Fits nice in pocket. Takes great pictures. Small controls but easy to get used to. Lots of easy to understand icons for setting up shots for those les techy types. Good battery life.
Showing posts with label camera digital camera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camera digital camera. Show all posts
Gitzo GT1830 Series 1 Basalt 3 Section Tripod (Replaces GT1932)
List Price: $500.00
Sale Price: $324.90
Today's Bonus: 35% Off
I gave 3 star for the fact
-Good design...it's a Ferrari look on a tripod
-Good price
-Very light weight
-Very good locking system
-Nice accent color
The bads:
-Cheap wimpy bag
-The bottom leg is weak and flimsy, making the tripod wobble
-When the wind blows don't expect it to stay stable! I use Nikon D300s with 80-400mm and it made the camera and the tripod wobble.
If only the bottom leg was as thick as the center I think this would of been a stable tripod. I recommend Series 2 instead of Series 1. Series 1 the bottom legs are too weak and flimsy. Series 2 weight is not much more than Series 1 but at leaast it is stable.
I resold mine and bought an Induro CT214 Carbon Fiber Tripod instead. I did not want to spend $650-700 for Gitzo, this Induro was actually more stable than Gitzo Carbon in similar series. And it also comes with spikes and a padded bag with 5 years warranty for no additional charge. It cost me $400.
Bell and Howell 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical Lens for Canon DSLR Cameras
This lens is beautifulthe bokeh from it is absolutely to die for.. amazing, very silky, creamy, best that I have on any of my lenses, including more expensive canon ones. I usually use this for portraits, and I did a little bit of macro with itdid wonderful.
The big downfall for methe manual focus. This was my first manual focus lens, and I thought I could handle it, but about 70% of my images were coming out out of focus. I think you have to be really good at it and practice practice. But MAN when you nail the photofocus it like you wantits amazing. Sharp where you want it, and creamy where you don't.
The big downfall for methe manual focus. This was my first manual focus lens, and I thought I could handle it, but about 70% of my images were coming out out of focus. I think you have to be really good at it and practice practice. But MAN when you nail the photofocus it like you wantits amazing. Sharp where you want it, and creamy where you don't.
Nikon D60 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S
I've been using Canon PowerShot point-and-shoot digital cameras for the past 6 years, and because they're so small, portable, and unobtrusive, I've ended up taking a lot more photos that I ever did, because I had my camera with me. The good thing is that I've taken a lot more pictures, and most of them have been very good (the camera gets much of the credit here). But the bad thing is that I started to reach the limits of what a point-and-shoot camera can do.
The biggest problems I had with my compact point-and-shoot camera was the lag between shots and the generally poor performance in low-light settings. For most shots, these weren't big problems, but when they were a problem, they were a huge problem, and there's not much you can to solve it without moving to a better camera. I don't think I'm the first person to reach a brick wall when using compact digital cameras, which is why there are now some excellent options that don't cost a fortune.
After reading a lot of reviews for digital SLR cameras online, I narrowed it down to two choices: the Sony A300 or the Nikon D60. I love my compact Canon, but I wasn't all that impressed with the Canon dSLR's that I looked at, either in terms of price or features.
The Sony is priced very competitively and offers some great features, such as auto-focus and image stabilization built into the camera itself, not relying on the lens. The A300 also has live preview on the LCD screen, which the D60 doesn't offer (live preview is what you get on a compact camera: you see what you are shooting as you take the picture). Finally, the A300 has more focus points than the Nikon. I spent a long time in several stores doing side-by-side comparisons of these two cameras. After many test shots, I finally chose the D60 for the following reasons: it felt more compact and less heavy than the Sony, I liked the way the lens felt when I was zooming, its LCD menu system was much clearer and more intuitive, and the Nikkor family of lenses is unbeatable. With a dSLR, it really gets down to which line you want to commit to for future lens purchases. I wasn't sure I wanted to go with Sony, when Nikon is well-known for quality optics.
I ordered the D60 from Amazon and I'm glad I did, since they have a 30-day price match policy. If the price of the camera decreases within 30 days of your purchase, all you have to do is email Amazon, and they'll credit you with the difference. The price of the D60 went down three times after my purchase (it's even lower now, but I've passed my 30 days), and Amazon was fast to process the refund for each decrease. Please note that it's your responsibility to check on the current price. Amazon will not notify you that the price has gone down, and why should they? So if you do buy this from Amazon, be sure to check every couple of days to see what the current price is.
As for the camera and the lens, I couldn't be happier. I love how it feels and how easy it is to use, at least for basic shots. Of course it won't fit in my pocket the way my point-and-shoot did, but it's not nearly as huge or heavy as I'd expected. The kit lens has VR (vibration reduction) which is a good thing to have, and it's well balanced with the compact body of this camera. In other words, the camera doesn't point down under the weight of the lens. Everyone who has tried out my new camera has commented on how compact and ergonomic it feels.
The camera works extremely well in low-light settings, with or without flash (you can defeat the flash if you want, and I find that in many situations, I get better results that way). The flash is a lot more powerful than what you get on a compact camera, and the coverage is more even.
So far, I've mainly used the "auto" mode, but I've taken some pictures in macro mode. It's graat to be able to take pictures in rapid succession, without having to wait the way you do with a point-and-shoot. Most important of all, the image quality is outstanding. The difference is noticeable and consistently better than what I was getting with my point-and-shoot.
The LCD menu is intuitive and visually appealing. That was one of the reasons I went with the Nikon in the first place, and I haven't been disappointed. By pressing the right button as you move the mode dial, you can see a description of what each mode does, which is very helpful. It's sort of like having a "help" system built into the camera, without having to carry around the instructions. Having said that, the instruction manual is really quite good. It won't teach you everything you need to know about digital SLRs, but it does a good job of explaining the camera's features. Nevertheless, I recommend buying a more extensive guide book which is specific to the Nikon D60 (there is one by David Busch which is currently available, and several more are scheduled to appear within the next couple of months).
So, I love this camera, especially at the very reasonable price point. However, there are some things that you should consider before making a final decision. First, the D60 will only provide auto-focus with Nikkor AF-S lenses. That means that most Nikon "prime" lenses will require manual focusing. That wasn't a big deal for me, but it is a limitation. Second, the D60's 3 focus points put it at the low end for this feature. Third, the D60 uses SD cards, while the Sony uses Compact Flash cards, as do many higher-end dSLRS. This isn't really a plus or minus, since SD cards are generally less expensive than Compact Flash, but some users say that Compact Flash cards may be more durable in the long run (they're larger and thicker). Finally, unlike the Sony, the D60 does not provide live preview. In other words, you don't see the image on the LCD until after you have taken it.
With all of that, I'm very pleased with my decision and I am having a lot of fun with my Nikon D60. If you're ready to move up from your point-and-shoot to a dSLR, you cannot go wrong with the D60.
The biggest problems I had with my compact point-and-shoot camera was the lag between shots and the generally poor performance in low-light settings. For most shots, these weren't big problems, but when they were a problem, they were a huge problem, and there's not much you can to solve it without moving to a better camera. I don't think I'm the first person to reach a brick wall when using compact digital cameras, which is why there are now some excellent options that don't cost a fortune.
After reading a lot of reviews for digital SLR cameras online, I narrowed it down to two choices: the Sony A300 or the Nikon D60. I love my compact Canon, but I wasn't all that impressed with the Canon dSLR's that I looked at, either in terms of price or features.
The Sony is priced very competitively and offers some great features, such as auto-focus and image stabilization built into the camera itself, not relying on the lens. The A300 also has live preview on the LCD screen, which the D60 doesn't offer (live preview is what you get on a compact camera: you see what you are shooting as you take the picture). Finally, the A300 has more focus points than the Nikon. I spent a long time in several stores doing side-by-side comparisons of these two cameras. After many test shots, I finally chose the D60 for the following reasons: it felt more compact and less heavy than the Sony, I liked the way the lens felt when I was zooming, its LCD menu system was much clearer and more intuitive, and the Nikkor family of lenses is unbeatable. With a dSLR, it really gets down to which line you want to commit to for future lens purchases. I wasn't sure I wanted to go with Sony, when Nikon is well-known for quality optics.
I ordered the D60 from Amazon and I'm glad I did, since they have a 30-day price match policy. If the price of the camera decreases within 30 days of your purchase, all you have to do is email Amazon, and they'll credit you with the difference. The price of the D60 went down three times after my purchase (it's even lower now, but I've passed my 30 days), and Amazon was fast to process the refund for each decrease. Please note that it's your responsibility to check on the current price. Amazon will not notify you that the price has gone down, and why should they? So if you do buy this from Amazon, be sure to check every couple of days to see what the current price is.
As for the camera and the lens, I couldn't be happier. I love how it feels and how easy it is to use, at least for basic shots. Of course it won't fit in my pocket the way my point-and-shoot did, but it's not nearly as huge or heavy as I'd expected. The kit lens has VR (vibration reduction) which is a good thing to have, and it's well balanced with the compact body of this camera. In other words, the camera doesn't point down under the weight of the lens. Everyone who has tried out my new camera has commented on how compact and ergonomic it feels.
The camera works extremely well in low-light settings, with or without flash (you can defeat the flash if you want, and I find that in many situations, I get better results that way). The flash is a lot more powerful than what you get on a compact camera, and the coverage is more even.
So far, I've mainly used the "auto" mode, but I've taken some pictures in macro mode. It's graat to be able to take pictures in rapid succession, without having to wait the way you do with a point-and-shoot. Most important of all, the image quality is outstanding. The difference is noticeable and consistently better than what I was getting with my point-and-shoot.
The LCD menu is intuitive and visually appealing. That was one of the reasons I went with the Nikon in the first place, and I haven't been disappointed. By pressing the right button as you move the mode dial, you can see a description of what each mode does, which is very helpful. It's sort of like having a "help" system built into the camera, without having to carry around the instructions. Having said that, the instruction manual is really quite good. It won't teach you everything you need to know about digital SLRs, but it does a good job of explaining the camera's features. Nevertheless, I recommend buying a more extensive guide book which is specific to the Nikon D60 (there is one by David Busch which is currently available, and several more are scheduled to appear within the next couple of months).
So, I love this camera, especially at the very reasonable price point. However, there are some things that you should consider before making a final decision. First, the D60 will only provide auto-focus with Nikkor AF-S lenses. That means that most Nikon "prime" lenses will require manual focusing. That wasn't a big deal for me, but it is a limitation. Second, the D60's 3 focus points put it at the low end for this feature. Third, the D60 uses SD cards, while the Sony uses Compact Flash cards, as do many higher-end dSLRS. This isn't really a plus or minus, since SD cards are generally less expensive than Compact Flash, but some users say that Compact Flash cards may be more durable in the long run (they're larger and thicker). Finally, unlike the Sony, the D60 does not provide live preview. In other words, you don't see the image on the LCD until after you have taken it.
With all of that, I'm very pleased with my decision and I am having a lot of fun with my Nikon D60. If you're ready to move up from your point-and-shoot to a dSLR, you cannot go wrong with the D60.
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM AF Standard Zoom Lens
List Price: $899.00
Sale Price: $749.00
Today's Bonus: 17% Off
I'm currently using a Nikon D90 but the D700 is on the horizon for me. This meant that I am not buying any DX lenses anymore. I have the Tokina 11-16, Nikkor 70-300 VR, Nikkor 50mm 1.8 and the D90 kit lens 18-105 VR (never been happy with the kit lens). So the only focal range I needed was basically 17-70 and the DX Nikkor 17-55 is out. The logical approach was the Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 but ugh... I'm not making $$$ from my shots yet and $1999 was a bit much to swallow. I rented the Nikkor and the Sigma to compare side by side and I really loved the Sigma's compact but solid presence compared to the relatively big and long Nikkor (chalk up one point for the Sigma)... I took about 150 shots with both lenses and I really could not find too many differences... Certainly none that stood out. I'll admit that I'm a bit of a pixel peeper and I was truly looking for the lesser priced lens to come up short but honestly only some very minor flare issues (shooting directly into the late evening sun) even showed up. On my crop framed D90 the sharpness was superb on both lenses, color, contrast and focusing accuracy and speed was exactly what I expected. VERY VERY good. One thing that added to the cost of the Sigma though (chalk up a point for Nikkor) is the 82mm filter size. They are not easy to find and are almost always more expensive (high quality Digital UV filter was $100). I now have my FX frame lens lineup set and I'm very happy with it as I purchased this lens right here at Amazon. Now... to save for that D700... *sigh*
Moral of the story is... if you want to save $800 and have a lens that you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference from the venerable Nikkor... get this Sigma 24-70 2.8 HSM.
*UPDATE*
As mentioned in the comments on this original post, if you are going full frame with this lens it is indeed a bit "mushy" from f/2.8 to f/4.0 in terms of acuity. On my D90 I just didn't seem to notice as much more than likely due to the smaller sensor and denser smaller pixels. On the D3s you can really see the limitations of this lens at wide apertures. I would also imagine if you are using a D7000 (purely speculation here) that you might start seeing some of the limitations on that crop sensor too due to its higher resolution. I will be selling my old faithful friend (this is not a bad lens) for the more expensive Nikkor now that I'm full frame. NEW moral of the story... if you are using a D300 or D90 or below this lens is wonderful. If you are using a higher MP sensor or full frame you will see the limitations at wide apertures.
ViewSonic PJD5123 SVGA DLP Projector 120Hz/3D Ready, 2700
I've only had my ViewSonic PJD5123 one day, which is a little premature for reviewing, but with only one review posted, I thought another would be helpful. I actually made my purchase on that review's recommendation, since I could find no others.
First, let me say that my purchase was largely price-driven. I figured I'd have to buy a used projector, but the low price Amazon charged was the hook that caused me to bite on this brand-new one. My second criterion was that it had to work with a Mac; it does! I did have to purchase an extra cable for my Macbook Pro unibody ($29.99 from Apple). I could have gotten a third party cable for much less (and may still do that for a backup), but the reviews on them were not as favorable as those on the Apple one.
So I took the plunge, even paying an extra $4 (Amazon Prime) to have it delivered in two days. It arrived on time and I found everything in the box as advertised. The written documentation is worthless, but their CD has much good information. You can also go to the ViewSonic website and download their PDF manual to read before your purchase arrives (highly recommended).
I installed the software on my Macbook Pro, connected the ViewSonic PJD5123 and fired it up. My computer (running OS X 10.6.7) recognized the projector and the computer screen's image shone on the white wall across the room, but it was very blurry. My heart sank. Thinking I'd bought a pig in a poke, I began lamenting the irritation of having to ship it back. Then, I began to turn the adjustments this way and that, and the picture on the wall became as clear as the one on the laptop screen. Was I ever relieved!
Then I wondered, will it work in an environment with a lot of daylight? Because I teach college courses and give seminars in rooms with many windows, I needed a projector with enough brightness to provide a clear text and picture in broad daylight. Now please do not misunderstand. The picture and text are better at night, but they are just fine in the daylight.
Someone may wonder how it works for movie watching. I've been watching movies on my 17" computer screen, so when I focused the ViewSonic with a movie projecting from it on the wall, I held my breath hoping that it would provide at least an acceptable picture. Wow, was I every pleased! I now have a huge screen on the wall that looks as good as the one on my computer. This is a bonus I'd not planned on.
Another concern for me is the voltage. I travel internationally and was delighted to find that this little projector works with 110-240v/50-60hz. With a plug adapter I'll be in business in the USA and foreign countries.
I almost forgot to mention that while there is no carrying case, a remote (with batteries!) is included. I've barely used the remote, but the features look sufficient for my use. As for the bag, what do you want for a rock bottom price? I'll likely go to the local thrift store and find a suitable case for less than three bucks!
Do I have any concerns or disappointments? So far I'm not disappointed at all. This projector does all the basic stuff I need and provides a very nice picture. My only concern is that when I shut it down I do not hear the fan running to cool it down before final shut down as the instructions indicate. I will call or email the company to see if its shut down feature is defective. My guess is that it is just fine. Other than that, it seems to work A-OK!
Please note that this is not a heavy-duty, latest and greatest feature-filled projector. For such a product you'll likely pay three or four times what this little fellow costs. But it does what I need and even has an eye to the future with a sticker that boasts "3-D READY."
ADDED 6 JULY, 2011
Just a quick note on the issue of the fan not running after shutdown to cool the projector: I emailed ViewSonic on Saturday of the July 4th weekend and they responded promptly the following Tuesday after the holidays. Here's their email response:
"Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for contacting ViewSonic. Our newer projectors have a feature in which the unit will cool off on its own when needed. This new feature is so that the unit can be used more on the go , ViewSonic and a few other brand name companies have added such feature to recently manufactured projectors . If you should have further questions please contact us back. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide assistance."
Well, I couldn't believe what I'd read, so I called ViewSonic and talked to a technical person. He assured me that the email was, indeed, correct and that the unit is working just fine. He said ViewSonic designed this projector so that one could immediately pack it away after using it. For me, this is a blessing in disguise! It means that I can use the projector until the close of class, and immediately walk out with it.
Summer 2012 Update: Just to let everyone know, I am still using the PJD5123 with satisfaction. Some have questioned whether it does, indeed, work with 240V as well as 110V. If you look on the bottom of the unit, it says AC 100-240V 50-60HZ.
First, let me say that my purchase was largely price-driven. I figured I'd have to buy a used projector, but the low price Amazon charged was the hook that caused me to bite on this brand-new one. My second criterion was that it had to work with a Mac; it does! I did have to purchase an extra cable for my Macbook Pro unibody ($29.99 from Apple). I could have gotten a third party cable for much less (and may still do that for a backup), but the reviews on them were not as favorable as those on the Apple one.
So I took the plunge, even paying an extra $4 (Amazon Prime) to have it delivered in two days. It arrived on time and I found everything in the box as advertised. The written documentation is worthless, but their CD has much good information. You can also go to the ViewSonic website and download their PDF manual to read before your purchase arrives (highly recommended).
I installed the software on my Macbook Pro, connected the ViewSonic PJD5123 and fired it up. My computer (running OS X 10.6.7) recognized the projector and the computer screen's image shone on the white wall across the room, but it was very blurry. My heart sank. Thinking I'd bought a pig in a poke, I began lamenting the irritation of having to ship it back. Then, I began to turn the adjustments this way and that, and the picture on the wall became as clear as the one on the laptop screen. Was I ever relieved!
Then I wondered, will it work in an environment with a lot of daylight? Because I teach college courses and give seminars in rooms with many windows, I needed a projector with enough brightness to provide a clear text and picture in broad daylight. Now please do not misunderstand. The picture and text are better at night, but they are just fine in the daylight.
Someone may wonder how it works for movie watching. I've been watching movies on my 17" computer screen, so when I focused the ViewSonic with a movie projecting from it on the wall, I held my breath hoping that it would provide at least an acceptable picture. Wow, was I every pleased! I now have a huge screen on the wall that looks as good as the one on my computer. This is a bonus I'd not planned on.
Another concern for me is the voltage. I travel internationally and was delighted to find that this little projector works with 110-240v/50-60hz. With a plug adapter I'll be in business in the USA and foreign countries.
I almost forgot to mention that while there is no carrying case, a remote (with batteries!) is included. I've barely used the remote, but the features look sufficient for my use. As for the bag, what do you want for a rock bottom price? I'll likely go to the local thrift store and find a suitable case for less than three bucks!
Do I have any concerns or disappointments? So far I'm not disappointed at all. This projector does all the basic stuff I need and provides a very nice picture. My only concern is that when I shut it down I do not hear the fan running to cool it down before final shut down as the instructions indicate. I will call or email the company to see if its shut down feature is defective. My guess is that it is just fine. Other than that, it seems to work A-OK!
Please note that this is not a heavy-duty, latest and greatest feature-filled projector. For such a product you'll likely pay three or four times what this little fellow costs. But it does what I need and even has an eye to the future with a sticker that boasts "3-D READY."
ADDED 6 JULY, 2011
Just a quick note on the issue of the fan not running after shutdown to cool the projector: I emailed ViewSonic on Saturday of the July 4th weekend and they responded promptly the following Tuesday after the holidays. Here's their email response:
"Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for contacting ViewSonic. Our newer projectors have a feature in which the unit will cool off on its own when needed. This new feature is so that the unit can be used more on the go , ViewSonic and a few other brand name companies have added such feature to recently manufactured projectors . If you should have further questions please contact us back. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide assistance."
Well, I couldn't believe what I'd read, so I called ViewSonic and talked to a technical person. He assured me that the email was, indeed, correct and that the unit is working just fine. He said ViewSonic designed this projector so that one could immediately pack it away after using it. For me, this is a blessing in disguise! It means that I can use the projector until the close of class, and immediately walk out with it.
Summer 2012 Update: Just to let everyone know, I am still using the PJD5123 with satisfaction. Some have questioned whether it does, indeed, work with 240V as well as 110V. If you look on the bottom of the unit, it says AC 100-240V 50-60HZ.
Sony Cybershot DSC-G3 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
But I absolutely love this camera so far, and the other review is way off base. Firstly, of course it's going to take awhile to upload to Picasa, you are uploading pictures that are 3mb a piece, it takes just as long on my PC when uploading at full quality as it does on the camera at full quality (timed)
Picture quality is great, saw a helicopter while walking to my car, zoomed in, and took a picture, WOW, if you download the full resolution version you could totally say the dudes name if you knew him.
Picture locking: It took me 3 minutes to figure out how to password protect pictures, when viewing pictures one of the option is a lock, you press that, and then you can password protect that picture. You can also password protect complete folders.
Services: Right now it offers Youtube, Picasa, Shutterfly, Daily Motion, and Photobucket. It is only missing facebook and flickr, hopefully both will be added soon as Sony has stated they are working on bringing more services over. Kind of disappointed that it is missing flickr right now, rumor is the second week of February it will be added *fingers crossed*
Value: You can definitely get a comparable camera (minus wi-fi) for a little cheaper ($140 cheaper at the time of writing this for a comparable cybershot). But come on, you are buying this camera for the cool factor; It was totally worth every penny to me to have the latest and greatest in the world of small compact cameras. The main reason I bought this camera was for Wrestlemania this year, as I do not have a camera. You can follow me on Picasa with that link earlier, and on flickr (ikahi) and on twitter to see more pictures I take with the camera.
Sorry for the non-sense review, wrote quick.
Picture quality is great, saw a helicopter while walking to my car, zoomed in, and took a picture, WOW, if you download the full resolution version you could totally say the dudes name if you knew him.
Picture locking: It took me 3 minutes to figure out how to password protect pictures, when viewing pictures one of the option is a lock, you press that, and then you can password protect that picture. You can also password protect complete folders.
Services: Right now it offers Youtube, Picasa, Shutterfly, Daily Motion, and Photobucket. It is only missing facebook and flickr, hopefully both will be added soon as Sony has stated they are working on bringing more services over. Kind of disappointed that it is missing flickr right now, rumor is the second week of February it will be added *fingers crossed*
Value: You can definitely get a comparable camera (minus wi-fi) for a little cheaper ($140 cheaper at the time of writing this for a comparable cybershot). But come on, you are buying this camera for the cool factor; It was totally worth every penny to me to have the latest and greatest in the world of small compact cameras. The main reason I bought this camera was for Wrestlemania this year, as I do not have a camera. You can follow me on Picasa with that link earlier, and on flickr (ikahi) and on twitter to see more pictures I take with the camera.
Sorry for the non-sense review, wrote quick.
Kindle Fire HD Tablet
I've been an iPad user since the original came out. I also have an iPad 3. I have worked in IT for the past few years so I would say I am pretty good with technology and fancy new devices. With that introduction out of the way, I will be reviewing key points that I have seen touched upon in other reviews. Here goes...
BUILD
The device feels nice and solid. I'm a little surprised at how heavy it is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The rubberized backing is always nice for added grip. It's not as nice as say unibody aluminum, but it's not $500 either.
SCREEN
The screen is fantastic. But my problem is the same as when iPad got Retina Display, other than the OS, most apps look rather pixelated. A lot of the games I tried are not high definition, at least not high enough to look smooth on this screen. Hopefully apps get updated to higher resolutions.
LOCK SCREEN ADS
Yeah there are ads on my lock screen. I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. How much time do people really spend looking at the lock screen? The first thing I thought when I saw the ads is WOW the pictures are really crisp! The ads are there to subsidize some of the $200 price tag. I might pay the $15 to get rid of them so I can customize it, but I might not. I feel like this has been blown out of proportion by other customers.
SOUND
The sound from the speakers is great. Much better than you would get from more expensive devices, very crisp and clean. I have the official Amazon case on and it has not affected the sound at all. Nothing much else to say, I doubt anyone will complain about this.
CRASHING
I've had two apps crash on opening. I don't know if it is the app or the OS. It's probably somewhere in the middle. Again, not a big deal for me. If it crashes, then I just tap it again and it works. I've also watched a few movies using the built in player as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime. No crashes for me at all. I'm sure OS stability will be improved as time goes on.
OVERALL SATISFACTION
Compared to my iPad 3, obviously the Fire HD is not as "good" so to speak. I mainly got it because I wanted something smaller. I also mainly used the iPad to surf the web, watch videos, and play some simple games. The Fire HD accomplishes this and does so much more. If you are expecting an iPad killer, or a desktop replacement, or a productivity machine, then you should look elsewhere.
I bought this to be a media device, and I believe that is what Amazon meant this to be. In this regard, I think this is a great device. In fact, I decided to keep this and sell my iPad 3, which will give me another $200+ to spend on other things. Just remember, this device is not for everyone. If you want a media device, you will be happy with this. Do not expect an iPad for $200.
UPDATE 9/18/12
Just wanted to add a few more things I have noticed over the past 24 hours.
Power/Volume Buttons: There are a bit hard to press, which is somewhat alleviated by having the official case. Maybe it's because I'm a longtime iPad user, but this will definitely take some getting used to.
Screen Glare: It took me a little while to notice, but I was playing a Seek & Find game while on Caltrain, with the bright Palo Alto sun shining right on me, and didn't have any trouble seeing the screen. I remembered that Amazon mentioned how the screen was changed to reduce glare, and they did an amazing job.
UPDATE 9/20/12
Two days later and I am still very happy with the device. Here are some more thoughts from me:
BATTERY LIFE
I have been playing Enigmatis (a hidden object game) for about an hour and a half each day on my commute. This drains about 15 20% of the battery with the screen brightness almost at the highest setting. Again, not iPad gold standard, but still very good.
SYNCING MUSIC
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and used an app called Easy Phone Transfer to get all my music from iTunes onto the phone. It transferred everything, including album covers, and I was hoping to find something like that for this device. I tried iSyncr, a $3 app, which did the job, but did not sync over album covers. I uploaded all my music into the Cloud, then downloaded it from Amazon, which increased the audio quality for a lot of my songs and added artwork, but this still did not show up on the device.
I got very frustrated getting all the album artwork over and eventually just gave up. It's not a big deal but I am kind of anal about those kinds of things. Just a heads up if anyone else out there is crazy about it like I am.
UPDATE 09/21/12
I got a call from Amazon Customer Service about this review, which surprised me very much. They advised me the best way to get the artwork to show up is have the songs in both the Cloud Player as well as the device, which I know does work fine. I was hoping to have the artwork show without needing things in the Cloud, but not a big deal any more.
I am more impressed with the fact that Amazon called me to give me advice on how to remedy the situation and ask if there were any other questions I had on the Kindle. The representative said he wanted to make sure I was happy with the Fire HD. This is one of the big reasons I went with the Kindle, and with Amazon in general. I have had great experiences with their customer service, who have always been able to handle my issues quickly and efficiently. No need to set up an appointment days later with a wannabe IT guy with a hugely overstated job title.
So this update is not really for the device itself, but sometimes it's not just the device, it's the company that offers it that makes a difference. This is why I no longer have any Apple devices, as cool as they may be. But it's not 100% gravy, as I have noticed lately that the keyboard keeps popping up randomly on screens where there is nowhere to enter text, ie. while playing a game. I just have to press the Back arrow to get rid of it, but maybe a bug the Amazon engineers want to take a look at.
UPDATE 10/05/12
So I don't know if it was always there, but over this past weekend I noticed a dead pixel on my Kindle's screen. I called Kindle Support and after a short 5 minute call, they sent me a new Kindle, no questions asked. So once again, very happy with Amazon customer service. I am still very happy with the device, and have some more thoughts on it:
HDMI CONNECTION
I bought an HDMI cable to hook up the Fire to my 46" Samsung and was quite impressed with the results. The quality was very good, not Bluray quality of course, but better than SDTV on an HD screen. You actually see every single thing you do on the big screen, like you are using a giant Kindle.
GOOGLE PLAY APPS
One of the main drawbacks in my opinion is, or should I say was, the lack of all the Google Play apps available on the Kindle. With a little research, I found out how to add apps that are not available in the Amazon store. It is pretty easy to do and works very well with the apps I tried. This greatly improves my opinion of the Fire HD.
PLASTIC AROUND THE SCREEN
The outer most edges of the Kindle are plastic. I noticed some kind of discoloration on the corner of mine, and just thought it was some dirt to scratch off. So I rubbed my thumb nail on the area, and noticed there were visible marks on the plastic. It appears this plastic can scratch some what easily, but I think this is just cosmetic as not of the plastic actually flaked. If you are not very anal about how your stuff looks, you probably won't notice it.
OS CHANGES
Here are two small gripes I have with the OS that I'm sure could be fixed with an OS update:
Battery Meter: It would be nice if the battery meter could show percentage instead of just a graphic bar. Some people have mentioned Battery HD, but you still have to swipe down to see the percentage, so this makes it easier but does not solve the issue I had.
Personal Videos: The mp4 videos I put on the device are located in the "Personal Videos" app, which shows screen shots of all the videos I put in. The problem is, all that is shown are the screen shots. You can get more info by holding your finger down on each video, but when you have multiple seasons of a show on the Kindle, it can get confusing. Ideally we should be able to look at videos in a list like our music.
UPDATE 11/15/12
Still very happy with the device. Here are some more thoughts:
LEFT HAND MODE
I did't think this would be a problem until I played a Solitaire game that DID have a left-handed mode. As a lefty who usually uses the Fire in landscape, I often have to reach across the screen to access the Settings or Home button in the menu. It's a small grievance, but can be really annoying when watching a movie or reading something. If there was an option for a left-handed layout with the menus on the left side of the device, that would be great.
PERSONAL VIDEOS APP
I had earlier complained about this app, as it did not list my movies and crashed playing a pair of them. I recently drove down to LA from SF, and put 5 movies on device, only to find that 4 of them would not play! I was pretty mad, until I remembered a simple solution, download another app. I downloaded Avia Media Player, which is not the greatest either, but it played all the movies I put on the Kindle. My faith was restored.
GOOGLE PLAY APPS
A lot of people have asked how to do this. If you are not having luck with Google searches, try this:
BUILD
The device feels nice and solid. I'm a little surprised at how heavy it is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The rubberized backing is always nice for added grip. It's not as nice as say unibody aluminum, but it's not $500 either.
SCREEN
The screen is fantastic. But my problem is the same as when iPad got Retina Display, other than the OS, most apps look rather pixelated. A lot of the games I tried are not high definition, at least not high enough to look smooth on this screen. Hopefully apps get updated to higher resolutions.
LOCK SCREEN ADS
Yeah there are ads on my lock screen. I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. How much time do people really spend looking at the lock screen? The first thing I thought when I saw the ads is WOW the pictures are really crisp! The ads are there to subsidize some of the $200 price tag. I might pay the $15 to get rid of them so I can customize it, but I might not. I feel like this has been blown out of proportion by other customers.
SOUND
The sound from the speakers is great. Much better than you would get from more expensive devices, very crisp and clean. I have the official Amazon case on and it has not affected the sound at all. Nothing much else to say, I doubt anyone will complain about this.
CRASHING
I've had two apps crash on opening. I don't know if it is the app or the OS. It's probably somewhere in the middle. Again, not a big deal for me. If it crashes, then I just tap it again and it works. I've also watched a few movies using the built in player as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime. No crashes for me at all. I'm sure OS stability will be improved as time goes on.
OVERALL SATISFACTION
Compared to my iPad 3, obviously the Fire HD is not as "good" so to speak. I mainly got it because I wanted something smaller. I also mainly used the iPad to surf the web, watch videos, and play some simple games. The Fire HD accomplishes this and does so much more. If you are expecting an iPad killer, or a desktop replacement, or a productivity machine, then you should look elsewhere.
I bought this to be a media device, and I believe that is what Amazon meant this to be. In this regard, I think this is a great device. In fact, I decided to keep this and sell my iPad 3, which will give me another $200+ to spend on other things. Just remember, this device is not for everyone. If you want a media device, you will be happy with this. Do not expect an iPad for $200.
UPDATE 9/18/12
Just wanted to add a few more things I have noticed over the past 24 hours.
Power/Volume Buttons: There are a bit hard to press, which is somewhat alleviated by having the official case. Maybe it's because I'm a longtime iPad user, but this will definitely take some getting used to.
Screen Glare: It took me a little while to notice, but I was playing a Seek & Find game while on Caltrain, with the bright Palo Alto sun shining right on me, and didn't have any trouble seeing the screen. I remembered that Amazon mentioned how the screen was changed to reduce glare, and they did an amazing job.
UPDATE 9/20/12
Two days later and I am still very happy with the device. Here are some more thoughts from me:
BATTERY LIFE
I have been playing Enigmatis (a hidden object game) for about an hour and a half each day on my commute. This drains about 15 20% of the battery with the screen brightness almost at the highest setting. Again, not iPad gold standard, but still very good.
SYNCING MUSIC
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and used an app called Easy Phone Transfer to get all my music from iTunes onto the phone. It transferred everything, including album covers, and I was hoping to find something like that for this device. I tried iSyncr, a $3 app, which did the job, but did not sync over album covers. I uploaded all my music into the Cloud, then downloaded it from Amazon, which increased the audio quality for a lot of my songs and added artwork, but this still did not show up on the device.
I got very frustrated getting all the album artwork over and eventually just gave up. It's not a big deal but I am kind of anal about those kinds of things. Just a heads up if anyone else out there is crazy about it like I am.
UPDATE 09/21/12
I got a call from Amazon Customer Service about this review, which surprised me very much. They advised me the best way to get the artwork to show up is have the songs in both the Cloud Player as well as the device, which I know does work fine. I was hoping to have the artwork show without needing things in the Cloud, but not a big deal any more.
I am more impressed with the fact that Amazon called me to give me advice on how to remedy the situation and ask if there were any other questions I had on the Kindle. The representative said he wanted to make sure I was happy with the Fire HD. This is one of the big reasons I went with the Kindle, and with Amazon in general. I have had great experiences with their customer service, who have always been able to handle my issues quickly and efficiently. No need to set up an appointment days later with a wannabe IT guy with a hugely overstated job title.
So this update is not really for the device itself, but sometimes it's not just the device, it's the company that offers it that makes a difference. This is why I no longer have any Apple devices, as cool as they may be. But it's not 100% gravy, as I have noticed lately that the keyboard keeps popping up randomly on screens where there is nowhere to enter text, ie. while playing a game. I just have to press the Back arrow to get rid of it, but maybe a bug the Amazon engineers want to take a look at.
UPDATE 10/05/12
So I don't know if it was always there, but over this past weekend I noticed a dead pixel on my Kindle's screen. I called Kindle Support and after a short 5 minute call, they sent me a new Kindle, no questions asked. So once again, very happy with Amazon customer service. I am still very happy with the device, and have some more thoughts on it:
HDMI CONNECTION
I bought an HDMI cable to hook up the Fire to my 46" Samsung and was quite impressed with the results. The quality was very good, not Bluray quality of course, but better than SDTV on an HD screen. You actually see every single thing you do on the big screen, like you are using a giant Kindle.
GOOGLE PLAY APPS
One of the main drawbacks in my opinion is, or should I say was, the lack of all the Google Play apps available on the Kindle. With a little research, I found out how to add apps that are not available in the Amazon store. It is pretty easy to do and works very well with the apps I tried. This greatly improves my opinion of the Fire HD.
PLASTIC AROUND THE SCREEN
The outer most edges of the Kindle are plastic. I noticed some kind of discoloration on the corner of mine, and just thought it was some dirt to scratch off. So I rubbed my thumb nail on the area, and noticed there were visible marks on the plastic. It appears this plastic can scratch some what easily, but I think this is just cosmetic as not of the plastic actually flaked. If you are not very anal about how your stuff looks, you probably won't notice it.
OS CHANGES
Here are two small gripes I have with the OS that I'm sure could be fixed with an OS update:
Battery Meter: It would be nice if the battery meter could show percentage instead of just a graphic bar. Some people have mentioned Battery HD, but you still have to swipe down to see the percentage, so this makes it easier but does not solve the issue I had.
Personal Videos: The mp4 videos I put on the device are located in the "Personal Videos" app, which shows screen shots of all the videos I put in. The problem is, all that is shown are the screen shots. You can get more info by holding your finger down on each video, but when you have multiple seasons of a show on the Kindle, it can get confusing. Ideally we should be able to look at videos in a list like our music.
UPDATE 11/15/12
Still very happy with the device. Here are some more thoughts:
LEFT HAND MODE
I did't think this would be a problem until I played a Solitaire game that DID have a left-handed mode. As a lefty who usually uses the Fire in landscape, I often have to reach across the screen to access the Settings or Home button in the menu. It's a small grievance, but can be really annoying when watching a movie or reading something. If there was an option for a left-handed layout with the menus on the left side of the device, that would be great.
PERSONAL VIDEOS APP
I had earlier complained about this app, as it did not list my movies and crashed playing a pair of them. I recently drove down to LA from SF, and put 5 movies on device, only to find that 4 of them would not play! I was pretty mad, until I remembered a simple solution, download another app. I downloaded Avia Media Player, which is not the greatest either, but it played all the movies I put on the Kindle. My faith was restored.
GOOGLE PLAY APPS
A lot of people have asked how to do this. If you are not having luck with Google searches, try this:
ViewSonic ViewPad 7 7-Inch Android 2.2 Tablet - Black (Wifi
OK I received my VPad7 yesterday afternoon, and so far I'm MOSTLY Happy!
It's zippy, but I do wish they had put in a 1Ghz processor. Will probably force it out of a Honeycomb Upgrade.
I can not get Adobe Flash to install, but so far I haven't found that to be an issue on the web.
Viewing Angels not a problem, Battery life We'll see after it's conditioned but so far I'd estimate 4-8hrs depending on activities.
Tested Transformers 720p HD and not one flicker
Sound from it's little speakers Impressive!
Dropped my T-Mobile SIM in and BOOM instant Big Phone :D The Speed only shows Edge, but I'm in a funky location.
Phone quality Just got off a 1 hour conference call using both the speakerphone option and the plugin headset. No complaints from anyone. I heard the other end just fine.
Reception signal is actually BETTER with this than with my actual T-Mobile HD2 phone.
Highly Recommend getting a MicroUSB card as the internal memory is minimal. Get the more expensive FAST card for better performance.
Streaming music, sounds Great just as nice as an MP3.
GPS works like a champ!
Angry birds works great :D
My only other Gripe is the keyboard It functions fine, but I'd like to use the Market's Better Keyboard, which after installed and enabled doesn't swap out for the swype keyboard that is standard.
I may look into the "rooting" options that people have done with it's big brother, but so far it's handsomely accomplished everything I've tasked it with!
If you're looking for a Bigger Screen Smartphone, and don't want to pay that extra Data Fee that the carriers are forcing on us, this is CURRENTLY your best option! and with that extra Data Fee you can't use it's competitors (Galaxy Tab for example) as a phone, even though they have the capability.
If I have luck with rooting and installing any custom ROM, I'll post my results. It's not a top priority ATM as it's satisfactory as it is.
TO Viewsonic Get is certified for Flash, and unlock it so I can use whatever virtual keyboard I want and you'd get 5 stars!!
Update: 5/30 OK after using it awhile I've come up with two major flaws this may be MY actual device, or an actual design flaw 1) Charging has become a game I have to Cinch the Power cord behind the Tablet using something to Hold it in place back there then maneuver the USB plug just right or it won't charge. 2)the "Buzzer" now goes off if you hold the the Tablet too tight or if its in my computer bag; and won't stop until you slap it. So it now sits in a cradle, it functions fine and I still use it, but not outside of my home office.... I should have returned/exchanged it, but I had such problems getting basic information from Viewsonics' Customer Service, I just re purposed it and got the XOOM which I LOVE 110%. Hopefully no one else has had this issue, if not for that I'd Still give it 4 Stars.
It's zippy, but I do wish they had put in a 1Ghz processor. Will probably force it out of a Honeycomb Upgrade.
I can not get Adobe Flash to install, but so far I haven't found that to be an issue on the web.
Viewing Angels not a problem, Battery life We'll see after it's conditioned but so far I'd estimate 4-8hrs depending on activities.
Tested Transformers 720p HD and not one flicker
Sound from it's little speakers Impressive!
Dropped my T-Mobile SIM in and BOOM instant Big Phone :D The Speed only shows Edge, but I'm in a funky location.
Phone quality Just got off a 1 hour conference call using both the speakerphone option and the plugin headset. No complaints from anyone. I heard the other end just fine.
Reception signal is actually BETTER with this than with my actual T-Mobile HD2 phone.
Highly Recommend getting a MicroUSB card as the internal memory is minimal. Get the more expensive FAST card for better performance.
Streaming music, sounds Great just as nice as an MP3.
GPS works like a champ!
Angry birds works great :D
My only other Gripe is the keyboard It functions fine, but I'd like to use the Market's Better Keyboard, which after installed and enabled doesn't swap out for the swype keyboard that is standard.
I may look into the "rooting" options that people have done with it's big brother, but so far it's handsomely accomplished everything I've tasked it with!
If you're looking for a Bigger Screen Smartphone, and don't want to pay that extra Data Fee that the carriers are forcing on us, this is CURRENTLY your best option! and with that extra Data Fee you can't use it's competitors (Galaxy Tab for example) as a phone, even though they have the capability.
If I have luck with rooting and installing any custom ROM, I'll post my results. It's not a top priority ATM as it's satisfactory as it is.
TO Viewsonic Get is certified for Flash, and unlock it so I can use whatever virtual keyboard I want and you'd get 5 stars!!
Update: 5/30 OK after using it awhile I've come up with two major flaws this may be MY actual device, or an actual design flaw 1) Charging has become a game I have to Cinch the Power cord behind the Tablet using something to Hold it in place back there then maneuver the USB plug just right or it won't charge. 2)the "Buzzer" now goes off if you hold the the Tablet too tight or if its in my computer bag; and won't stop until you slap it. So it now sits in a cradle, it functions fine and I still use it, but not outside of my home office.... I should have returned/exchanged it, but I had such problems getting basic information from Viewsonics' Customer Service, I just re purposed it and got the XOOM which I LOVE 110%. Hopefully no one else has had this issue, if not for that I'd Still give it 4 Stars.
Samsung NX1100 Smart Wi-Fi Digital Camera Body & 20-50mm Lens
List Price: $599.99
Sale Price: $444.19
Today's Bonus: 26% Off
This is a superb camera and an outstanding value at the current low prices! It is listed multiple times on Amazon, so be sure to search for the model, color, and price you want.
This is drawn from my review of the NX1000 which is the identical camera without the bundled Adobe Lightroom 4 software and Autoshare Wifi feature (but that feature was added to the NX1000 in the latest firmware update). If you already have Adobe LR 4 as I do, the NX1000 may be a better choice and save you some money. Same sensor, lens, body, etc. so you decide.
Samsung NX1000/NX1100 Review
The main things that drew my interest with this camera were the Wifi features (I have a Samsung WB150F and the Wifi features have worked well. I find them useful and convenient, especially the PC-Autobackup which transfers movies and images to your PC), the large APS-C sensor (more image detail), the compact, mirror-less design, and the recent price drops.
The NX1100 will debut with a MSP of $599 (vs. $699 for the NX1000) and comes bundled with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 and some new Wifi features namely Autoshare. But guess what? Autoshare is available for the NX1000 in the 1.13 firmware update! I already own Adobe Photoshop LR 4, and even with the lower NX1100 price, the NX1000 (basically the same camera) at current prices (340-360) is a great value. Compared to models like the 200/210 it offers the exact same APS-C sensor and is almost identical in image quality and handling. what you are giving up is the AMOLED display, metal body and a few other minor things. (The LCD display on the 1000/1100 is fine, if not quite as good as far as contrast, deep blacks, it is still very usable.)
So...how does the pudding taste? Well, I will admit my overwhelming first impression was "plastic!" though the build quality seems very good, there is an overall "plasticky" feel to the NX1000. (Thankfully, the tripod thread is metal!) The shutter and other bits are metal as well, including the lens mounts.
I use Panasonic and Olympus cameras, mostly, and even those in this price range have a bit nicer "feel" in that sense But, it's a very high quality plastic and I soon got over it except for the fact that I find the grip a bit slick and could see myself dropping this camera, so I immediately attached the strap. Not a big fan of the strap. It's OK, but I do not like the ring attachments used versus the more usual cloth through metal guides on my other cameras. I find the strap interfering with my grip due to where the attachment rings are located and this is quite annoying. I will probably remove this strap for that reason once I find a case I like. You can work around it, but I just don't like it. (Update: I'm adjusting to this and not as irritating as before.)
While we're quibbling, I'm also not a big fan of the way the Zoom lens "locks" when not in use. It does give a lower profile, but it takes some getting used to, as I've never experienced this design before. Again, a minor thing. Overall appearance is good, it looks like a serious camera. I got the white model and like the "Elvis vibe" it gives off. Also the markings are easy to read, it's comfortable to hold (with the 20-50mm lens) and the recessed mode dial is a nice touch. (It's even better with the awesome 16mm wide angle pancake lens! Much slimmer profile and very easy to hold and shoot with.)
In general, as far as controls, the design is well thought out and Samsung offers some unique and original twists such as the "Fn" and "iFn" control buttons which allow easy access to the main things you'd want to "tweak" when shooting. The controls work well and the "ring/wheel" control works very well. I was a bit skeptical, but in use I really liked it. For example, when flipping through your shots in playback mode it works very well and you can scroll through the images very quickly.
Nice to have the hotshoe, though I have not tried the flash unit supplied yet will report back on that. Videographers might note that there is an external mike that works with the hotshoe and uses no cables at all, nice!
In general, I find the NX1000 easy to use, the manual focus works well, the Smart mode seems to do fairly well, there are a great many scene modes and other (somewhat gimmicky) features (Magic filters/frames, etc.). I enjoyed playing with those on the WB150F, but they seem out of place here. There are a superb number of image adjustments, exposure tweaks, and controls of a more serious nature as well. When you want to get serious, this camera is ready. Also, some of the fun things, like the Panorama mode, do work well if you understand their limitations and keep your expectations reasonable.
As expected, the APS-C sensor renders a lot of good image detail. This is the big plus for this camera. I was very pleased with the results under good lighting conditions. I shoot a lot of landscape and street stuff, and this camera seems well suited for that. The noise reduction seems to work well up to about 1600 or so (maybe 800 for purists). Colors are accurate and not over-saturated like on many consumer cameras. If you like the "boost" many cameras give by default, there is a "Vivid" mode which will do this for you. Personally, I prefer the more realistic colors (one of the things I like about Olympus and (most) Panasonics as well). Sharpness is good in JPEGs (I have not shot RAW yet) and tones are nice and smooth (think large expanses of blue sky and clouds). I'm sure with experience my results will improve over these initial test shots, so that bodes well. If you like to print big, 16x20, even 20x30 possibly, you will be able to do so, which is very nice.
The 20-50mm kit lens is nice enough, but has a very limited range compared to what I am used to. (I am considering getting the 30mm lens which I think would make a nice compact package for everyday use.) However, the images look good, sharp, detailed, so I am happy with it. Video worked well and the zoom worked fine in video mode and was silent. In casual use, there is no need to switch the dial to video mode, you can just press the Video button on the back and after a slight pause you're in action. This is nice. Of course, dialing to full video mode gives you more options.
Wifi features worked fine, I was able to easily connect and save pics using the autobackup mode. Skydrive and others worked fine. Have not tried the mobile link and remote view finder apps yet. (Update: I tried these apps out and they worked OK for the most part. A bit flaky at times. There is a new "Smart Camera app" to replace these, but it only works with the new firmware. Since I have not yet upgraded the firmware, have not tried it.) The PC_Autobackup mode works very well for transferring pics and movies to your PC. It remembers what has been transferred and only transfers new items. Best to transfer frequently, since slower than reading from a card, but all automatic and very convenient. [You can also transfer photos to your mobile devices (phone/tablet) using the other apps (Mobile Link/Smart Camera).]
Example: You get back from shooting, you activate the PC-Autobackup on the camera (your laptop/PC and network must be on, of course), and the camera will connect and begin transferring your content. When done the camera will turn-off (unless you press a control button within 30 seconds) and you can set the PC to shutdown as well if you like. Or you can select the "open folder" choice on the PC/notenook popup dialog and view your pics and movies. All very easy and convenient.
There is a "Smart Range" feature to extend dynamic range and preserve highlights. It seems to work well, but you lose shadow detail. Might want to turn off by default, I think. (You can also shoot RAW and tweak things yourself, of course.)
JPEGS look very good to me with a lot of detail and sharpness. So good that I think shooting JEPG only is feasible with the NX1000. (You can always switch to RAW or RAW+Jpeg when needed, of course.) I think many will find the Jpegs entirely adequate for most purposes. (If you shoot a lot at high ISO's you would definitely want to shoot RAW.) You have a range of aspect ratios including 1:1, 3:2, and 16:9. This is nice and gives you flexibility in camera versus cropping later.
The 8fps burst mode worked very well, though as has been noted everywhere, there is a lag as the camera processes the shots before you can shoot again. I am a fairly deliberate photographer and don't shoot much action/sports, so the NX1000 is fine for me. The occasional lags when switching modes and after bursts or RAW shots are not an issue for me, but could be for some. It's all covered in many of the excellent online reviews, so I won't dwell on it here. Overall, I found the camera responsive and adequate for my needs.
The LCD screen is bright, colorful and has good resolution. I was pleased with it. I generally favor optical view finders (sorry, I admit to being old school here, you can't beat a good optical VF IMHO) and even EVF in a pinch, but I am getting used to the non-VF style of shooting and the NX1000 LCD is very good in this respect.
In general, I am very pleased with the image quality and the feature set and think this camera is an excellent value at current prices. Many of the features are unique, the Wifi modes are the best I've seen to date, and the APS-C sensor seems to be a good one. It's fairly compact with the 20-50mm kit lens (and would be even more so with the 30mm pancake lens), easy to carry (not heavy), and has all the controls you could ever want. The images are very good and that's the main thing.
I think it's an easy 4 stars for overall quality and especially value for the price paid.
----------------
Update: I recently purchased the Samsung f2.4 16mm wide angle "pancake" lens (Samsung 16mm f/2.4 NX Ultra Wide Pancake Lens (Black)) and it's a great addition to this camera. Wonderful for landscapes and walk-about/street photography. It's the lens I keep on the camera by default now. Quicker auto-focus, faster optics(f2.4 vs f3.5), and a more compact profile. When I have the 16mm lens on the body, I feel this is a 5 star combo. (I am leaving the rating at 4 stars with the kit lens, which is an excellent lens. I just find the 16mm to be the "magic" lens with this body. Very subjective, of course.)
Update: I did not cover video very well above, suffice to say the quality of the video is excellent for a camera in this price range and superior to many, I would guess. It is full HD 30/60 fps. You can Zoom during video shooting and it supports external microphones and stereo sound. All the basics are here and a few pluses as well. You can even use many of the special effects in video mode should you wish to do so. There is a dedicated video button for instant access, and a dial selection for more options. Videos take longer to transfer over wifi due to their size, but do transfer fine. Sound quality id pretty good for a camera of this type, in my opinion. So, if you are traveling, you have both stills and video covered. (I still feel a dedicated video camera and full fledged DSLR are optimal. But I must say, the combo capabilities here are quite fine.)
Video Format: MP4 (H.264), Compression: Movie H.264, Sound AAC
Frame Rate: 60fps (1280 x 720 Only), 30fps (1920 x 1080), 24fps (1920 x 810)
Image Sizes: 1920 x 1080, 1920 x 810, 1280 x 720 , 640 x 480, 320x240 for Sharing (Default: 1920 x 1080)
Movie Editing: Still Image Capture, Time Trimming
Update: I did not mention that the kit lens (20-50mm) does not have image stabilization, nor does the body. Has not been a problem for me (I shoot old school, bracing, etc.), but it was a consideration in buying the low cost and excellent 16mm wide angle for this body (very compact and little worries about image stabilization, larger sensor works in favor here) and dedicating this to camera to the wide end, while using my Panasonic G1 for the mid/telephoto range (as I already have excellent lenses for my G1 in this range). I still have the 20-50mm (an excellent lens) in the bag and can switch when needed. The lenses I have already for my G1 are superb, so this works out well for me.
You can buy image stabilized Samsung lenses (like the 18-55mm) if that is a concern. Shooting with the 20-50mm kit lens, I never once had any issues. However, in low light situations, it might come into play. Again, in my case, my G1 and f1.7 20mm would be my preferred choice, but I could get by with the NX1000. It has good image quality at high ISO and even ISO 3200 is usable many times. ISO 1600 is very good and ISO 800 is very clean.
For quick "grab and go" shooting, I continue to enjoy this camera very much.
2013 August 3rd update: I have had a chance to try the 18-55mm lens (good) on the Samsung 210 model and the 210 is very nice, it's the 200 + wifi features (like the Nx1000/1100). The 200/210 is heavier, all metal and has the AMOLED screen. The screen is better in bright subnlight than the LCD on the NX1000/1100. However, overall, the differences are not great, as mentioned above. The image quality is very close, no discernible quality difference that I can see in my quick tests. The NX1000/1100 then stands as an excellent low-price entry point to get this excellent APS-C sensor, with the bonus of the same excellent image quality as the more expensive models. The lighter weight is a plus, too. I have been shooting extensively with the 16mm on my NX1000 and continue to be very pleased with the results. Great image detail and color. This camera is an outstanding bargain at current prices and delivers image quality equal to models selling for 2-3 times as much. The market has not quite caught on to the value here, yet...initial prices for these cameras were double current prices. But that just means you can snag one of these at an incredible low price and be happy! Shush...don't tell anyone! ;)
Samsung Galaxy Camera with Android Jelly Bean v4.2 OS, 16.3MP
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $549.00
Today's Bonus: $0.99 Off
Picture quality is great when the pictures are not blurred. I feel like you always have to have this camera on a tripod. This is no longer my go to camera. The battery drains quickly as well. Features are great.
Lowepro Magnum 650 AW Shoulder Bag (Black)
List Price: $359.99
Sale Price: $240.00
Today's Bonus: 33% Off
This is a shoulder bag in the same sense that you could hypothetically pick up a woman and carry her home on your shoulder, assuming a) she's into that, and b) you've got a chiropractor appointment booked in advance. Seriously, it is enormous. You can put all your gear in it, and I do mean all. And then you can buy more gear and attach it to the 6 pouch attachment loops on the sides. Note that I am 6'1 and 210 lbs. on a good day, and I've often scoffed at the comments lesser (well, shorter) people make about thus-and-such product being too big. This one is just...big.
I bought this bag as a fixture for my RV. Well, actually I didn't realize it was quite so huge when I ordered it, but I instantly decided on that use for it when it arrived. I needed a bag to hold the following:
A pro-shape (battery handle-bearing) Nikon D800 with a 70-200 pro (f2.8) lens nose-down
A Leica M9-P with large (for Leica) lens
A Sony NEX-7 with long (for the NEX-7) lens
A Nikon 70-400 telephoto zoom lens
A couple of midsized Nikon zooms
Six more Leica lenses
A medium-sized flash for each camera
A 17" Cracbook Pro Retina with 2-3 external hard drives
Several filters, extra batteries for everything, cables, cleaning gear, and other junk
This bag consumed all of that except the laptop, sort of (see below), and it's still a little bit hungry. I will note that I chose to mount a couple of those LowePro quick-change lens pouches on one side, using their loop/slot system, and I store the 70-400 in one of those. I also put a 75 AW flash pouch and a general carry pouch on the other side, mainly so I can take these 4 pouches off to assemble a web belt harness thing if I need to. If I so chose, I could get all that stuff into the bag itself easily enough.
The thing that sold me on this bag instantly was the solidity of the inner partitions, especially the ones between the slots meant for cameras. They are velcro-fitted like those things always are, but these are really solid compared to those in any other bag I've seen, even other LowePro bags like the Stealth Reporter. I consider that bag to be pretty solid too, but this one is a whole other level. The front half of the main compartment consists of three full-sized, full-depth, square camera nest slots with solid padded specially-shaped walls between them. These are the first configurable partitions that ever said "pro" to me; that felt trustworthy. You could easily get three "pro"-shape (square-backed/battery handle) bodies with mounted long lenses in there, each nose down, if you didn't mind their grips touching a little. If you were to put 2 pro bodies with long lens nose down in the front corner slots, with a smaller camera (or long lens) in the front center slot, nothing would touch anything else.
The narrower 2nd row is a warren of configurable partitions for everything else. I usually hate those stacking cubbyhole partitions, but in the case of this bag, they aren't so awful because they're solid too. All my Leica lenses fit in about 1/2 of the back row, double-stacked with amply padded flip-up hatch partitions separating them.
There are large front and side pockets, and the usual rear slit paperwork-only pocket. The front one is big enough for chargers and cables and travel hard drives and that sort of stuff. The side ones are useful for miscellaneous stuff unless if you are going to hang additional pockets off of the side loops, in which case using the side pockets would create awkward angles for the hanging gera. I am doing that, so I only put flat cleaning cloths and other durable, thin things in the side pockets. There are six side loops but really you can only use two on each side unless there's some sort of really thin pouches I don't have, or if you really wanted to cram things together. I'll probably end up using 2 quick-change long lens pouches on one side, and leave the other side clear.
There's a slot through the back that's obviously intended for a cart. I usually don't like luggage carts, but for this bag, I'd make an exception. The shoulder strap is heavy-duty and padded, though you still couldn't carry this bag very far with any amount of gear in it. Incidentally, that's due as much to the squarish thickness front-to-back as to the weight of the gear. The massiveness of this bag means the carry handle centered on top is useful only when it's mostly empty, and when the lid is fastened down. I guess it's also useful for dragging the bag around the floor a bit.
The 2 things I don't like about this bag are as follows:
a) There's a little pocket up top, off to one side of the central carry handle. Because there's a webbing loop on the opposite side, I assume this pocket is meant to sit the feet of a tripod in, but all I can get in there is a small tripod or large monopod. Given the size of this bag, I'd like to see a real full-sized tripod solution, unless I'm missing something and there's a way to do it, which is entirely possible.
b) The laptop insert is interesting, in that it's got, like, this whole puppet theater thing going on, with the stiff hood and blinders. But it's also very excessively massive and bulky. Also, I can imagine folding it out in the field maybe once or twice in my life, at the most, at high noon in a desert or something. There is no slot in this bag to just jam your laptop down into, in the front or rear, and there really needs to be, since this bag has plenty of space for such a slot, and it's all I'd have needed. I was using a Cracbook Air 11 when I got this bag, and it was ludicrous in that insert case, like a little kid trying on his mother's muu-muu. Though maybe less creepy of an image.
Sooo, moving right along: the laptop case doesn't slot down along the rear or front of the bag. (If it did, you could use that slot without it, which would be nice.) Instead, this podium-encyclopedia-sized padded insert must be be laid on top of all your other gear, just under the bag's lid. That means you lose height, which is a sincere bummer when you want to store one or more DSLR pro bodies with 70-200 lenses mounted nose-down. Since that's the exact reason I got this case, I had to just remove the laptop insert and put it in yet another bag. If you didn't have nose-down cameras with mounted long lenses, you could use the laptop insert, but you'd still have to take it out and put it aside whenever you removed anything from the bag's main section.
b) alone is the reason this review isn't 5 stars. Maybe I'd give it 4.5 if I could, but I can't, and there's no excuse for not being able to get both a pro body (or three) with big lenses and a laptop into this bag.
Otherwise, I've never seen a better "everything" camera bag for fixedor vehicle-based use.
Olympus Evolt E-3 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with Mechanical
I have toyed with the 4/3 digital SLR system several times since it was introduced in 2003, shrugged my shoulders and gone back to Nikon or Canon. Frankly, I had about given up on 4/3, but Olympus dropped the E-3 on us a few weeks ago and showed us it could be all they promised with 4/3 when it was first introduced over 4 years ago.
ANY DSLR system is about lenses in the end, and Olympus 4/3 is blessed with superb optics. To get an idea of how really great the new Olympus glass is you need to use some of the top lenses, or read a few of the big photo sites like dpreview, imaging-resource, or DCRP. They have all finally acknowledged in reviews of the E-420/410 and E-520/510 that Olympus has the best quality kit lenses of any camera maker, and that the Olympus claim that lenses designed for digital produce better quality images is proving to be true. even went so far as to test most of the current Olympus lens line after being so impressed with the kit lenses on the 510/410.
Olympus 4/3 is also by design an all-electronic lens mount like Canon. Reviewers on the web tend to be so Canon and Nikon biased that they often forget really basic things like this. The 4/3 system has all motor driven lenses, and the lenses were ALL designed for digital photography. I am frankly tired of seeing reviews that talk of Canon as if they are the only company with all motor lenses. There are actually 3 Canon, 4/3, and Sigma although some of Sigma's other features are archaic and sales are very low so most just ignore them. Sony/Minolta and Nikon are not similarly blessed with an all-electronic lens mount, and many lenses are still noisily driven by screws on the lens mount in both systems. In fairness, Nikon has been moving rapidly to motor-driven lenses, but Sony seems stuck in their noisy and slower screw-drive AF even though they have used lens motors in a rare few long telephotos. The point here is that the 4/3 mount at least matches the best, and it is better than most.
The Olympus issue has never been glass or lens mount , it has really been the options you had (or rather didn't have) in camera bodies to use with this excellent Olympus glass on an all electronic mount. As great as the current E-410 and E-510 really are, they are still saddled with an ancient and not particularly low-light sensitive 3-point autofocus system. Shooting in truly low light was all but impossible and your Olympus searched for focus while Canon, Nikon, and Sony locked on focus. There just wasn't a choice of anything better from Olympus. That is until the E-3.
The E-3 takes Olympus AF from Sigma territory to state-of-the-art, and as soon as the new 11-point, all cross sensor, dual-plane AF module makes its way down the food chain, no one will ignore Olympus any more. I hope Olympus can also find a way to move the terrific E-3 feature of AF with manual touch-up down the food chain as well because the other big Olympus issue is that stupid "Manual focus by wire" feature and Manual Focus select by menu and it is mostly fixed in the E-3.
This time around I bought an E-3 and a 12-60mm and the tiny little excellent-quality kit lenses for when the 12-60mm weighs too much and I can compromise just a little on quality. I have added other Olympus equipment to my E-3 system quickly, like the unique 70-300mm (140 to 600mm equivalent with 1:1 Macro), the superbly sharp little 35mm f3.5 Macro that does equivalent TWICE life-size macro right out of the box, and the E-3 grip.
I am completely and totally impressed with the E-3. All the lenses are designed for 4/3 mount and for best performance on a 4/3 camera they aren't 35mm film designs. No other camera offers the combination of effective live-view, built-in image stabilization, the best auto sensor cleaning you can buy, an articulating LCD that can fold away for protection (AND a top LCD for basic data), a built-in pop-up flash, effective dust and splash sealing of the camera AND the lenses, a popularly-priced zoom that covers the equivalent of 140mm to 600mm and does Macro up to equivalent life size (70-300mm), MUCH improved noise reduction that goes to ISO 3200, user-programmable Auto ISO that can cover the full ISO range (Canon still stubbornly refuses to fully offer this option), and the best range of available lenses DESIGNED FOR a digital camera system.
The E-3 is a bargain for a true PRO grade camera and it is easily built as well as the Nikon D3 or the top Canons which are $5000 or more. You will get real value for the $1699 you spend on the E-3 body compared to any competing system from any company. However, most will find the E-3 expensive unless they are serious photo hobbyists or Pros, and Olympus needs to move the E-3 refinements down to E-510 price levels as fast as they can.
The E-3 is a great piece of creative engineering, an area Olympus is known for. After all they invented auto-sensor cleaning and live view which is now finding its way to every DSLR. This is the best Olympus camera EVER, and once you have used it you will be hooked.
ANY DSLR system is about lenses in the end, and Olympus 4/3 is blessed with superb optics. To get an idea of how really great the new Olympus glass is you need to use some of the top lenses, or read a few of the big photo sites like dpreview, imaging-resource, or DCRP. They have all finally acknowledged in reviews of the E-420/410 and E-520/510 that Olympus has the best quality kit lenses of any camera maker, and that the Olympus claim that lenses designed for digital produce better quality images is proving to be true. even went so far as to test most of the current Olympus lens line after being so impressed with the kit lenses on the 510/410.
Olympus 4/3 is also by design an all-electronic lens mount like Canon. Reviewers on the web tend to be so Canon and Nikon biased that they often forget really basic things like this. The 4/3 system has all motor driven lenses, and the lenses were ALL designed for digital photography. I am frankly tired of seeing reviews that talk of Canon as if they are the only company with all motor lenses. There are actually 3 Canon, 4/3, and Sigma although some of Sigma's other features are archaic and sales are very low so most just ignore them. Sony/Minolta and Nikon are not similarly blessed with an all-electronic lens mount, and many lenses are still noisily driven by screws on the lens mount in both systems. In fairness, Nikon has been moving rapidly to motor-driven lenses, but Sony seems stuck in their noisy and slower screw-drive AF even though they have used lens motors in a rare few long telephotos. The point here is that the 4/3 mount at least matches the best, and it is better than most.
The Olympus issue has never been glass or lens mount , it has really been the options you had (or rather didn't have) in camera bodies to use with this excellent Olympus glass on an all electronic mount. As great as the current E-410 and E-510 really are, they are still saddled with an ancient and not particularly low-light sensitive 3-point autofocus system. Shooting in truly low light was all but impossible and your Olympus searched for focus while Canon, Nikon, and Sony locked on focus. There just wasn't a choice of anything better from Olympus. That is until the E-3.
The E-3 takes Olympus AF from Sigma territory to state-of-the-art, and as soon as the new 11-point, all cross sensor, dual-plane AF module makes its way down the food chain, no one will ignore Olympus any more. I hope Olympus can also find a way to move the terrific E-3 feature of AF with manual touch-up down the food chain as well because the other big Olympus issue is that stupid "Manual focus by wire" feature and Manual Focus select by menu and it is mostly fixed in the E-3.
This time around I bought an E-3 and a 12-60mm and the tiny little excellent-quality kit lenses for when the 12-60mm weighs too much and I can compromise just a little on quality. I have added other Olympus equipment to my E-3 system quickly, like the unique 70-300mm (140 to 600mm equivalent with 1:1 Macro), the superbly sharp little 35mm f3.5 Macro that does equivalent TWICE life-size macro right out of the box, and the E-3 grip.
I am completely and totally impressed with the E-3. All the lenses are designed for 4/3 mount and for best performance on a 4/3 camera they aren't 35mm film designs. No other camera offers the combination of effective live-view, built-in image stabilization, the best auto sensor cleaning you can buy, an articulating LCD that can fold away for protection (AND a top LCD for basic data), a built-in pop-up flash, effective dust and splash sealing of the camera AND the lenses, a popularly-priced zoom that covers the equivalent of 140mm to 600mm and does Macro up to equivalent life size (70-300mm), MUCH improved noise reduction that goes to ISO 3200, user-programmable Auto ISO that can cover the full ISO range (Canon still stubbornly refuses to fully offer this option), and the best range of available lenses DESIGNED FOR a digital camera system.
The E-3 is a bargain for a true PRO grade camera and it is easily built as well as the Nikon D3 or the top Canons which are $5000 or more. You will get real value for the $1699 you spend on the E-3 body compared to any competing system from any company. However, most will find the E-3 expensive unless they are serious photo hobbyists or Pros, and Olympus needs to move the E-3 refinements down to E-510 price levels as fast as they can.
The E-3 is a great piece of creative engineering, an area Olympus is known for. After all they invented auto-sensor cleaning and live view which is now finding its way to every DSLR. This is the best Olympus camera EVER, and once you have used it you will be hooked.
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Wide Angle AF Lens & Filters & 7
What a great price for this lens able to get up close to a wide format scene and get everything in the photo. Be careful to hold the lens level to avoid the "fish eye" effect on the edges of your photo. Not good for photos taken at a distance. The lens comes packaged very nicely with a lens hood and cap. Overall a great value.
Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S LT18a-BLU Unlocked Smartphone
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $240.00
Today's Bonus: 56% Off
Good quality phone for a good price.
Pros: Unlocked for use around the world except on Verizon and Sprint in the US. Good call quality and data speed. Adequate storage with expansion. Processor is as fast as Motorola Droid3 dual cores. I can simultaneously listen to music, play Angry Birds and be downloading a book with no lag in any of them. Implementation of Folders allows a compact presentation of most of your apps on a single screen for quick access. Good quality screen of good size. Slim and light. Battery life is adequate for heavy usage. RAM memory size is adequate for what I do and is plenty fast. The internal storage and the removable microSD card are used as a single storage system. Some downloaded apps can be moved to the microSD card using an included feature to extend the small native app storage. I replaced the included 8Gb microSD card with a 32Gb one. I just used my laptop to copy the included data on the 8Gb card to the 32Gb and everything works fine. I have over 3,000 songs, 2,900 pictures, and more than 60 apps on the combined cards with 7Gb free (but with just 65Mb free in the dedicated app space). The phone is light in weight. On screen keyboard is much better than my Droid3 with bigger keys in landscape orientation. Good Android Gingerbread implementation with ICS coming.
Cons: Can't add an extended life battery without ruining the slim style case with a big bulging alternate cover in the back. The screen is the biggest battery draw. 10-12 hours of continuous screen usage can drain the battery. But that's far better than my LG Quantum Windows 7 phone and a bit better than my Droid 3 was with the OEM battery before replacement with an 1800mA hour one. Under normal usage of the Experia it's about 2 and a half days before I have to recharge the battery.
Other: I bought this phone as a world travel replacement for my Motorola Droid 3 which only roams data if you pay Verizon's high charges. The unlocked SE Experia Arc S is not tied to any particular carrier. It works anywhere in the world for both cell and data. I'm using 3G for Internet and email on MTN and Airtel in Ghana. The cell quality is good for calls within country as well as to other countries in Africa and to the US. Data access is just as fast as what I'm getting on my laptop using an MTN cell modem. Often the Experia is faster than the laptop since it has to transfer less data to fill the screen. Wireless performance is good with good signal sensitivity. The Droid3 camera is junk. So the Experia camera is a welcome relief. The software implementation gives adequate camera control for a phone. I haven't used the 3D feature and never will. Audio quality is very good for playing music using the Poweramp app while reading library books on the phone great for the plane. This phone is a bargain for world travel.
Update 11/18/12
I've used it for six months and the Experia Arc S continues to be my favorite phone. It's upgraded to Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich and I've now had a chance to use a couple of other features.
Bluetooth: Works great. I use it to transfer pictures to my tablet using the Bluetooth File Transfer app. It's handy to be able to both make backup copies of my photos while away from my home computer and to copy pictures over to my Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus for showing to family and friends.
Wireless Hotspot (cell modem): I used this in Bangladesh where I didn't have wireless available at my guest house. I had in my phone a BanglaLink SIM card with data plan which I had picked up at the airport. I just started up the Hotspot in the Xperia Connectivity Settings. Then I was able to use the phone as a wireless router. I connected my laptop for sending long emails home and downloading documents from the Web. The hotspot actually was a little faster than using a USB cell modem in my laptop. The data usage was quite spare. I'll use it again when I return to Bangladesh early next year.
I use this phone everyday. I hope it lasts a long time. I don't want to give it up.
Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro
List Price: $1,333.95
Sale Price: $419.00
Today's Bonus: 69% Off
Tamron's new lens offers a 15X zoom range, the most you will find for a DSLR. But do you have to give up too much image quality as a result? I was looking for a lens for travel and for casual shots that could replace my need for both wide angle through the telephoto range and hopefully replace several other lenses that I typically have to bring with me.
Overall, I'm very pleased with this new lens, it did better than I was expecting. The quality of the photos is almost on par as my Canon 70-300mm (but of course not my 70-200 f/2.8) with a much more usable range for an everyday lens. I also tend to have back problems, so the less weight I carry on vacations, the better!
A few negatives: the lens does not zoom smoothly through its whole range, particularly when zooming from wide to tele, and you only have f/6.3 when fully zoomed (common with superzooms). The zoom was nice and tight when I got the lens (as shown in the video) but after a few weeks of use, it creeps pretty badly. The lens hood is fairly small, may not work as well at the 150mm+ range (but nice that they include one at all!) Also a typical issue for super zooms, as the hood has to be designed to minimize vignetting at the wide end. No full-time manual focus, which I don't use enough typically to be bothered about. The focus ring is located at the front of the lens and it's pretty easy to switch back and forth and use it as needed, but this is definitely not a great lens for using manual focus on. Some distortion in images at both ends as you would expect for a super-zoom, the barrel distortion at the wide end in particular is fairly obvious, but correctable in most situations. CA and vignetting on my copy are reasonable for a lens in this price range, with CA most apparent at the upper end of the range. Macro feature is nice to have, but somewhat underwhelming performance and certainly no substitute for a true macro lens. The lens has a nice, solid feel to it, while still being fairly lightweight. I've used the Canon 70-300mm DO lens in the past which was comparable to this in size, but MUCH heavier. The focus is fairly quiet as well, not USM quiet, but considerably better than some other off-brand lenses I've used. As I usually find with off-brand lenses, the autofocus is not quite as fast and accurate as Canon lenses, but it seems considerably better than some other Tamron lenses I've used and not enough to be a problem for casual use.
I give the lens 5 stars, not because it takes the greatest photos you will ever see, but because it is the first super-zoom I have tried that performs good enough that I am willing to use it, as a best-in-its-class lens. It's a perfect lens in particular for any new DSLR owner that can't afford to invest thousands in really high quality and/or multiple lenses, or for someone like me that is often limited in the equipment they can carry at one time. The lack of smoothness in the zoom ring and the creep are the primary annoyances for me, but I've yet to use a long telephoto lens in this price range that doesn't creep, so hard to be really tough on it for that. I wouldn't use it as my primary sports lens (my f/2.8 will do that job far better) nor as an architectural wide angle lens but for a general all-purpose casual lens, it's got a great feature set and well worth considering.
Konica Minolta Magicolor 1690MF Multifunction Color Laser Printer
List Price: $449.00
Sale Price: $299.00
Today's Bonus: 33% Off
On the positive side, it prints very quickly in black, a little slower in color (it's a four-pass CMYK printer, meaning it prints Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black in individual runs or passes) but the quality of the color images are fantastic and are only limited by the quality of paper used. It scans acceptably well, not spectacular, but more than well enough for my needs. Haven't tried the fax portion and don't foresee doing so.
There are only two negatives that I've found: the machine is noisy even when not in use; it has a loud cooling fan that will run for a long time (more than 20 minutes); and it's shipped with what seems like only a few drops of black toner. If you buy this printer and plan to do any amount of printing right away, you need to get more black toner, pronto. The toner cartridge that came with it lasted less than a week with moderate usage.
So far I like it and would recommend it. The printer part of it gets five stars, the scanner four stars. The other qualities--noise, set up, features--bring the overall rating to four stars.