges (I snagged it for about ninety dollars).

But please do keep an eye on the prices because I've seen the price on this change very frequently (in a matter of minutes) and vary about $15, since I started writing this review.

Why else did I get it? I'm going on a trip to the Bahamas in August and don't want to take 35mm underwater disposable cameras with me. Airport X-ray machines can ruin the film if it's in your carry on (since most of those cameras use ISO 800 film) and that's the only luggage I plan on bringing. So I wanted to take a digital camera since I'll be snorkeling while I'm down there, as well as have it not get ruined if it fell off a kayak or it started to rain. I'm too terrified to try one of those underwater pouches for my primary camera (a Samsung S700) due to lack of reviews on the pouch-type it would require and fear that if it got ruined I'd be out my favorite camera so I've opted for this camera and so far I am SO glad I did! Vivitar seems to have fit a lot of nice features into this point & shoot camera.

But if you're looking for a professional camera, let me stop you right now and tell you to look elsewhere as this probably won't be anywhere near your expectations. This is by no means considered a professional camera. However, if you're looking for a better option than a 35mm underwater disposable... then it CERTAINLY provides better results than a 35mm film underwater point and shoot camera. I say this with experience from using those 35mm film underwater disaster cameras but from also working in a photo lab where I've seen the vast majority of what those cameras produce at water parks and the Caribbean... and the Vivitar Vivicam 8400 camera is by far so much better.

I tested it in my friends pool yesterday and it had no leaks around the gasket/closing mechanism and the pictures were surprisingly clear! I will add some sample photos to the product gallery as soon as I get some I'm willing to share with the public at-large. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 and that's because I'm nitpicking.

Pro's:

Water resistant up to 30 feet!

Supports an external SD memory card in up to 8GBs in size! This was great for me as I already have plenty of this type of card from my other camera. And this type card is generally inexpensive compared to other size cards. Just to give you an idea of storage capacity I put a 4gb SD card in the camera and it said I could store 1596 pictures at the highest 8.1mp setting OR 1 hour 37 minutes and 15 seconds of video! Obviously, you can do a combination of each if you switch between the modes.

Uses AA size batteries. I've been using energizer rechargeables in this and got a decent amount of life from them from STEADY non-stop use. My suggestion would be to use the photo lithium or the rechargeables as I'm sure that just like all other digital cameras on the market, that they would probably suck the life out of the cheaper basic alkalines.

Reasonably large LCD screen on the camera at 2.4 inches.

Can record photos AND video.

Comes with an adjustable wrist strap so it's easy to secure to your wrist--however, should it come off your wrist the bright yellow color of this camera makes it easy to spot to retrieve unlike the blue model.

Sinks somewhat, so you won't have to deal with too much resistance to keep it staying underwater.

Has the screw hole on the camera's base for mounting to a tripod.

When powering off the camera it clearly displays "Bye-Bye" on the LCD screen.

Easy 1 touch "Mode" button to switch between capturing still photos or video.

Lightning bolt button easily lets you change from auto-flash, flash (for all photos), or no-flash.

Can take photos with Super Fine, Fine, or Normal settings.

Although the camera is 8.1MP, you have the choice of shooting photos in the following resolutions (8M, 5M, 3M, 2M, 0.3M)-This can be great if you're limited on how much space is on your memory card.

You can adjust the white balance in Still Photo mode OR in Video mode. It defaults to "AWB" (auto white balance) but if you know how you're lighting will affect your photos you can change it between Auto, Day Light, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Cloudy.

There are 3 Color Effect options to shoot photos in: Color, Sepia and Monochrome.

There's the option of changing the exposure setting from (-2.0 to +2.0): -2.0, -1.5, -1.0, -0.5, Auto, +0.5, +1.0, +1.5, +2.0

It offers a Self Timer of either 10 seconds or 20 seconds.

Date stamp is optional.

A "Burst Snapshot" feature allows you to set up the camera to take 3 continuous images as you move the camera.

Video's are recorded in *.AVI format which are compatible with most Windows type movie-maker programs (ex: Windows Movie Maker, Corel VideoStudio, and many others)

You can change the resolution of the video recording from 640x480 or 320x240. AND change how many frames per second it records (15fps or 30fps)

You can "lock" the pictures you've taken to prevent them from being accidentally deleted.

A Rotate option allows you to rotate photos taken at a 5M resolution or lower, on the camera.

English not your primary language? No problem. There are 7 language options to choose from on the submenu: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.

You can set the light frequency from 50Hz to 60Hz.

The beep/buzzer sound on the camera isn't annoying loud, but you can disable it if you'd like.

Comes with a USB/TV-out cable so that you can play back your photos on the TV or even take photos or video's while hooked up to the TV! Just use the USB cable provided, plug the small end into the camera and then the yellow jack to your yellow jack on your TV, and then turn on the camera! (I've never had this feature before and I think this is awesome!)

Con's (and most of these are me nit-picking):

There is a very apparent shutter-lag. The image you THINK you took will freeze on the screen after hitting the shutter for a couple seconds but in actuality it captures your picture about 1-2 seconds later and the actual captured image will flash on the screen for about a 1/2 second.

It does not capture photos well at night or in dark areas.

The locking/closing mechanism on the camera for the area where the SD card and battery compartment is feels a little cheap to me. I think a better material could have been used than plastic clamp/lock. So I would advise closing and opening it with care. You have to push a small black arrow right first to release the long plastic lever, pull that lever all the way down, and then the hinge will release to open the compartment for the batteries, SD card slot, and USB connection.

Buttons on the camera seem a little stiff to press down on, this is probably due to the type of engineering required for this type of cameras purpose.

The Vivitar 8400 is a little larger and heavier than my Samsung S700.

There's no lens cap to protect it when not in use.

No separate "delete" button function. If you want to delete a picture on the camera during playback mode you have to hit the "OK/Menu" button and navigate to the delete option.

After taking a picture, there is very little delay and it disappears very shortly off the LCD screen so there's no time to check it. You have to use the playback mode.

No sound on Video recordings which I think is a bummer given that the lower grade model-though priced higher (seen here: Vivitar VIVICAM-6200W 6.0 MegaPixel Underwater Camera with 4x Digital Zoom 2.0" LCD) had the sound in its video recording option.

No regular viewfinder like on standard cameras so that you don't use up battery power with the live-view LCD screen. And the screen can be somewhat difficult to see underwater.

When switching from auto-flash, flash (for all photos), or no-flash mode using the lightning bolt sometimes it "hangs up" and gets caught switching and the screen will go blank and a blue light beside the screen will flash.

The Rotate option does not allows you to rotate photos taken at the highest 8M resolution, on the camera.

The 61 page user manual is on the CD that comes with the PhoTags software. I realize this is a greener alternative but I would've liked to have had it already pre-printed.

The Photags Express software is not compatible on Macintosh computers.

Does not come with batteries.

***UPDATED*** 09/07/2009

I just wanted to update you all on my experience with this camera in the Bahamas... and quite frankly, I think it worked out great during all 6 days of snorkeling and swimming! And would still give it 4 stars! NO LEAKS--Even after opening it every night to access the hub in the camera so I could play the pictures and video back on the TV using the video cable that comes with the camera and re-closing it! I used Energizer Lithium AA batteries in it and did not have to change them at all the whole trip. I've added a few pictures from when I went snorkeling to the customer gallery... and one of the great reasons why I still think this was better than a 35mm underwater disposable... I took some great video as well! (I'll add a compilation of video clips I shot to through a "video review" as soon as I figure out how to). However I did want to make some tips/notes for potential buyers or current users...

TIPS & NOTES:

DEFINITELY preset the white balance before entering the water or taking ANY pictures! It makes a big difference as to how your pictures and video will turn out. Do not trust the "AWB" aka "Auto White Balance" feature. I found that on sunny days that should be shot under the "daylight" white balance setting would appear blue-ish if you used the AWB setting.

YES the screen can be difficult to see underwater, HOWEVER I was able to see the screen enough on a bright sunny day where the water was pretty clear and easily switch between video and picture mode. The cloudier the water is, the harder it was to see in general and of course distinguish what was on the screen--not to mention, when the water is cloudy, you can't expect pristine pictures--that's just silly to expect that.

Do not attempt to take pictures of anything less than 3ft in front of you as you are guaranteed to get a blurry/out-of-focus picture. The fixed focus on this camera is just not designed for pictures that close. Take your picture 3ft away for a clear shot and then crop it later. The camera has digital zoom-not optical zoom so you're not going to gain any quality advantage to zooming when taking your picture vs. cropping it later. At least if you don't zoom in, if something moves you have a greater chance of still capturing it.

How to play back VIDEO in the playback mode: Once you've found your video clip on the playback screen press the shutter button like you would if you were taking a picture. This will get the video to start playing back on the screen for you. You can hit the shutter button again to stop it.

In VIDEO mode: Be sure to hold the camera steady and move it SLOWLY underwater when you're in video mode. Otherwise the video will probably make you feel sick when you play it back later as it will seem like it jumps all over the place.

Make sure you rinse the camera well with salt-free tap water after bringing it in the ocean. The salt can crystallize in parts of the camera later making it difficult to close the camera's memory card/battery hatch without risking breaking the hinge. If you close your camera gently and visually inspect the closing latch on the side to make sure it is completely down and the "#1" arrow latch is to the left, so that everything is lined up where it's supposed to be... I don't see why you'd end up with leaks.

The pinch clip on the wrist strap to tighten it around your wrist has shown some signs of rusting internally. However, it still works well at tightening.

With all that said, if you're looking for a more thorough technical review, I'm sorry--just not an area of my expertise. However the "Technical Specifications" information below is straight out of the user manual and may be of use to you.

Image Sensor:

5 Mega Pixel CMOS Sensor

Image Resolution:

8M, 5M, 3M, 2M, 0.3M

Video Resolution:

VGA 640x480 ,QVGA 320X240 at 30fps or 15fps

Monitor Display:

2.4'' TFT LCD

Capture:

Single, Continuous shot

Internal Memory:

64MB Flash

External Memory:

SD card up to 8 GB

Sensitivity:

Auto

Lens:

f=7.4mm, F=2.8

Shutter Speed:

Electronic shutter'1/20 ~ 1/6000 sec

White Balance:

Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Cloudy

Exposure control:

-2EV to +2EV in 0.5 step

Photo effect:

Color/Sepia/Monochrome

Flash:

Auto, On, Off

Digital Zoom:

8x

Self-timer:

10s/20s

File Format:

JPEG, AVI

TV out:

NTSC / PAL

Interface:

USB 1.1

PC Camera resolution:

640 x 480

System Requirements:

Windows XP, VISTA or MAC OS9 in Mass Storage mode

Battery:

2*AA Alkaline batteries

OSD Language:

English/French/German/Spanish/Italian/Portuguese/Chinese

Auto power off:

Disable, 1 min, 3 min, 5 min

Working Temperature:

0 to 40° C

Storage Temperature:

-20 to 60° C

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Astell&Kern AK120 Mastering Quality Sound Portable Dual DAC

Customer Ratings:

[UPDATE 7/18/2013] Firmware update version 1.32 is now available to download; its main feature is DSD playback. I was a bit skeptical about this feature since WM8740 chips were not meant for DSD playback by hardware design. I was also afraid that this update would change the sound signature of AK120 which I love (see below). But I read many positive reviews from headfi and other sites for this firmware update and since I have a big collection of SACD (from which you can rip DSD files), I jumped in. I was so glad I did! The DSD playback is phenomenally good -even greater sound stage, dynamics, incredible treble and airy, musical feel. So I recommend version 1.32 update to all those who purchase AK120, especially if you own SACD discs.

When launching AK120, this company promised USB DAC and DSD playback would be available soon through firmware updates and it did keep its promises. I like companies that keep their promises; it says a lot about how they treat their customers. I hope they will keep improving the firmware.

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I currently own or used to own the following: AK100, AK120, Colorfly C4, Hifiman HM901, and iBasso DX100. That makes me in a good position to compare this one against the rest. (For my extensive review of AK100, see Astell&Kern AK100 Mastering Quality Sound (MQS) Portable System.)

I first had a chance to listen to AK120 in the 2013 Munich High End Show. I brought my AK100 to the Show to compare it with AK120 that was being showcased. I used my own FitEar ToGo 334 gear and initially no external amp. I was instantly hooked. The main differences between this one and AK100 were twofold: ease of sound (ie non-fatiguing, effortless, unforced) and three-dimensionality of sound. I brought my own MicroSD full of music at various compression levels, and in all of them the differences between AK100 and AK120 were clear, albeit some more than others. I found live recordings to have more pronounced differences, meaning you could almost "picture" the live sound in your head and separate the audience's coughs and noises from the artist's instrumental sound. For all its superb tonality, AK100 sounded rather flat and uni-dimensional compared to AK120. I tested Horowitz in Moscow (1986) WAV files (16/44), and the master's playing of Mozart Sonata in C major (K330) flowed with exceptional charm, ease and clarity despite less than perfect recording quality; the concert hall was full of noises made by the audience but the playing shone out loud and clear, exquisite and almost palpable the sort of qualities that put smiles on the listener. You would feel as if you were right in the middle of the historic event. When I tested Elly Ameling's Schubert vocal ALAC (Apple Lossless) files, I felt as if she was singing right next to me. When I switched to AK100 with exactly same IEM and same MicroSD for comparison, the magic was half gone. These things are so hard to describe in words, but the back-and-forth comparison listening assured me of the clear differences between the two models. I instantly decided to purchase AK120 after the experience.

Notice that the above-mentioned Horowitz and Ameling were not "Mastering Quality Sound" or "MQS" (ie 24 bit) files. Any CD quality files (ie WAV or AIFF) or ALAC files revealed the superiority of AK120 quite clearly, and even MP3 or AAC files with various compression levels (eg 320 kbps, 192 kbps, 128 kbps) were absolutely enjoyable same transparency and musicality albeit less "information." When I listened to severely compressed files (ie 128 kbps and 192 kbps) through AK120, I felt as if I was listening to the core bulk of the music, with the outer embellishments taken out. ALAC and beyond, I started noticing the "voluptuous body" of the music, especially for large-scale symphonies, concertos and operas. 24/96 and 24/192 files were not distinguishable even with my very sensitive ears and pro-caliber IEMs; I would think 24/192 may be overkills for me. So AK120 was not really only for MQS as its namesake; it was enjoyable with all types of files with all degrees of compression.

Impressions aside, technically speaking, AK120 has output impedance of 3 ohm in comparison to AK100's 22 ohm, which makes it easier to drive wider variety of headphones. I found it could drive FitEar 334, Shure SE535, Westone 4R, Senn IE800, Triple.Fi 10, Beyerdynamic T5p and AKG K3003 beautifully; it could even drive HD800 somewhat satisfactorily without an external amp. However, as for Beyerdynamic T1, Audeze LCD-3 and Hifiman HE-6, you would need an external amp to obtain the volume level you want.

I initially thought the biggest weakness for AK120 was lack of true line-out. However, after extensive comparison listening with other devices with line-outs, I reached the conclusion that the headphone out was sufficiently good to the degree of rendering line-out almost unnecessary. When AK120 was connected to ALO Rx Mk2 through headphone jack, it had dead-silent background and dynamics to die for -the best sound from ALO Rx Mk2 I had ever heard. With most IEMs and headphones, AK120 sounds already great by itself, but when paired with the right amp, you will feel as if you are playing with sufficient residual power. Forget the line-out.

AK120's newer firmware version has USB DAC capability, which is convenient for PC-fi users. I have not upgraded to this firmware, as I was too fond of the current firmware 1.0 sound and was afraid it would change the sound characteristic. When you know you own the sweet spot, you are afraid to do anything that could possibly alter it. Since I have an Apple Macbook Pro, I do not need USB DAC; Macbook Pro's headphone jack also works as an optical out, which digital signal my AK100 and AK120 can take. Needless to say, when used as a DAC, AK120 produces magnificent sounds and I would think I am benefiting from its monoaural design with dual wm8740 chips.

In comparison to other "usual suspects", I would think the four are in the same league in sound quality and the choice boils down to your preference of sound signature. HM901 comes closest to AK120 in sound characteristic, but I find the AK120's separation of instruments and rendition of vocals more convincing. Colorfly C4 has always been one of my favorites as it is extremely musical but I must admit it falls behind AK120 in HD clarity. DX100 is perhaps the real contender for AK120 with perceptibly different characteristic; it is more "cold", slightly dry and analytical, the hallmark of reference device. AK120 has more tube-type sound and musical presentation, although it could be relentlessly revealing. If you listen to a badly recorded track, it will reveal how truly bad the recording is. It is to the credit of this company that they could condense such quality into such tiny size.

[Conclusion] For many people, AK100 should be sufficient, especially with its new Russian firmware (ie Listrid 2.0). There is always the law of diminishing marginal utility in the working and I can say with confidence that this one does not sound twice as good as AK100. But in the crazy world of high-end audio, there are people who dole out twice to gain 5% better sound, which sometimes amounts to tens of thousands of dollars. Choosing AK120 instead of AK100 will set you back by $600, but people like me consider it totally worth the extra $600 (I even bought this without selling my AK100) because it increases the total enjoyment by about 30%. Perhaps this explains why the expensive AK120 is currently selling like hot cakes in places such as Japan that has large segment of world's high-end audio fans. Perhaps I could have been totally happy with my AK100 had I not listened to AK120. But having listened to it, there is no going back for me.

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