Acer Aspire One AOA150-1006 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom

Customer Ratings:

I bought the blue version of this Acer One with 512mb ram and 8GB SSD at a local store instead of this white one because for a clumsy and lazy guy like me, it's gonna turn black in a few weeks. This thing is super small compared to the pictures. Lets say a regular piece of paper will swallow it whole. I am a windows guy because I'm used to it, but I am starting to love Linux on this netbook.

There is an "advanced" mode on this netbook to enable all the features of Linpus such as add and removing programs. To do this, open a terminal(Files > My Documents to open the File Manager. Then go to File > Terminal.) and type in "xfce-setting-show" without the quotation. Click on Desktop to get to the Desktop Preferences and click on the Behavior tab. Now check the "Show desktop menu on right click" option and close the window. Now you will see a menu every time you right click on the desktop. You can also add icons of the newly installed programs to the desktop; YouTube can help you with that.

With the netbook in advanced mode, it is so much fun to use; it's the same as a fully loaded laptop. The screen is very bright and nice, the lid is nice and glossy but can attract finger prints initially. The keyboard is definitely better than the Asus EEE PC that I've used before. However, the touchpad buttons on the sides take some time to get used to. The Speaker is on the bottom of the laptop so don't expect much out if it because it's not that loud, but i use headphones so that doesn't bother me. WiFi seems to be stable and has not disconnect since the day i bought the netbook(a week ago). The Intel Atom CPU is better than i thought, i can multitask on this netbook with no problems. Surfing, listening to music on Amarok and installing a program at the same time with ease. Linux will boot up in under 15 seconds every time, and programs open responsively very speedy little guy.

The included OpenOffice is very nice, I prefer that over MS Office any day. If space is a problem, the Acer One has a dedicated SDHC storage expansion slot to add SD/HC cards in and also a 5-1 card reader for additional SD or other cards. RAM can be upgraded to a MAX of 1.5GB using the included 512MB stick and another 1GB stick, but you don't need more than 512MB if you plan on using the included Linux OS. The only disappointing thing about this netbook is the battery life. Though not really bad, it is still short for a netbook. You get about 3 hours max on minimal usage, over 2 hours for watching a video and almost 2 hours on high performance with WiFi on. I am planning to buy a 6 cell or additional 3 cell battery later on; that will solve the battery life problem. The quality on this netbook is top notch!

Initially I planned to install windows XP, but now I don't think I will because I am having so much fun with Linux and Windows XP is just dull looking and boring. But that's just a personal preference of course. With a 3 cell battery, the Acer One Windows XP 120GB HDD will give you 2.5 hours as opposed to 3 hours on this version. If you wish to install XP, you can plug in an external USB CD drive or make a bootable flash drive(google for instructions).

Edit: To close your lid without it going into STANDBY:

Right click on "kpowersave" on the tray, click on "configure powersave" go to "general settings", click on "button events" and you can change the settings from there.

Enjoy your netbook =)

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Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $249.99
Sale Price: $166.16
Today's Bonus: 34% Off

We bought this little gem to take to Europe. First impressions are very favorable. It's small, reliable, and prints beautifully. At just over four pounds, it's perfect for travel.

The little Bluetooth adaptor also works very well. Reading the manual (!), I discovered it is possible to mount the adapter permanently inside the printer so that it's not exposed and doesn't need attachment every time it is used. This is a simple procedure, and enhances the usefulness of the Bluetooth capability that is all but de rigueur when traveling. The installation / setup information is also in the electronic manual that comes on the CD.

But as good as the printer is, it does not come with (nor does Canon offer) a case of any kind. I found the perfect solution from Case-Mate: go to and buy the 'Glovez 15"' sleeve (like a large envelope with a velcro closure / flap). It comes in an assortment of colors and is a skin-tight (but very workable) fit in the 'length' direction. When inserted, the printer doesn't take up every bit of the case in the 'width' direction, meaning there is just enough room to also accommodate the cord and AC brick. Throw these in, close the flap, and you're always ready to roll.

Best part: this 'Glovez' sleeve is only $9.99 + $3.99 S/H, and gets to you in a few days. It's not bulky just what one wants to protect the printer but not take up room. (As an aside, the Case-Mate Glovez 13" [for the MacBook 13" and Air] fits the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 perfectly).

March 8, 2011: Came back (for the first time) to look over some of my reviews, and thought I would update this one. We took the printer to Europe for a month in the summer of 2008 (and, as noted by one of the commenters, it does indeed have a built-in usable voltage range of 100 240V, 50 60 Hz, so one needs only an adapter for local outlets, and not a transformer of any kind). It performed flawlessly then, and continues to do so today.

We take it everywhere. It goes in the bag wherever we go on vacation, or on business, and has never missed a beat. It sets up in an instant as soon as you get to your hotel room so easy to use. As stated before, I highly recommend the internally-mounting bluetooth adapter; it's never in the way, impossible to lose, and reliable. OK: Canon gets a small demerit for not building it in in the first place, but... With today's wireless-built-in portable PCs and other devices, it's a snap to hook up to the Internet within moments of arriving at your hotel, then send maps, proposals, anything else, etc. to the printer with no cables whatever. Especially good when both of us have our laptops out at a hotel room: we can both send jobs to the printer across the room without getting in each other's way. It's quick, reliable, durable, with various 'quality levels' available and I highly recommend it for mobile use.

I know Canon also makes a battery that 'bolts-on' to the back of this printer. For my application, the additional $100 wasn't worth the extra bulk to achieve a freedom from the electric grid that I didn't need. But if you conduct business in your pickup, or out in the field, it would certainly make sense: put the printer on the passenger seat and produce a customer invoice, etc. on the spot.

I seldom wax so enthusiastic over a product, and have been known to be excoriatingly critical of poor designs / execution. But Canon hit the nail dead center with this product: if you're in the market for a genuinely useful, rugged, portable printer get it. You will not regret the decision.

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Epson B11B198011 Perfection V600 Photo Scanner

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $229.99
Sale Price: $194.95
Today's Bonus: 15% Off

Don't get too worked up by the negative reviews calling the Epson Scan software "junk." It isn't. I read enough of the other reviews to convince me to download a copy of Vuescan and try it out right away. True, Vuescan has a lot of film profiles that should be more accurate than the limited number Epson uses, but the trouble with Vuescan and this V600 scanner--in my experience--is that the frames for batch scanning a group of negatives were not accurate, and it was more than a little confusing, if not impossible, to change the frames around. This feature of Vuescan is very confusing your first couple of times around, and I lost patience and shut the program down.

Then, thinking I'd better try the Epson software before considering returning the scanner, I opened Epson Scan. I went straight to "Professional" mode, checked out all the parameters they allow adjustment to, selected what I wanted, and clicked "Preview." This is scanning two strips of negatives, mind you. When the preview came up, it had all twelve frames boxed in their own boxes, all basically color-corrected and ready for action. You select a check-box to pick which frames you want to scan, and click on each separate frame to diddle with it--like rotate it to the proper orientation, or change the exposure, whatever. Then just hit "Scan" and walk away. When it finishes you have all your selected scans in your "My Pictures" folder or wherever you want them, named whatever you want with "001", "002" and so-on appended to the name. It is easy as pie, and the quality is on par with any scanner I've used so far. Speed? For a 2400 dpi neg scan much less than a minute per scan.

Now some caveats. I'm not running Digital ICE, not doing any kind of sharpening, nothing. All I want is a raw scan; all the fiddling you want to do is better done afterwards in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, it does a much better job. If your negatives need all kinds of cleaning, or if they're all scratched up and require a lot of correcting in the scan, you screwed up. Take care of your negs and slides, keep them clean, and you won't have problems scanning them. You can clean them with a quick wipe with a lint-free cloth with a little rubber cement thinner on it--just don't use anything water-based on negs and slides.

Secondly, just for grins I loaded a magazine page into the scanner and tried out the OCR software, ABBYY. They claim that it can scan and convert printed text into type. If you've had any experience with OCR software, you probably take that claim with a large grain of salt, like I did. But one quick scan--greyscale, 400 dpi--and the page was up on the screen. Pull it into Microsoft Word and it was 100 percent accurate, every word spelled correctly, even the closest font was selected for the text. An incredible job, in my opinion.

What's my qualifications? I've been working with images my whole professional life. 40 years of photography or more, working with digital images since they first came out. I've owned a dozen different flatbed scanners and a couple of film scanners. You might be able to get better results from a more expensive scanner, but for the money this Epson V600 is tough to beat. Highly recommended. And give the included software a chance, you'll probably like it just fine.

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Nikon D800E 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $3,299.95
Sale Price: $2,999.00
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

Like others, I debated on whether or not to choose the D800E or the D800. I'm primarily a nature photographer, so my inclination was to get the D800E. The one potential problem situation was with moire on bird feathers. I ultimately chose the D800E based on the logic that birds have so many feathers at different angles and proportions that significant moire would be very unlikely.

Well I received my D800E two days before a planned trip to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. After more than 2500 images under all conditions, I have to rate the camera as spectacular a step beyond excellent. Image quality and detail are stunning. I was using a Nikon 200-400 f/4 VR and a Nikon 600 f/4 VR for most of my images. The level of detail is simply stunning. There is detail that I have never before seen from any camera. I'm seeing resolution at 100% (1/7th the image) that is suitable for a web post or small print. And noise is completely absent at lower ISO levels and minimal even at ISO 6400.

You know going in that the D800E only has a frame rate of 4 fps. That's enough for a quick burst at critical action. With birds I'm shooting at 1/1000 second or faster so I am already trying to capture critical action and a catchlight in just a few frames. At burst rates it does take a little time to write to the card, but I never came close to filling the buffer.

One of the things that has been underappreciated is the new AF system. The new AF system of the D800 is excellent very quick and accurate. There have been some reports of AF errors with the D800 especially using the widest sensor and a wide angle lens. I have not seen that issue on my copy of the D800E.

The ergonomics and controls are very intuitive. This is a camera you can immediately pick up and use just like other Nikons. The one adjustment I had to make was with exposure compensation. The direction of the exposure comp has been reversed, but can be customized in the camera menu settings.

While there have been reports of the need for a tripod or special technique, I shot the D800E just as I would have used earlier cameras. If you miss focus the image is still soft, but there is no problem using the camera handheld or on a gimbal head.

File sizes are large and as expected the large files put greater demand on your computer. Large files understandably take longer to open and to save. But this is to be expected.

Colors and dynamic range at ISO 200 are spectacular. Even at high ISO levels, colors are very acceptable.

Overall, I am very pleased with the D800E and highly recommend it for advanced amateur and pro nature photographers. This is not a camera for a beginner or someone who is not skilled. This is a camera for someone who is skilled, understands the tradeoffs involved, and wants the best image quality possible in a DSLR.

EDIT June 16, 2012

I've continued to use the D800E and my opinion has not changed. It's a great camera. One thing to be aware of is the depth of field. Because the in focus area is so extremely sharp, your specific focus point and depth of field require a little more thought. Your choice of what parts of the image should be in sharpest focus will be rewarded, but if you make the wrong choice you can really tell the difference.

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Tamron 70-300mm Di Macro Lens with Hood + UV Filter + Accessory

Customer Ratings:

Overall a decent lens, I use it on my Minolta Maxxum 4, mostly for nature photography. You do need to remember to support the lens when shooting or you will end up with blurry images. If you can remember to hold the lens steady(even when using a tripod), the photos turn out fine.

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Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR Camera Body with EF-S 18-135mm IS Lens

Customer Ratings:

I got this package deal as it was the same price as getting just the camera and lens without all the other stuff in the package, so I figured it couldn't hurt. Everything promised is included and new, but some of the additional stuff is pretty cheap, though not all of it. The bag is pretty nice and actually larger than I had anticipated, with plenty of room for this gear and quite a bit more. The memory card is large and fast enough for HD video recording. The extra battery works fine and it is always nice to have a spare. The cleaning kit is pretty simple, but it works. The screen protector works well, you must cut it out to the proper shape though, really not a big deal. The UV filter was incredibly difficult to get threaded properly on the lens, and I will be replacing it soon with a different brand. The main weak point of the kit is the tripod. The tripod is cheap feeling and not very sturdy. As I tightened the screws to lock everything in place, the plastic pieces creaked with even slight pressure. I will use this tripod for now while indoors, but will be replacing it as soon as I can.

All in all:

Great camera

Good lens, bag, battery, screen protector, cleaning kit and memory card

Pretty bad UV filter

Very bad tripod

Still, everything but the body and lens came as a free bonus, so I don't see why you wouldn't go with this over just the body and lens. If you already have a lens that fills the space of the 18-135 in this kit, just get the body and save the money to get nicer accessories.

Update: The price of the bundle has increased, and I would strongly consider getting just the body or body + kit lens. The extra stuff was nice, but I would not have bought this kit at the current price ($100 ish more than the body+kit lens)

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Sony BDPS790 3D Blu-ray Player with Wi-Fi

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $248.00
Sale Price: $199.99
Today's Bonus: 19% Off

I received my player a short time ago, and so far I'm very pleased with the device. Setup wasn't totally painless, however.

I currently own four optical-disk-playing devices (not counting computer drives). I have a five-disk Sony DVD carousel, a Samsung BD player(with wireless but with minimal features, mainly Pandora, Netflix, Blockbuster, and some news headlines), a slightly older Sony BD player(BDP-570) which has, up until now, been the main unit in my entertainment center, and now this.

I'm reasonably pleased that the user interface is essentially unaltered from my earlier Sony BD device. The interface is still very easy to use, and very intuitive. It DOES, however, have the annoyance of lacking some configurability (I'd sure like to be able to remove the "Michael Jackson channel" from my list of video channels, for example, as I'll never... EVER... watch that.)

It does have a few new features accessed from that media-resources screen... the Opera web browser, a pretty decent Skype client, and a few other items. But if you've owned a Sony BD device before, the UI will be totally familiar to you, as will most of the main configuration options.

The remote control is also very similar to the older Sony remote, except that some of the special functions are now in a secondary, concentric ring around the nav-select pad... which is actually a BAD thing as far as I'm concerned, as I have found myself frequently accidentally hitting the outside ring when I'm trying to hit the inside ring, or vice-versa. Fortunately for me, I seldom use the provided remote, instead using my Logitech Harmony programmable remote... so this is not really an issue. But if you plan to use this remote as your primary control, I suspect you'll experience the same thing from time to time. Sony could have done better in this regard.

Picture quality is gorgeous, of course, as played on my 240hz Samsung 3D LEDTV. I wasn't sure that there would be any visible difference, but the image quality is notable improved, especially on upscaled DVD images. It seems that the two fast processor cores in the machine are getting a pretty robust workout... they're not being wasted! 3D is impressive, too... though I suspect this is more related to the TV than the player. (Samsung's 3D TVs are the best on the market IMHO, right now, though Sony's BD players are the best, I think!) That said, the machine never so much as "hesitates a frame" in even the most action-packed 3D scenes... which is something you'll occasionally note on lower-end 3D units, as the data streaming through them can briefly get backed up in fast, moving scenes, being rendered twice-over for each frame (once per eye, in other words).

I do not have access to a 4K display, so I have no idea if that's good or not. I suspect that 4K will tax the resources of this machine... then again, so few people have 4K displays right now, it's not worth quibbling about.

Now... if you buy one of the first units (ie, the current batch, I think!), you'll likely have a few issues when you first obtain it. The machine is designed to be network-connected, and wants to be connected. But, at least in my case, and in the case of many others, the network functionality seems somewhat hobbled under the "release firmware." You need to update the machine's firmware... after which, my machine has worked perfectly. But the device, by default, will try to "web update" itself anytime connected. Which means that you need to manually update the device, using either downloaded media (from the vendor's website), media obtained from the vendor (for a fee), or at the very least, a hard-wired network connection, in order to do your first update.

Prior to the first update, I had significant difficulties maintaining a connection... which could lead to an improper update, and a "bricked" device. Lots of other folks had the same problem. Post-update, my device works perfectly. Also pre-update, I couldn't manually enter my wireless networking info (the UI was there, but it didn't allow me to finish my setup). Post-update, that's no longer an issue.

The receiver in this device isn't tremendously powerful, and a better antenna/receiver set would be a major boon. It's basically on-par with devices built into laptops and so forth, and (post-update) works about the same as any of those. But it would be well-served by having some improved reception, since it's going to be tasked with streaming a lot of data. The reception is better than you'll get with a Roku or the like, but not as good as it ought to be for the price, and if you're not near your router, you may have some connectivity issues from time to time. It does seem to be on-par with my prior Sony device, or the built-in wireless in any of my TVs.

That's about all I can say about it right now. It's a terrific device, plays back flawlessly for any media I have access to, and just generally is the best device of its type out there right now, as far as I'm concerned. Just be careful about updating the device when you first receive it. I recommend downloading the update files and installing them without the network at all (see Sony's support site). After doing this, my network has worked flawlessly so far, and the device is separated from my router by a floor and four walls, and about fifty feet... and we have power lines nearby.

I'm very satisfied with the device so far. If that ever changes, I'll be sure to update this review, though.

*************

Edit: Well, I've had this for a while now and have fully put it through its paces. There's one thing I thought I ought to mention.

This has the best DLNA interface I've yet to see on a consumer device. It's easy to use, functions well... but there's a problem. It only recognizes a tiny subset of my media, including very, very few of my video files... very few. And while it will recognize any MP3 file, most of my media is in WMA format, which the player won't recognize, either. So, the DLNA functionality is pretty hobbled, as far as I'm concerned. I'd love to hear the experiences of others in this regard.

No support for windows media audio and video? No support for MKV containers? These are things that really should be present in ANY contemporary media-streaming solution. Hopefully Sony can implement something (it's not a hardware issue so it MUST be a legal-rights issue!) to manage file types better in the future.

Right now, the only device I have which can make full use of my media server, with the exception of actual PCs, is my little Archos portable media player. I sure wish my Sony BD player had support for as many file times as my Archos does...

*************

Another edit:

I've now had two more firmware updates since posting the above. And yesterday, I decided to play around with the network DLNA mode again. I don't know which firmware fixed this, but as of yesterday, I can now play WMA audio files with no problems.

I still can't see any of my WMV, DIVX, MOV, or other video files. The only things I CAN see, really, are the transport stream files taken directly from DVD rips, and I only have a handful of those, created off of disks I own, so that I could put those files onto my portable player (Archos 5IT, 500GB).

So... it does seem that Sony is "fixing" the DLNA issues, but a step at a time. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of my stuff... video files, etc... someday soon.

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Motorola Motonav TN555 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable

Customer Ratings:

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program

I really wanted to like this product, but it didn't stand up to side by side comparison with my 2 year old Nuvi 750 (see my review on the nuvi here http://www.amazon.com/review/R3BLFWG7PQZ883/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm )

Here are some my gripes about the Motonav:

-mine arrived used or at least covered with oily fingerprints, but it was via Amazon Vine so I didn't sweat it.

-usb cable is difficult to plug into motonav, as a result the delicate internal pin is already bent in mine

-updating the software took aver two hours and motonav spent quite a bit of those two hours locked in and endless cycle of error messages and powering on and off. I had to manually reset motonav several times just to continue downloading the updates. As an aside, it appears to be using a Windows based operating system.

-can not zoom out to view large map of routes. Full route only viewable via micromap which does not show street names and is not zoomable. Being a highly visual person, this is important to me. I don't care to see the street by street written route. I want to see the map and be able to quickly navigate to parts of the route to zoom in on the details. I drive all over South FLorida and I need to see where the GPS is taking me before I go there (some areas are just not safe).

-motonav has voice command options, but I found them to be mostly ineffective, even when speaking slowly and loudly

-there is only one voice option (snobby female) that works with all functions of the motonav. If you switch to a male voice, you end up with different voices for different features, some male and some female. The nuvi has a few dozen voices to choose from and the voice you choose works with every function.

-route retrieval was sluggish/slower on the new motonav as compared to my two yr old garmin nuvi.

-it is fairly difficult to hold this device without pushing buttons mounted on the sides and top.

-screen is not easy to see when hit with direct sunlight as compared to my garmin nuvi. I was not able to find any settings to increase contrast on the motonav

-only comes with one map update which must be completed within 6 months of activation. Free lifetime maps should be standard by now.

Things I did like about the Motonav!

-fewer screen touches to get to most functions and searches as compared to Nuvi

-more detail in the maps (parking lots mapped out in addition to streets)

-sleek appearance

-syncs with blutooth compatible phone to give you access to your address book (if you want to initiate calls via your gps)AND uses your phone to give you live traffic

-automatically routes around traffic problems if you so choose

For me, the good points don't compensate for the not so good ones. Check out my video to see the Nuvi and Motonav in action side by side.

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Canon NB-6L Li-Ion Battery Pack for Canon SD770IS, SD1200IS

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $35.50
Today's Bonus: 41% Off

This NB-6L type battery (provided by cables4U) looks identical to a Canon battery, includes the Canon logo-label, and seems to work properly, but unfortunately, it arrived in a plastic bag with no other packaging. The Canon website indicates that any battery that is not packaged with the Canon hologram should be considered counterfeit. I suspect that may be the case with this item.

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Olympus E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,099.99
Sale Price: $444.78
Today's Bonus: 60% Off

If you're a camera enthusiast taking pictures of vacations, pets and kids' birthday parties and willing to spend a few extra bucks on your gear, this camera is a marvel. (The video it shoots is so good that several filmmakers have made films with the E-P2 as their only camera). At its tiny size, which is comparable to high-end P&S cameras, you can't beat it. Good image stabilization, decent resolution at 12+ MP, good low-light performance, a growing range of decent interchangeable micro 4/3rds lenses. In general, the image quality is closer to a low-end DSLR than a high-end P&S if you factor in the lenses that the low-end DSLR shooter is going to purchase. The small size spares you a lot of the misery of taking a decent photographic outfit through the gauntlet of modern air travel. If you want to take decent flash pictures, you can get into the rather silly situation of using an on-camera flash unit that's bigger than the camera itself, but even that can be more convenient than dragging around a full-size black-brick SLR setup.

Note on image quality: you clearly cannot expect a camera like this to match the image quality of a high-end professional DSLR with a $3,000 lens attached to it. But you definitely can compare this camera to a low-end DSLR with its bundled el-cheapo kit lens. Given the choice between the E-P2 and the low=end DSLR, I would go for the E-P2 for convenience reasons. If on the other hand you're planning to build up a collection of top-quality lenses, then this camera is not a candidate.

My particular E-P2 tends to over-expose a little, but if you shoot RAW that's not always a bad thing. If you're into tweaking parameters, there's pretty complete manual control over everything in addition to a million geeky bells & whistles like reliable face-detection focus.

In general, I've found myself driving to the airport with this camera in my bag and my much fancier DSLR sitting at home recently, quite a few times. Broad generalizations are dangerous, but my feeling after decades of photography with film and then digital is that this camera or its successor would make a lot of amateur photographers happier than the low-end DSLR they've had their eye on. At this point it may cost a few extra bucks, but it takes great pictures, has a lot of features, and is feather-light and fits anywhere.

Highly recommended for anyone who needs a small, reasonably priced camera that takes excellent pictures and video. In my opinion, greatly preferable to an entry-level DSLR with a bundled kit lens--and worth the few extra bucks.

But this technology changes so fast that reviews like this are worth what you pay for them.

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Smoke Detector Hidden Spy Camera DVR with motion detection

Customer Ratings:

Arrived very fast. Other than the power connector on the back of the unit, it looks just like ordinary smoke detector, even up close. Installation was a breeze. The picture quality is excellent. I have been using it for over two months now, no complaints, very happy with my purchase.

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Vivitar 650-1300mm f/8-16 Telephoto Lens (Black) with 2x

Customer Ratings:

Love what we can do with it! Amazing product for that price!!! Would recommend this product/seller to everyone who wants to shoot anything from VERY VERY far away!!!

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Nikon D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S

Customer Ratings:

I would like to mention that I am so happy to receive that bundle. It is really worth spending your money for SLR. Trust me, It is the best available deal on amazon for D5200.

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Olympus 261001-14-54 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko ED Digital SLR Lens

Customer Ratings:

I have an Olympus E-520 bought together with the two kit lenses -14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 & 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6. After using them for a while, I decided I wanted a faster base zoom lens for low-light, non-flash conditions. I chose the Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 lens. When it arrived last week, I spent a day taking comparison shots with the 14-42mm kit lens. The camera was used in Aperture-Priority mode to allow comparable settings. Image stabilization was always on. Following are my results.

Image Quality and Performance

I found hardly any difference in image quality (color balance, contrast, sharpness, CA, etc.) between the two lenses at the same aperture, focal length, and ISO settings. At identical settings, images using the 14-54mm might have been marginally sharper, but not enough to notice except in big-time crops. However, the lens was 2-3 times faster; i.e. at the same ISO and aperture, a shot taken at 1/30 of a second with the 14-42mm lens could be taken at 1/80 using the 14-54mm. Likewise, at the same shutter speed and aperture, an ISO 400 shot could be taken at ISO 200. A lower ISO and/or a higher shutter speed CAN increase image quality, since there's less sensor noise & less chance for camera shake, respectively. With the differing settings needed for decent exposures in low-light conditions, images and crops using the 14-54mm lens were distinctly better. Also better bokeh.

I found focusing speed and accuracy about same between the two lenses for both far-away and close-up exposures except in low-light conditions, where the 14-54mm had a definite advantage. For far-away photos, the 14-54mm has about 20% greater maximum telephoto reach, roughly 2.1X versus 1.7X. For close-ups, the 14-54mm had an almost-macro capability it focused about two times nearer to the subject.

Using the on-board flash with both lenses at their widest apertures, the 14-54mm took decent exposures at ISO 100, while the 14-42mm required at least ISO 200. The longer barrel of the 14-54mm cast a flash-shadow at its widest 14mm focal length (28mm film equivalent). The shadow disappeared at about 19mm (38mm film equivalent). No flash-shadow was cast with the 14-42mm lens at any focal length.

Size and Portability

Weighing just over one pound, the 14-54mm is over two times heavier than the 7 ounce 14-42mm lens. It's also about 40% longer and a bit wider 3.4" vs. 2.4" and 2.9" vs. 2.6", respectively. Its larger size does affect my system portability. I carry my stuff in a compact Olympus #260248 camera bag. The bag accommodates the E-520 with the 14-42mm kit lens attached, the 40-150mm lens, a Sony 1.7X Tele-conversion lens, an extra battery, the charger, a short extendable monopod, an extra CF card, a lens brush and cleaning cloth, and a small notebook. While a tight fit, everything's accessibly together at a total weight of just over 4-1/2 pounds. If I attach the 14-54mm lens, some of that "stuff" won't fit -its greater size and weight is the reason I've given it only a 4-Star rating. A bigger bag would fix that, but I really like the size and quality of the one I have now.

Cost Ranges

As current ballpark figures that I'm sure will change over time, a new 14-42mm lens-alone costs just over $200; a new 14-54mm lens-alone is just over $400, or about twice the cost. Olympus's new Version II 14-54mm lens is closer to $600 but that's a separate story. However . . . . if bought new as part of an Olympus E-Series camera package, the two "kit lenses" add about $200 to the camera body-only cost -that's about $100 each, which is roughly what they sell for used. Likewise, a lightly used or factory-reconditioned 14-54mm lens can be had in the mid-to-high $300's range a lower percent savings, but still decent. The Version II 14-54mm lens can be bought new as a package with higher-level Olympus bodies like the E-30, but I've not done a lens-alone comparison, nor have I seen any used Version II lenses. Whew . . . . a confusing set of numbers and options!

Bottom Line

If you take all or most of your photos outside on sunny days, I see absolutely no reason to upgrade from the 14-42 mm kit lens to the 14-54mm lens. Image quality is essentially the same, as is focusing speed and accuracy. Additionally, the latter's larger size and weight can make portability more difficult, and its cost is two to four times greater than the kit lens depending on how you choose to compare and buy.

HOWEVER, if you want higher quality images of landscapes on dark days, of building interiors, or of weddings and similar events where a flash can be disturbing, then the 14-54mm lens could well be a necessity! And it's about the lightest, smallest and least expensive lens you can get with similar specifications. Finally, its more robust build quality, and slightly better telephoto and close-up capabilities might be pluses, but they don't seem as significant as its better low-light performance.

Am I satisfied with my upgrade? Not entirely sure yet. I'd intended to sell my 14-42mm kit lens on receipt of the 14-54mm. After my comparison test, that intention changed. Most of the time, my bag will be packed with the kit lens and other "stuff" as described earlier. I'm glad to have the option for better low-light flexibility, but the 14-42mm is good enough to stay for now as my usually attached walk-around lens for bright-day photography.

P.S. Off-topic, I occasionally use a Sony VLC-DH1758 Tele-conversion lens to increase the reach of my 40-150mm lens by a factor of 1.7. It was an accidentally discovered way to almost double the range of the lens -and the Sony fits nicely in my bag. If you're curious, search Amazon for that item, and see an early August 2009 review under the listing.

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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 T3i SLR Digital Camera Kit with Sigma 18-200mm

Customer Ratings:

I hesitated buying but happily I did and was pleased not only with the camera which is AWESOME!) but with all the other lens' and gear that came with it in the kit. I have already entered a photo in a contest. It was delivered when they said and again I was pleased. Yes! I will order from them again and Yes! I will buy more Canon products.

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EzFoto DSLR Follow focus FF for 15mm rod, supports all DSLRS

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $173.99
Today's Bonus: 42% Off

Now... this is the way to design and build a follow focus! Especially for those without Hollywood budgets.

They did their homework on this one, keeping both the independent filmmaker and the larger crew in mind with features to make life easier.

I am an instrument designer and machinist by trade and I will give this an A+ for workmanship and functionality.

The build quality and form/fit/function/finish are excellent, rivaling units costing an order of magnitude higher.

$ave the extra bucks for new glass instead!

My favorite feature is the two-point hard stops for focus. I tested them with my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens, focusing on two different subjects, one about a foot away and the other at 30 ft. With the aperture wide open and viewing at 10X live-view zoom on an external monitor, I found they provide imperceptible error in focus repeatability with every rack focus attempt. I checked it at least a dozen times and there was no shift. You can't be heavy handed with this, though you have to be gentle as with any precision instrument. Speed cranks can be a problem for some.

Even if you prefer not to use the hard stops, they are great for setting rotational limits for your lens if you are using the typical still type AF lenses (not the cine primes) that will normally cause the focus range to slip when you exceed the end-point friction limits. Setting these limits in advance will keep your witness marks in sync with the lens focus. Of course, setting your two focus points as above will also accomplish the same thing.

(Always switch the lens to manual focus if you are going to be rotating the focus ring at all).

Also, I would suggest using china marking pencils rather than whiteboard markers for your marks. They are much more durable and wipe off easily enough when you want to make a change. Whiteboard marks are no good and will disappear with the slightest brush of a finger or clothing.

My second most favorite feature is the ability to rotate and lock the witness index (pointer) to any position around the circumference of the marking ring. This is really handy if you're working without a focus puller and need to see the marks from another vantage point, such as directly behind the camera.

I also found nearly no backlash in the gearing (all gear systems have some, otherwise they would bind and wear), also with very smooth and free motion. Better in all respects than my $500 FF.

Also, the drive gear is easily movable without tools from one side of the gearbox to the other, allowing right or left hand use, or for short lenses. The drive gear has a wider face than usual, allowing for some unintentional misalignment of the lens gear forward or back on the focus ring. Nice touch.

I also like the clamping system where you don't have to slide it onto the rods from one end. You can just clip it onto the rods at any position and tighten. Great for when you have another accessory already on the rails that would be in the way. The locking knob for the horizontal sliding motion (to adjust gear mesh) is on the bottom, where it is easy to reach.

Cons:

The only one I can think of Supplied lens gear is too soft to provide accurate focus. It feels spongy in use. I think they were trying to give smoother motion and compensate for less than perfect gear mesh when setting up. Not an ideal situation.

I am using the standard harder plastic ones from another FF unit. They are 0.8 mod, standard cine pitch. These work much better, and if you are careful with setup (as you should be anyway), there is no problem with smoothness and backlash. You can get these at very reasonable cost from many makers.

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