Canon should sell their large zoom lenses with this backpack instead of their (suitcase) case. Works perfectly when I have to hike. I love the Think Tank systems and this is a no brainer. Worth every penny!
Showing posts with label canon digital camera online. Show all posts
Showing posts with label canon digital camera online. Show all posts
Nikon D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S
I can't speak for either of the other reviewers, but mine was a direct import or "gray market" body and lenses. That means Nikon won't warranty anything and will never do any warranty work either. DavisMAX offered me a 3 year 3rd party warranty or a refund. They said that the reason they sold me a "gray market" camera was because they were out of stock. They should more clearly state that the manufacturer's warranty won't be available.
Olympus PEN E-PM2 Digital Camera Body & 14-42mm II R Lens
My camera arrived so fast .. barely a week . this is the fastest delivery I got. !
Was so excited to have this camera. It was so handy and light. Since it was a package, at least i already have the lens in it. I had a great time taking good pictures although i have to get use of the settings but frequent use made me good now. Initially it was quite hard to put the flash but a friend taught me how to it right..now i dont have a problem with it. Using the different lens was a great fun.. Am looking forward for my another weekend off for another photoshot trip.Yes, i was so lucky to have this camera. I love it.
Was so excited to have this camera. It was so handy and light. Since it was a package, at least i already have the lens in it. I had a great time taking good pictures although i have to get use of the settings but frequent use made me good now. Initially it was quite hard to put the flash but a friend taught me how to it right..now i dont have a problem with it. Using the different lens was a great fun.. Am looking forward for my another weekend off for another photoshot trip.Yes, i was so lucky to have this camera. I love it.
Panasonic Network Camera and Pet Cam (BLC1A)
The BL-C1A is listed as "requiring" both Windows and Internet Explorer. After a bit of experimenting, it seems it doesn't, and is perfectly usable with Ubuntu (or indeed any OS) and Firefox. No need for Windows at all.
So, for anybody else who wants to use the BL-C1A camera with something other than Windows here's how.
First, ignore the shiny Windows CDROM in the box. Plug the camera into your router with your own network cable (they don't supply one!) and plug in the power supply. Wait a minute. If your router is 192.168.0.1, the camera should default to 192.168.0.253 (or 192.168.1.253 for a 192.168.1.1 router, etc).
From Firefox on the local network just go to the IP addess of the camera (as above) followed by ?mode=local and you should get the camera's built in web server. (The mode=local is essential, to activate it). Create an admin userid/password, hit enter. That's it.
Configuring the cameras for static addresses, different ports etc is all done via the web interface after that point, so still doesn't need Windows or IE in any way.
With a few lines written in the manual they could drop the Windows/IE requirement.
Camera works very nicely, and so does emailing, and the viewnetcam dynamic dns service (after a bit of a battle with router settings). One warning: you can't test the viewnetcam service from the same network that the camera is on, so before you think it's not working try it from elsewhere!
Camera does the job fine for the price, one point deducted for not having any non-Windows installation instructions.
So, for anybody else who wants to use the BL-C1A camera with something other than Windows here's how.
First, ignore the shiny Windows CDROM in the box. Plug the camera into your router with your own network cable (they don't supply one!) and plug in the power supply. Wait a minute. If your router is 192.168.0.1, the camera should default to 192.168.0.253 (or 192.168.1.253 for a 192.168.1.1 router, etc).
From Firefox on the local network just go to the IP addess of the camera (as above) followed by ?mode=local and you should get the camera's built in web server. (The mode=local is essential, to activate it). Create an admin userid/password, hit enter. That's it.
Configuring the cameras for static addresses, different ports etc is all done via the web interface after that point, so still doesn't need Windows or IE in any way.
With a few lines written in the manual they could drop the Windows/IE requirement.
Camera works very nicely, and so does emailing, and the viewnetcam dynamic dns service (after a bit of a battle with router settings). One warning: you can't test the viewnetcam service from the same network that the camera is on, so before you think it's not working try it from elsewhere!
Camera does the job fine for the price, one point deducted for not having any non-Windows installation instructions.
Nikon 24mm f/3.5D ED PC-E Nikkor Ultra-Wide Angle Lens for Nikon
I previously reviewed this lens. I now have second one and it appears the first was either defective or they vary wildly. Lens #1 came from eBay, due to Nikon's "we're backordered, but don't buy gray" policy. Naturally I wanted a lens with US warranty but Nikon US had none. As usual, they were all over Hong Kong but not one in the USA. So I bought a USA one used/mint condition to get a lens that Nikon would service if necessary. Cosmetically, the lens was flawless but something was amiss so please disregard my previous review.
Lens #2 is quite good or great, depending on what you want it for. The photo I see most often is a field of flowers with the lens tilted. I don't have much interest in tilting a 24mm lens but from what I see, its great for this and image quality should be super.
For architecture, the shifting is a bit of a different story. In theory, its possible to shift this lens 11.5 mm when the camera is oriented vertically. In practice, you can do this if the top of your subject occupies only the top center of the frame. If you are a critical user and your subject fills the entire top of the frame you'll probably find the top corners disappointing. (As with the previous lens, f/13 seemed to be best when shifted although f/11 was very close).
The good news is that if you restrict your shift to about 8-8.5mm the corners clean up, the illumination falloff disappears and things are sharp everywhere. If this sounds bad, it really isn't because previous Nikon PC lenses have a similar limitation where you can physically shift them further than advisable. (When the camera is horizontal you can shift as much as you want).
Mechanically, the lens is sound. Its a little front heavy and movements have to be locked which irks me because this is all due to the tilting business which adds size, weight, cost and complexity. But Canon started this and its tit for tat.
If you have a use for one of these and take the time to test it out I think you'll be pleased. Its hands down better than the Canon 24 TS (version 1) and ridiculously better than the Nikon 28PC. I still have to see if it can beat the Olympus 24 shift but haven't gotten around to it yet.
By the way, with regard to the comments that this is a "very technical" lens that takes practice or tutorials to master, nothing could be further from the truth. You point it at the subject, tilt or shift as neeed, focus, lock the movements down, lock the mirror up and trip the shutter. If you want to make things complicated you can read about Scheimpflug but since you get both visual confirmation and auto exposure, its hard to see how you could make a mistake.
Lens #2 is quite good or great, depending on what you want it for. The photo I see most often is a field of flowers with the lens tilted. I don't have much interest in tilting a 24mm lens but from what I see, its great for this and image quality should be super.
For architecture, the shifting is a bit of a different story. In theory, its possible to shift this lens 11.5 mm when the camera is oriented vertically. In practice, you can do this if the top of your subject occupies only the top center of the frame. If you are a critical user and your subject fills the entire top of the frame you'll probably find the top corners disappointing. (As with the previous lens, f/13 seemed to be best when shifted although f/11 was very close).
The good news is that if you restrict your shift to about 8-8.5mm the corners clean up, the illumination falloff disappears and things are sharp everywhere. If this sounds bad, it really isn't because previous Nikon PC lenses have a similar limitation where you can physically shift them further than advisable. (When the camera is horizontal you can shift as much as you want).
Mechanically, the lens is sound. Its a little front heavy and movements have to be locked which irks me because this is all due to the tilting business which adds size, weight, cost and complexity. But Canon started this and its tit for tat.
If you have a use for one of these and take the time to test it out I think you'll be pleased. Its hands down better than the Canon 24 TS (version 1) and ridiculously better than the Nikon 28PC. I still have to see if it can beat the Olympus 24 shift but haven't gotten around to it yet.
By the way, with regard to the comments that this is a "very technical" lens that takes practice or tutorials to master, nothing could be further from the truth. You point it at the subject, tilt or shift as neeed, focus, lock the movements down, lock the mirror up and trip the shutter. If you want to make things complicated you can read about Scheimpflug but since you get both visual confirmation and auto exposure, its hard to see how you could make a mistake.
Nikon D3200 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm
List Price: $1,299.99
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 38% Off
This kit comes with everything that you need for starting right away taking pictures, only complain about the tripod that isn't sturdy at all, made of crapy plastic, you have to buy another a little more expensive, but guessing on the price of the whole package it doesnt matter, i gave away mine cuz i have a good quality spare. And the hdmi cable doesnt fit the camera mini hdmi port. But other than that, this is an amazing kit, amazing lenses and camera.
Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 Ultra Compact Lens for Pentax and Samsung
List Price: $399.95
Sale Price: $375.00
Today's Bonus: 6% Off
After using the old Pentax-M 40mm pancake for a while, I decided to get this DA Limited version. 40mm on a Pentax dSLR is a great focal length for portraits and for regular walk-around use. The 1.5x multiplier of Pentax dSLRs makes the focal length work out to the equivalent of 60mm on a 35mm film camera.
The f/2.8 aperture is nice and fast, especially if you're coming from the kit lenses. It's fast enough to take pictures indoors (shake reduction doesn't hurt either) and creates a pretty narrow depth of field for portraits.
The super compact size makes my K100D feel very light and easy to carry around. It's perfect for outings where you'll end up taking pictures of people and close objects.
The autofocusing is super fast and I haven't seen it hunt around like my DA 18-55mm and 50-200mm lenses.
Pros:
Very fast autofocus. Doesn't seem to hunt around like the kit lenses.
f/2.8 makes it pretty fast and very usable, especially with shake reduction. The sharpness is decent at f/2.8.
Super compact and light. It makes my K100D a lot easier to carry around all day.
Great focal length for portraits.
"Limited" means that it's all metal in construction, which definitely helps this diminutive lens feel nice and solid.
Works great on some film bodies! See below.
Cons:
The lens is so small that there's nothing to hold on to. I often find myself gripping the focus ring while the lens is trying to autofocus.
I've seen a good amount of purple fringing with this lens wide open. Stopping down a bit quickly clears it up though.
Overall, this is a great lens for traveling. The cons that I listed can easily be fixed with some practice and good technique.
Edit 11/27/07: One interesting thing to note is that this lens works on film bodies without vignetting. However, keep in mind that this is a DA lens so there is no aperture ring! Cameras like the ZX/MZ-5n, ZX-10, etc. don't have a dial to control the aperture so this lens is really only useful in full auto or Tv modes. This lens works perfectly on the *ist film, ZX-L/MZ-6, MZ/ZX-7, PZ-1(P) or any other Pentax film body that has a dial for aperture control.
Nokia N9 16 GB Unlocked GSM Phone with MeeGo OS, 8MP Camera
Having owned and used an iPhone 3G for the past 3 years, I thought it was time for an upgrade. With fierce competition in the market from many manufacturers eyeing the throne for "Smart Phone" king with their splendid products, it was not going to be an easy task. I had settled for three contenders that I had thought were worthy of consideration. They were: Apple's iPhone 4S, Samsung's Galaxy S2 and Nokia's N9.
Having owned an iPhone 3G, I didn't feel that iPhone 4S was considered an upgrade to my experience. Yes, there have been major advancement in the processor, the screen display is wonderful, the multitasking issue has been answered, and many features that you may know of. But, the experience and look, well to me, is still the same. And Apple's control over the OS mars the experience. It was until you performed the jailbreak that things started to get fun.
The Samsung Galaxy S2, is a monster of a phone. It does everything apart from shaving your beard. Yet, there was always this doubt when deciding to go and purchase it. The Android UI, in my opinion is clunky. It's not very well layered as the iOS. Then the issue of future upgrades. With Apple you're in the loop, as for Android, you are compelled to purchase a new phone or read the numerous forums on how to install the upgrades manually, which is a task.
However, with the Nokia N9, I was taken aback with its beautiful & simple design. There are no buttons apart from the lock & volume rocker on it's side. A cover is included in the box, to shield and protect the N9 from the bumps & blemishes. And it does not hinder the design nor obstruct the beautiful swipe gesture. The quality of the phone is great. You may at first be intrigued by the small button at the top of the phone that secures the sim card compartment and how to get it to open. It was frustrating at first. I even thought you are required to be double jointed to get the thing to open. But once you understand the design it all makes sense.
The MeeGo OS is a wonder in itself. It is a well layered interface and the response is very fluid, despite the Nokia N9 not graced with a dual core processor. Yet the ingenuity of a swipe is so natural and so seamless that you're left to wonder of the simplicity of the gesture. The UI and the phone go hand in glove. To activate the phone you either press the on/off button on the side or simply tap the lock screen twice and swipe (either from left to right, right to left, top to bottom or bottom to top) you're presented with 3 home screens:
' App Screen: Screen that lists all the apps
' Open App Screen: Displays all the open apps
' Notification Pane: All your missed calls, SMS text messages, emails calendar, feeds, Skype, Facebook, Twitter & notifications are displayed here in an organized manner.
The N9 is very versatile and efficient. The battery under PSM (Power Save Mode) should last you 3 full days of regular use (making calls, sending text, emails & etc...). I had many contacts on my previous iPhone 3G, all I had to do was Bluetooth my entire contact list to the N9. That only took about 20 seconds. The Bluetooth feature was something very useful that I had sorely missed on the iPhone.
The camera is wonderful, with a plethora of options that may render your compact camera useless. There is a front facing camera, but this hasn't been brought to use yet. However, there shall be an update soon to address this matter.
Nokia have stated that they will stand by the Nokia N9 with updates and support till 2015. Since it's release last summer, there have been 2 updates so far with as stated above, one update promised for release by the end of the month to make the N9 experience all the more mesmerizing.
Yes, there may be a lack of apps when compared to iTunes & the Android market, but the Ovi Store inventory is increasing week by week. And the N9 comes with Angry Birds, NFS Shift, RF 2011, GOF2, Facebook, Twitter & Skype dedicated apps.
The Nokia N9 is a delight to see and definitely a joy to use. It should be considered if you are going to purchase a smartphone soon.
Having owned an iPhone 3G, I didn't feel that iPhone 4S was considered an upgrade to my experience. Yes, there have been major advancement in the processor, the screen display is wonderful, the multitasking issue has been answered, and many features that you may know of. But, the experience and look, well to me, is still the same. And Apple's control over the OS mars the experience. It was until you performed the jailbreak that things started to get fun.
The Samsung Galaxy S2, is a monster of a phone. It does everything apart from shaving your beard. Yet, there was always this doubt when deciding to go and purchase it. The Android UI, in my opinion is clunky. It's not very well layered as the iOS. Then the issue of future upgrades. With Apple you're in the loop, as for Android, you are compelled to purchase a new phone or read the numerous forums on how to install the upgrades manually, which is a task.
However, with the Nokia N9, I was taken aback with its beautiful & simple design. There are no buttons apart from the lock & volume rocker on it's side. A cover is included in the box, to shield and protect the N9 from the bumps & blemishes. And it does not hinder the design nor obstruct the beautiful swipe gesture. The quality of the phone is great. You may at first be intrigued by the small button at the top of the phone that secures the sim card compartment and how to get it to open. It was frustrating at first. I even thought you are required to be double jointed to get the thing to open. But once you understand the design it all makes sense.
The MeeGo OS is a wonder in itself. It is a well layered interface and the response is very fluid, despite the Nokia N9 not graced with a dual core processor. Yet the ingenuity of a swipe is so natural and so seamless that you're left to wonder of the simplicity of the gesture. The UI and the phone go hand in glove. To activate the phone you either press the on/off button on the side or simply tap the lock screen twice and swipe (either from left to right, right to left, top to bottom or bottom to top) you're presented with 3 home screens:
' App Screen: Screen that lists all the apps
' Open App Screen: Displays all the open apps
' Notification Pane: All your missed calls, SMS text messages, emails calendar, feeds, Skype, Facebook, Twitter & notifications are displayed here in an organized manner.
The N9 is very versatile and efficient. The battery under PSM (Power Save Mode) should last you 3 full days of regular use (making calls, sending text, emails & etc...). I had many contacts on my previous iPhone 3G, all I had to do was Bluetooth my entire contact list to the N9. That only took about 20 seconds. The Bluetooth feature was something very useful that I had sorely missed on the iPhone.
The camera is wonderful, with a plethora of options that may render your compact camera useless. There is a front facing camera, but this hasn't been brought to use yet. However, there shall be an update soon to address this matter.
Nokia have stated that they will stand by the Nokia N9 with updates and support till 2015. Since it's release last summer, there have been 2 updates so far with as stated above, one update promised for release by the end of the month to make the N9 experience all the more mesmerizing.
Yes, there may be a lack of apps when compared to iTunes & the Android market, but the Ovi Store inventory is increasing week by week. And the N9 comes with Angry Birds, NFS Shift, RF 2011, GOF2, Facebook, Twitter & Skype dedicated apps.
The Nokia N9 is a delight to see and definitely a joy to use. It should be considered if you are going to purchase a smartphone soon.
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-2 iHS 12 MP Waterproof Digital Camera
Awesome seller. I received my package with more than ample amount of cushion for my electronics in a big box. My social purchase was then placed in a smaller box! Not only does the purchase come with everything in the picture but the camera also comes in its original box. Inside the Camera's box was a list of set up instructions, warranty service contract, lense ring, setup Cd-rom, usb cable, usb adapter, Lithium Ion battery, and wrist strap! This is the best purchase I've made on Amazon to date.
Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - Old
I won't repeat the wealth of information the other kind reviewers have already given. I'll just focus on why I decided to cough up the extra $100 to get the SB-800 instead of the less powerful SB-600.
Compared to the SB-600, the SB-800 has the following extra features:
1) Much more powerful, as reflected in the GN.
2) Slightly faster recycle time with the standard four AA batteries. It also comes with a battery holder that holds a fifth battery which cuts down recycle time by 1/3 to 1/2.
3) The SB-800 has non-TTL auto and auto aperture modes. (More on this later.)
4) In wireless remote mode, the SB-800 can act both as the master and slave, whereas the 600 can only be a slave.
5) It comes with a useful diffusion dome, which won't even fit on the SB-600.
6) The SB-800 package also includes two colored gel filters.
7) The SB-800 can do repeating flash (in the same exposure), for a strobe effect.
Basically, both the 600 and 800 support Nikon's latest flash technologies, i-TTL (supported by the D70 and D2H only) and CLS (creative lighting system), in addition to all the TTL (through the lens) flash modes Nikon introduced in the past. The 600 is really a prosumer-level flash that's either TTL or manual, whereas the 800 is pure pro-grade with a lot of modes and options. The manual, evidently written by a Japanese manual writer, attests to its sophistication; understanding the manual will really require a Ph.D. in yoga so you don't stress yourself out.
The 800's auto modes are what won me over in the end. The auto modes can set the flash output automatically on Nikon bodies that do not support any TTL (through the lens) mode. On those bodies, with the 600 you'd have to resort to manual, which is simply a pain in the butt, not to mention prone to error. The two non-TTL auto modes on the 800 are auto aperture and auto. You'll need to study the manual very carefully to figure out the difference; I still haven't, but I'm already enjoying the auto aperture mode. The availability of auto modes also means the 800 can be used on a wide range of Nikon bodies than the simpler 600.
If you are deciding between the 600 and the 800 like I was, ask yourself the following questions:
1) Do you have an extra $100-$150 to spend? If yes, the 800.
2) Do you plan to use the external flash a lot? If yes, the 800.
3) Do you have Nikon bodies (usually older manual ones) that do not support TTL (you can find out in the camera's user's guide)? If yes, the 800.
4) Do you plan to do a lot of wireless flash photography and take full advantage of Nikon's Creative Lighting System? If yes, the 800.
5) If you want to get a diffusion dome that fits the flash, get the 800.
In the end, I think the SB-800 is a better long-term investment than the SB-600, despite the higher price. It's much more powerful and flexible, and even though it's an overkill for me right now, I imagine when my flash photography improves (and I'm trying very hard right now), it'll prove a very worthy investment.
Feel free to drop me an e-mail at hotmail with any questions. BTW, if anyone knows of a good web forum that discusses how to use Nikon's flash modes and the CLS, please let us know. Thanks.
Compared to the SB-600, the SB-800 has the following extra features:
1) Much more powerful, as reflected in the GN.
2) Slightly faster recycle time with the standard four AA batteries. It also comes with a battery holder that holds a fifth battery which cuts down recycle time by 1/3 to 1/2.
3) The SB-800 has non-TTL auto and auto aperture modes. (More on this later.)
4) In wireless remote mode, the SB-800 can act both as the master and slave, whereas the 600 can only be a slave.
5) It comes with a useful diffusion dome, which won't even fit on the SB-600.
6) The SB-800 package also includes two colored gel filters.
7) The SB-800 can do repeating flash (in the same exposure), for a strobe effect.
Basically, both the 600 and 800 support Nikon's latest flash technologies, i-TTL (supported by the D70 and D2H only) and CLS (creative lighting system), in addition to all the TTL (through the lens) flash modes Nikon introduced in the past. The 600 is really a prosumer-level flash that's either TTL or manual, whereas the 800 is pure pro-grade with a lot of modes and options. The manual, evidently written by a Japanese manual writer, attests to its sophistication; understanding the manual will really require a Ph.D. in yoga so you don't stress yourself out.
The 800's auto modes are what won me over in the end. The auto modes can set the flash output automatically on Nikon bodies that do not support any TTL (through the lens) mode. On those bodies, with the 600 you'd have to resort to manual, which is simply a pain in the butt, not to mention prone to error. The two non-TTL auto modes on the 800 are auto aperture and auto. You'll need to study the manual very carefully to figure out the difference; I still haven't, but I'm already enjoying the auto aperture mode. The availability of auto modes also means the 800 can be used on a wide range of Nikon bodies than the simpler 600.
If you are deciding between the 600 and the 800 like I was, ask yourself the following questions:
1) Do you have an extra $100-$150 to spend? If yes, the 800.
2) Do you plan to use the external flash a lot? If yes, the 800.
3) Do you have Nikon bodies (usually older manual ones) that do not support TTL (you can find out in the camera's user's guide)? If yes, the 800.
4) Do you plan to do a lot of wireless flash photography and take full advantage of Nikon's Creative Lighting System? If yes, the 800.
5) If you want to get a diffusion dome that fits the flash, get the 800.
In the end, I think the SB-800 is a better long-term investment than the SB-600, despite the higher price. It's much more powerful and flexible, and even though it's an overkill for me right now, I imagine when my flash photography improves (and I'm trying very hard right now), it'll prove a very worthy investment.
Feel free to drop me an e-mail at hotmail with any questions. BTW, if anyone knows of a good web forum that discusses how to use Nikon's flash modes and the CLS, please let us know. Thanks.
Samsung NX1000 Smart Wi-Fi Digital Camera Body & 20-50mm & 16mm
List Price: $799.00
Sale Price: $599.00
Today's Bonus: 25% Off
This is a nice kit which has the body and standard kit lens plus the superb 16mm f2.4 wide angle lens. This is exactly the kit I use, though I purchased the items individually. The current price asked is fair, but as prices change often, check for yourself! All in all this is an excellent camera and these are both excellent lenses. The 20-50mm is excellent. The 16mm is exceptional.
Samsung NX1000 Review (From my review of the White model which is identical except for color):
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.
Also, see my review of the 16mm f2.4 lens here: Samsung 16mm f/2.4 NX Ultra Wide Pancake Lens (Black)
PaintShop Pro X5
List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $32.95
Today's Bonus: 59% Off
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have been using Corel photo software for many years now. I first purchased Corel Photo Album in 2008 and have been using Corel products ever since.
The installation is simple, registration is easy and I have never had any of the programs crash or fail on any of the computers I have owned over the years.
Paint Shop Pro X5 has many new features that add to the usefulness of the program. I am one who uses the program to enhance and improve photo quality, correct issues such as contrast, saturation, brightness, and other functions. There are auto features that you can use to do these things, or custom settings that you can choose to employ. This program however contains many more applications than those. In fact, I am quite impressed with all this software package offers. The interface is easy to use, and there are many tutorials that explain the various features if one needs help. I am still exploring all the features offered in this package and am very impressed. There are previews of the effects shown for comparison to the original image, which is very helpful.
This is a very good, stable program that will serve the user quite well. I have been satisfied with Corel products purchased in the past and the same applies to Paint Shop Pro X5.
Pentax K-x 16203 Digital SLR Camera with DA L 18-55 and 50-200mm
I have had this camera for four months now and am really impressed. It has a lot of bang for the buck. You can keep it as simple as you want or take advantage of all the manual settings. The menu is very simple to navigate. I bought this on a recommendation from my brother who not only sells cameras, but owns two of this model now. When I saw the red one, I knew I had to have it.
Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Canon
What a great joy to own and use this lens every day!
I almost ordered this lens last year when I saw it first listed on B&W website for pre-ordering. But I was hesitant at that time, wondering how useful this specialty novelty lens can be on daily shooting. After some time-consuming research, I finally went for it... It was in a pizzeria store in Las Vegas while I was waiting for my pizza that I first opened the Amazon package containing my brand new copy of the lens... Wow! As soon as I put it on my camera (5D3) and started to shoot with it, I was awed! I tried to shoot nearly everything and everybody with it, a lot of photos and videos. And it stayed on my camera for the rest of my Las Vegas trip (2+ days).
Here, I'm not writing a full review or anything close. I just want to point out a few things about the lens (or my copy of the lens).
== On my 7D ==
It won't give me a full circle image, not even something close. Instead, it becomes a super wide zoom lens with fisheye distortion. To me, the distortion is not more annoying than that from a regular super wide lens, and is typically as acceptable (or similarly unacceptable in the case I don't like the wide angle distortion).
== On my 5D ==
It offers a full circle image at 8mm, and a very interesting (somewhat bizarre) image at 15mm. I have almost only used this lens on my 5D, and typically at 15mm only. On my 5D, the lens is
1) super sharp: I think it's sharper than my 16-35mm/f2.8L, 24-105mm/f4L, and 70-200mm/f2.8L. And it looks like even sharper than my 24mm/f1.4L II.
2) it focuses super fast: nearly every time, instantly. Even in a dark environment, as soon as it can see a bit light, it can focus lock on it.
== Two things I don't like ==
One is the lens cover repeatedly falling off the hood. Yet, to prevent the lens from hitting any hard object while it's hanging on my shoulder, I still have to somehow protect the front glass that protrudes from the lens barrel. The coating on the lens glass seems very special that I can easily wipe dusts, water drops, or fingerprints off from it. But it's much easier to get hit, even with its hood on, than all other lenses I have.
The other is the color distortion on the circular edge of its circular image. But I think this is unavoidable. It's not much of a concern to me, though, for I don't shoot many circular images.
== My conclusion ==
This is a great walk around lens (to me), especially for shooting indoors or on busy streets. When and where I typically would go for my 16-35mm, I now would rather use this lens, except when I only want (relatively) distortion-free images.
In places where space is super tight, this is the about only go-to lens that can capture a most usable widest wide shot with a Canon DSLR camera.
This is a great lens for expressing an uplifting sense of humor. A great lens of choice for shooting active kids, playful pets, funny players, or for covering certain dancing or sports, or for capturing just about everything or anybody that you want to look happy, exciting, exaggerating, and so on.
=====
Hopefully my experience is helpful to someone who's considering the lens. Happy shooting!
I almost ordered this lens last year when I saw it first listed on B&W website for pre-ordering. But I was hesitant at that time, wondering how useful this specialty novelty lens can be on daily shooting. After some time-consuming research, I finally went for it... It was in a pizzeria store in Las Vegas while I was waiting for my pizza that I first opened the Amazon package containing my brand new copy of the lens... Wow! As soon as I put it on my camera (5D3) and started to shoot with it, I was awed! I tried to shoot nearly everything and everybody with it, a lot of photos and videos. And it stayed on my camera for the rest of my Las Vegas trip (2+ days).
Here, I'm not writing a full review or anything close. I just want to point out a few things about the lens (or my copy of the lens).
== On my 7D ==
It won't give me a full circle image, not even something close. Instead, it becomes a super wide zoom lens with fisheye distortion. To me, the distortion is not more annoying than that from a regular super wide lens, and is typically as acceptable (or similarly unacceptable in the case I don't like the wide angle distortion).
== On my 5D ==
It offers a full circle image at 8mm, and a very interesting (somewhat bizarre) image at 15mm. I have almost only used this lens on my 5D, and typically at 15mm only. On my 5D, the lens is
1) super sharp: I think it's sharper than my 16-35mm/f2.8L, 24-105mm/f4L, and 70-200mm/f2.8L. And it looks like even sharper than my 24mm/f1.4L II.
2) it focuses super fast: nearly every time, instantly. Even in a dark environment, as soon as it can see a bit light, it can focus lock on it.
== Two things I don't like ==
One is the lens cover repeatedly falling off the hood. Yet, to prevent the lens from hitting any hard object while it's hanging on my shoulder, I still have to somehow protect the front glass that protrudes from the lens barrel. The coating on the lens glass seems very special that I can easily wipe dusts, water drops, or fingerprints off from it. But it's much easier to get hit, even with its hood on, than all other lenses I have.
The other is the color distortion on the circular edge of its circular image. But I think this is unavoidable. It's not much of a concern to me, though, for I don't shoot many circular images.
== My conclusion ==
This is a great walk around lens (to me), especially for shooting indoors or on busy streets. When and where I typically would go for my 16-35mm, I now would rather use this lens, except when I only want (relatively) distortion-free images.
In places where space is super tight, this is the about only go-to lens that can capture a most usable widest wide shot with a Canon DSLR camera.
This is a great lens for expressing an uplifting sense of humor. A great lens of choice for shooting active kids, playful pets, funny players, or for covering certain dancing or sports, or for capturing just about everything or anybody that you want to look happy, exciting, exaggerating, and so on.
=====
Hopefully my experience is helpful to someone who's considering the lens. Happy shooting!
Firefly GT800 Handheld USB Digital Microscope with Measurement
List Price: $319.99
Sale Price: $299.00
Today's Bonus: 7% Off
On the whole the firefly GT800 seems well made, has pretty good optics, and works pretty much as described. You should be prepared for the fact that the whole field is not in focus at the same time if the center is in focus, the edges are not unless you refocus by changing the distance from the object. If you want a photo where the whole image is sharp you would need to take multiple images at different distances then combine them with a software such as Helicon Focus.
I've downgraded it to 4 stars because I think the product description is misleading. Specifically, the claim about how much it magnifies is misleading. The image at magnification "10X" is of a field of view of 19.5 mm. Compared to a digital SLR with a sensor of 23.2 mm this is a ratio of about 1.2:1, just a little better than a macro lens. With the image at magnification "230X" the field of view is 2.3 mm. Compared to the digital SLR this is a ratio of about 10.7:1 The images you get are more comparable to what you would expect from a macro lens with extension tubes. They are not what you would expect if you are thinking of 230X on a real microscope. This product would be more accurately advertised as a digital hand lens, not a digital microscope, but of course would then not be as salable.
My other complaint is that the manual is very minimal and usually does nothing except tell you the name of a button. I've dinked around and figured out most of them but there are still a few where the function eludes me. A small amount of effort on the manual should not be too much to expect for something with a price tag like this.
Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Aspherical Lens Pro Kit
The Tamron 18-270 is a very nice all-in-one lens. So if you are wanting a single lens to do pretty much everything and avoid switching lenses or having to carry multiples around, this is a good choice. But its long focal length with lots of interior glass makes it stiff to turn when zooming. And the longer you push the lens, the higher your minimum f-stop goes. So you become increasingly limited in low light areas without a flash. But if you are shooting for personal pleasure, either indoors with a flash or outdoors in natural light, then this lens is a great one to have on any DSLR. Tamron makes the lens for Nikon, Canon and Sony.
Klipsch Music Center KMC 3 Portable Speaker System (Black)
The Klipsch KMC 3 excels with frighteningly loud sound, gobs of bass, and pristine clarity that sounds better than anything I've ever heard in my life.
While Klipsch markets this speaker as the ultimate beach-party companion, the KMC 3 offers more than head-thumping bass at bewilderingly loud volumes. It also sounds very, very good.
The sound is so clear that it will reintroduce you to your MP3 collection. The KMC 3 provides incredible distinction between the individual parts in the mix, and the sound of each element is so confident, strong, and clean. In tracks that I've listened to for years, I can pick out details I've never heard before. I can hang onto the wispiest arpeggio in the background strings and tell if there's one, two, or ten people singing tenor in a choral song. It's addictive.
What's really amazing is that, after an hour of marathon listening to mellow, subtle tracks and some rock, I couldn't discern any artificial push in the treble, midrange, or bass.
Now, there's abundant bass, so much bass! More than enough to "roll around in the music," especially when listening within twenty feet. But the basslines never sound thick or muddy, a common failing of "warm" speakers like UE. Instead the basslines are clean and clear as if the bassist was sitting here in the living room five feet away with his amp on the floor. The sound design is true and plain, almost... acoustically "flat." I can't believe I'm going to say it, but--
It sounds like a professional monitor. The most muscular, bassy, powerful, acoustically pleasing monitor in its price class.
And by the way, it's portable, weighs the same as a laptop, I can carry it in one hand, and it can run on D-cell batteries.
Volume. Let me address volume separately:
Holy crap!
At it's highest volume, it's so loud it scared the hell out of me. I only cranked it up once, and I'll probably never venture past two-thirds volume again. At full volume, the KMC 3 starts to eerily resemble a PA speaker. That's right, I said a PA speaker. This Bluetooth speaker could rock a house party or a backyard barbecue.
I'd even go so far to say that the KMC 3 could serve as the primary soundbar in a home theater, 65-inch plasma and all. It's that loud.
Competitors like the Jawbone Big Jambox, Sony SRS series, Bose Soundlink II, Beats Pill, Logitech UE Boombox, Sonos Airplay speakers, even the full ZVox soundbars just fail to hold a candle to this Klipsch.
Now, most Bluetooth speakers in this size cost $200 or so, but even considering the price difference, the Klipsch still comes out far ahead. If it costs twice the price, it feels like four times the speaker.
Give this one a try. You won't regret it.
While Klipsch markets this speaker as the ultimate beach-party companion, the KMC 3 offers more than head-thumping bass at bewilderingly loud volumes. It also sounds very, very good.
The sound is so clear that it will reintroduce you to your MP3 collection. The KMC 3 provides incredible distinction between the individual parts in the mix, and the sound of each element is so confident, strong, and clean. In tracks that I've listened to for years, I can pick out details I've never heard before. I can hang onto the wispiest arpeggio in the background strings and tell if there's one, two, or ten people singing tenor in a choral song. It's addictive.
What's really amazing is that, after an hour of marathon listening to mellow, subtle tracks and some rock, I couldn't discern any artificial push in the treble, midrange, or bass.
Now, there's abundant bass, so much bass! More than enough to "roll around in the music," especially when listening within twenty feet. But the basslines never sound thick or muddy, a common failing of "warm" speakers like UE. Instead the basslines are clean and clear as if the bassist was sitting here in the living room five feet away with his amp on the floor. The sound design is true and plain, almost... acoustically "flat." I can't believe I'm going to say it, but--
It sounds like a professional monitor. The most muscular, bassy, powerful, acoustically pleasing monitor in its price class.
And by the way, it's portable, weighs the same as a laptop, I can carry it in one hand, and it can run on D-cell batteries.
Volume. Let me address volume separately:
Holy crap!
At it's highest volume, it's so loud it scared the hell out of me. I only cranked it up once, and I'll probably never venture past two-thirds volume again. At full volume, the KMC 3 starts to eerily resemble a PA speaker. That's right, I said a PA speaker. This Bluetooth speaker could rock a house party or a backyard barbecue.
I'd even go so far to say that the KMC 3 could serve as the primary soundbar in a home theater, 65-inch plasma and all. It's that loud.
Competitors like the Jawbone Big Jambox, Sony SRS series, Bose Soundlink II, Beats Pill, Logitech UE Boombox, Sonos Airplay speakers, even the full ZVox soundbars just fail to hold a candle to this Klipsch.
Now, most Bluetooth speakers in this size cost $200 or so, but even considering the price difference, the Klipsch still comes out far ahead. If it costs twice the price, it feels like four times the speaker.
Give this one a try. You won't regret it.