Olympus PEN E-PL3 14-42mm 12.3 MP Interchangeable Lens Camera

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $399.99
Sale Price: $249.99
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

The axiom that is so true: The best camera for you is the camera that is with you! Grew tired of backaches while hiking with my Nikon DSLR gear, which increasingly never left the house. Bought an Olympus XZ-1 as a camera that could always be with me ... and was so impressed with it that I wanted its "big brother" for better image quality when on walkabouts or hiking. The Olympus P-3 seemed a bit too much; the PM-1 seemed a bit too little; the PL-3 seemed just right (especially with the tilting screen). The form factor and menu navigation features of the XZ-1 and PL-3 are very similar. The XZ-1 is pocketable; the PL-3 is not due to the protruding lenses. Getting some of the best photos of my life with both the XZ-1 and the PL-3 ... because they are with me.

There is another side to this, and that is that people often appear uncomfortable around people taking photos with large DSLRs with large protruding lenses. I feel none of this discomfort using either the XZ-1 or the PL-3 in public places.

Exploring capabilities with the Olympus 14-42mm kit lens and the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens (have the new Panasonic "X" lenses and the Olympus 45mm lens on order). The Panasonic 20mm is incredible small, making the PL-3 feel and operate like a small rangefinder camera. The f/1.7 lens allows one to take natural light photos in places impossible with slower lenses. The Olympus 14-42mm kit lens appears to be of high quality, although it does have a plastic lens mount (please manufacturers ... charge us the extra cost and ban plastic lens mounts!). The SLRgear website is an excellent place to compare lens quality with its graphs and metrics, and the Olympus kit lens fairs better than comparable lenses with metal mounts with respect to center and edge sharpness across the zoom spectrum.

On the downside, the PL-3 menu structure is difficult to navigate. One must do considerable research to become familiar with the options. Also, the LCD screen is excellent in all but bright sunlight. An Electronic Viewfinder (VF-2 or VF-3) is a necessity to do more than guess what you are photographing in bright sunlight. The add-on flash in the PL-3 kit is so small that it is only good for fill in or firing a larger flash such as the Olympus FL-36R via the RC flash capability. Wish that Olympus had something similar to the excellent Nikon SB-400 mini-flash for the Pen-series cameras. Finding it difficult to get the almost perfect bounce flash effect that the SB-400 provided in the FL-36R/add-on camera flash combination.

The movie quality in the PL-3 is excellent compared to my Nikon D5000 (in my experience "live view" in DSLRs tend to be a joke). The tilting LCD screen is proving especially handy for movies. As others have commented, the new Pen-series auto focus for movies tends to hunt but in my experience this happens only when when the subject is moving quickly or I fail to keep the camera steady (cameras belong on fluid-head tripods to take quality movies).

I've been a photo enthusiast since 1973 when one needed a SLR or medium-format camera to get acceptable image quality for 8x10 and 11x14 prints. I've followed and experienced the technology from film through the DSLRs to, now, the new ILCs. I'm amazed at the quality one can get from something the size of the PL-3!

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Digital Dash Camera

Customer Ratings:

Here is a camera that records at 320 x 240 at 15 FPS (a specification left out of almost every description of the product). I am fine with that. It's only $80.

The field of view is also very small, so that you can see little more than what is right in front of you. I am fine with that. It's only $80.

What I am not fine with is that 1 in 5 times you try to record, it will simply not respond. The only way to get it to respond is to unplug it, and plug it back in. If you are using batteries, you have to remove a battery and replace it (by the way, Energizer lasts about 2 hours total with the thing. I did not try the Lithium flavor of Energizer though).

And if that is not enough, sometimes it acts like it is recording (you know this only by a flickering blue light). You see some real ridiculous stuff on the road and you are all excited to get it off the memory card and post it on the internet (maybe even add some music). Well, turns out it recorded everything in black. At the bottom of the solid black video there is normally a line that looks similar to recorded video, but it being only one pixel in height you really can't make anything out. Why it does this, I don't know... but it has happened to me several times the worst of which when the roads were icy and it did not record lots of footage of cars going sideways. Expect to see solid black footage in at least one in ten videos you record.

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Nikon D7000 Digital Camera + Nikon 18-55mm VR Lens + Nikon

Customer Ratings:

I purchase this camera as my first camera. Camera was shipped right away. I received it undamaged as it was packaged very good. The camera works awesome, has more features than I know what to do with. Great price beats all local sales even Costco. Very happy customer.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Kit 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,999.95
Sale Price: $1,999.00
Today's Bonus: $0.95 Off

I now own this combination of the Panasonic GF1 with both the 20mm 1.7 lens and the 14-45mm 3.5 5.6 lens. However, only the 1.7 lens was purchased directly from Amazon and the camera body and the 14-45 lens came from a competitor. The total package was $1098 or $298 less than currently being offered through Amazon.

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Dell UltraSharp U3011 30" Monitor

Customer Ratings:

Before the U2711 fans start flinging their darts, I do agree that image-wise the 2711 is a stunning monitor, and for the 6 months I owned it, I was ecstatic with the image quality and I know the new owner will be also. But here's a few thoughts for those trying to decide between U2711, U3011 and the HP ZR30W. Those are the three I researched starting 6 months ago, and now have a happy answer and ending. But first let me mention where I'm coming from because when I searched for reviews, they mostly covered gaming attributes. If you're a gamer, continue your search elsewhere, I can't help you there. For the photo and video editor who also does printing and works with a calibrated display (I use the Spyder3Elite), this review is for you. I use the Adobe Production Premium Suite mainly with this monitor, so my review will be weighted on that experience. Let's quickly cover the big questions:

HP ZR30W

The HP uses S-IPS panels versus the Dell's older H-IPS panels. The newer S-IPS is arguably more accurate on paper, but I don't see it. The Lamborghini Aventador is arguably faster than the Aston-Martin V12 DBS Coupe, but at that level of precision, does it matter? The big push for monitors is for LED, but if you do image editing, I dare say the CCFL Dells will calibrate better and more accurately. Also, the HP has only two inputs, and a few years down the road I may get a new monitor and have plans for the U3011, and I'll certainly want the AMAZING array of inputs on the Dell. So, the HP is out at least for me.

(UPDATE, 10-22-2012: I got a reply on this review from RAN today that said the Dell's H-IPS panel is actually the newer technology. I checked it out and they were right! One more plus for the Dell. Thanks for pointing that out!)

(UPDATE, 3-6-2013: good reply from Tracy Bolte who pointed out that latency specs are better on the HP if you do gaming, and that the HP might use a CCFL backlamp after all. I researched HP's site and they don't actually specify the type of back lamp. Will research further. If anyone knows for sure, please reply. Retailers' specs are NOT always accurate!)

White Sparkle/Anti-Glare Matte Finish

This subject is as controversial as global warming, but there is a fairly easy answer. Yes, the matte finish does introduce a sort of grainy filter that's noticable where whites show. Obviously whites would be gorgeous white without that, but to survive with a glossy monitor you really need a scenario where there is NO bright light source behind you. Great scenario if you have that! Anyway, some people say they don't see it, others say it's gross. I discovered that as you make the monitor brighter, the dirty goes away. For photo and video editors in a darkened studio (how I work), lowering your brightness is a given, but there's a threshold where if it gets too low your whites will get a bit yucky. My U2711 was that way: it came set at a brightness of 50 out of the box, but my calibration unit wanted it set at 17 based on ambient light. After calibration my colors on that U2711 were spot on, but whites were not so great. I pushed brightness up to 27 and then it looked very good, to the point where you don't really notice, and other than snow scenes and B&W high-key portraits, how much pure white do we have in an image? As for my new U3011, this was a big advantage over the U2711, the whites are cleaner and brighter. After calibration the software wanted my brightness down to 12, and leaving it there it looks great, like the U2711 after pushing it up to 27 to achieve the same clean whites. Don't get me wrong, the U2711 is equally great once adjusted and for most that's no problem. But if you do large format printing at home like me, a monitor set brighter than the suggested level at calibration will give you darker prints, so you have to compensate (not difficult, just another step to perform). So the U3011 wins here, looks great without boosting brightness. Side note: if you like a really bright monitor, the "sparkly dirty whites" are a moot point, you probably won't see it.

Image vs Text

I got the U3011 and sold the U2711 for two reasons: I do like a 16:10 ratio of the 3011 over the 16:9 ratio of the 2711. Photoshop and Premiere Pro need all the real estate they can get (and RAM!), so 16:10 on the U3011 is a clear winner. But also, the U2711 has a 109 pixels per inch where the U3011 has 101 pixels per inch. That means that images on the U2711 will be the most incredible because of having the most pixels per inch, but that makes text incredibly small. Squinting and leaning forward to read text on a web page gets a little old. Younger eyes will probably be fine, plus you can always boost Text Size in Windows and Mac, but if you do graphics with text and web layouts that can cause some issues. The U3011 with its 101 pixels per inch makes the text just right. I was concerned if that would make images look any less great, but it's only an 8% decrease in resolution, and you do NOT see any less quality on screen. The U3011 wins there again.

Uneven Screen Colors/Hues

I see complaints from time to time on that, but both my former U2711 and my new U3011 are even and gorgeous to my eye. I imagine that this technology is difficult to master but it seems by 2012 we've gotten it down pretty good. Therefore it's best if you get a U3011 that's the latest Rev A07 because it's the older units that many seem to have issues with. I ordered my straight from Amazon and the sticker on the back says A07, MFG date, July 2012. Doesn't get much newer than that and it helps that Amazon moves a lot of stock, therefore always getting new units in.

Wide Gamut and Calibration

If you do a lot of post production work, no doubt you use a colorimeter and will want to calibrate the U3011. There are factory presets that will set the monitor up quite nicely for those who don't calibrate, this thing looks amazing right out of the box. But for post production where we need to ensure Pantone 2747 blue really is that hue, calibration is necessary. I made the mistake initially with the U2711 of cal'ing it after Resetting All Settings in the OSD like we normally do. The calibration looked horrendous afterwards, and I've seen several people complain about that in reviews. That's because resetting to Factory Defaults installs the "Standard" profile, it does NOT remove it! Therefore, after the global reset, then go to Presets and set it to Custom Color. A Type Choice box pops up after you do that, just close and ignore it. But now you'll be in custom mode which allows calibrating to work properly.

3-Year Warranty

I started a Chat with Dell Customer Service and asked them about the 3-year warranty, because I'm buying it here, not Dell directly. Turns out the warranties are in Amazon's name when they are shipped to Amazon's warehouse. The Dell CS rep then transferred the warranty into my Dell account, done! So, make sure you head to Dell's site and start a Chat and request the transfer of Warranty after you get the monitor delivered and are sure all is well. Another reviewer claimed it's only 12 months but that isn't the case, just start a Chat and Dell will transfer it. Right after the transfer, my account showed the monitor right away, but it did say the warranty remaining was 365 days, so while still on the Chat I asked about that, and she said to let the system update, it should show within 24-48 hours. Well, I just looked even though it's only been 12 hours, and sure enough, the full warranty is there. In fact, they gave me an extra 100 days, it expires in November 2015. BTW, while on the chat, I asked if I could transfer my original U2711 warranty to the person who bought it, and they took care of that too, all they needed was address and phone number. SO, make sure you hop on and get your transfer going if you get this monitor.

Bottom Line

After working with the Dell 2405, U2711 and now the U3011, I'm totally pleased with Dells' image quality for post production work (and overall gorgeous imagery!). The HP models are surprisingly limited with input options which is no small thing these days. If you do all image editing or you do that and other work and have great vision, the U2711 is a superb choice. But if your budget allows and you hit the right sale (got mine for 1078), the U3011 is the clear winner, no contest IMO. It has it all, and the only con that actually matters to me is sticker shock, but once you pull the trigger and actually see this drive-in movie screen on your desk and experience the image quality, you'll heal quickly, lol.

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Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm ED AF-S DX

Customer Ratings:

[Following is a reprint of my body only review. I placed a review of the lens at the end.]

The Nikon D80, destined to replace the popular D70 series, is a great camera for Nikon fans who wish to upgrade from their D50s, 70s or 100s. It's also attractive enough to maybe get a few people to jump ship!

Here's the highlights:

1) 10.2 megapixel. A substantial upgrade from the 6mp of the older cameras, performance should be very comparable to the highly regarded D200 camera;

2) 11-point AF system. Similar again to the D200 in performance (though not as easy to change);

3) Large viewfinder (.94x magnification). Again, taken from the D200, this is a clear improvement over the previous cameras. Spec wise, this is also better than all the competition, even though other, personal preference factors need to be taken into consideration (such as layout of LCDs and focusing points).;

4) 2.5" LCD. Not only is it larger, it can also be viewed at a much wider angle--particularly handy when locked to a tripod.

The camera is small for Nikon (about like the D50), but has a good, firm grip for those with medium to larger hands. Controls are well thought out--easy to get to and use. Dampening of mirror noise is better than its competition.

Nikon's use of the SDHC format should be commended. These small cards will have no real disadvantage to the older CF hards once the HC versions start hitting the shelves, and should relieve the danger of "bent pins".

Things you've liked about previous Nikons have been retained. The D80 uses inexpensive wireless & wired remotes, and it still allows the built-in flash to control other Nikon Speedlights remotely.

Compared to the competition, the Canon Rebel XTi & Sony Alpha 100, the Nikon starts a bit in the hole, considering it's the most expensive camera (by $200 & $100, respectively). The XTi offers a nice "anti-dust" hardware & software solution; while the Sony offers in camera stablization. Both use the rear LCD for info status. While many may prefer the traditional LCD on top (like the D80), the rear LCD does have the advantage of being considerably larger text for older eyes (and on the Alpha, rotates when you rotate the camera for verticals). Too bad the D80 doesn't give you this option as well.

The XTi is smaller and lighter, maybe too small for many people. The XTi also does not offer wireless capability with the built-in flash (like D80/A100). It's battery (hence capacity) is a bit smaller.

The Alpha 100 being Sony's first modern digital SLR means that getting lenses and accessories my be a bit more difficult (even though it uses a lot from the older Maxxum cameras). It's also a bit noiser in its operations.

The D80 adds more AF selections than either of the above cameras, has nice enhancements like grid lines and double exposures. It also comes with a protective cover for the rear LCD.

Lens wise, they greatly outnumber those offered by Sony, particularly in any considered "Pro" grade. While Canon can compete in "Pro" grade with Nikon (particularly in longer length lenses), Nikon has a bit of advantage in wider angles for digital. Nikon only offers one size digital sensor, where as Canon must offer two series (for 3 different chip sizes).

Is the D80 worth the money? For anyone with Nikon lenses, undoubtedly. My recommendation for anyone with Canon EF or Minolta Maxxum lenses: look at those cameras first...but be sure to look at the D80 before you buy.

Lens review: Tremendous! The Nikkor 18-135 gives everybody what they want, an affordable lens with above average quality.

First, the 18-135 range is excellent for a kit lens, equivalent of a 27-200 in 35mm photography. It looks great, zooms smoothly, and balances well. The Silent Wave focusing motor is quiet, quick and smooth, and allows immediate manual focus (no hunting for switches). The internal focus is great for anyone using polarizing filters, and allows for a more efficient tulip shaped lens hood (supplied).

Second, the image quality is very good. The aperture is of average size, so don't expect images to jump out like large aperture lenses, but quality is good throughout the range.

Third, Nikon always includes a better than average 5 year warranty in the US on their lenses.

The only negative is that I always prefer a metal lens mount to a plastic one, although the latter keeps both the weight and cost down.

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Panasonic DMC-FZ200 Camera + 0.45X Wide Angle Lens + 2x

Customer Ratings:

This bundle could be an awesome deal, but it comes up short.

First the positives; The camera is awesome. I've had a Lumix FZ30 for years and my photo's have always been so beautiful, but I wanted a faster higher rez camera and the FZ200 fit the bill. The only thing I've seen that I don't like, compared with my FZ30, is the manual mode. The FZ200 adjusts the zoom and focus all from a series of buttons and switches while in manual, I'd rather it was more like the FZ30 where the lens could be twisted to zoom and focus, more like a DSLR.

Also a positive is the seller, Willoughby's. The spare battery that was a part of the bundle arrived dead and unable to be charged. I called Willoughby's and without hesitation they they replaced it. For me, that says a lot about them as a company...

Now for the negatives, in my opinion the bundle is just barely worth the extra cost. The Battery, SD, SD reader, and camera case were all fine and worth the price barely. The lenses however are disappointing. The 2.5x telephoto for example, fits well and looks high quality and does provide some magnification, but it renders the autofocus useless and causes a cloudy image. So yes it does what it says but i'll never use it because the resultant image is so poor. The aftermarket lenses are made by Zeikos.

SO if you're buying the bundle for the lenses, I'd say don't, the camera has beautiful optics.

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TCL LE40FHDE3000 40-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV (Black)

Customer Ratings:

I recently purchased this television on sale for $300 to serve as an extra TV for my man cave bar. Here's a quick rundown of some important points:

These TCL televisions are cheap, but don't seem to be of poor quality. The television itself is sleek and thin and other than the location of the control buttons on the TV itself (they are arranged behind the front bezel on the right side), everything else is laid out well. This TV comes with a two year warranty and unless I'm mistaken, they use Samsung screens.

Out of the box, the picture is clear and crisp. Colors are bright and blacks are dark. I noticed a little bit of a red tinge to the skin of some people, but with a little tweaking that went away easily. In fact, it was so mundane and the factory settings were so good that I had to force myself to change it. The brightness of the TV seems to have quite a range, but it wasn't difficult to find the right lighting for the room I have it in.

I was worried when I purchased this that it only had a 60Hz refresh rate, but the other positive aspects outweighed this one concern (40", 1080p, LED, $300, etc...). I have watched nearly every sport that ESPN airs on this television, and the only blur that I could notice was immediately after someone struck a tennis ball or punted a soccer ball across the field. Even then, I could only notice it if I was looking for it and really paying attention. I watched the O's game on it last night and I couldn't notice any blur whatsoever. They lost, but looked great doing it.

The sound is absolutely fine for a TV this size. I've read quite a few television reviews, and someone always seems to complain about the sound, no matter what make or model. If you desire 7.1 surround quality from this (or any) television, buy the appropriate audio equipment. Otherwise, in my opinion, the sound that this thing produces is perfectly fine.

If you want a large screen for a cheap price, stop here. This TV might not have all of the bells and whistles that Samsung or Sony offer, but you also are not paying anywhere near those prices, either. This TV offers a great picture at a great price (at 40"), and for my money that is all that I really care about.

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Nokia N85 Unlocked Phone with 5 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $169.99
Today's Bonus: 69% Off

This is an updated review; I originally wrote it before this phone was commercially available in the USA. After having tried one out in a store in Singapore, I had decided to keep my N95 8GB and wait for the N97 instead. First, I was unimpressed with the keypad design, as the flat surface gives you very little guidance to help you hit the right keys. Plus, both the N85 nor the N96 are merely incremental upgrades, neither one offering the type of groundbreaking advances that the N95 did two years ago.

Well, being a compulsive gadget geek, I succumbed in a weak moment. As the price started dropping (and it has been dropping fast, and continues to do so!) I latched on. The couple of factors that did it for me was the bright, crisp screen (and it is gorgeous!) and its smaller, more pocket-friendly size compared to the N95. Also, I liked the new features that it offered: Tri-band UMTS ("worldwide" 3G), FM transmitter, a UI upgrade with "transition effects".

I was soon taken in with the N85. Not only does it have a much sleeker and modern-looking design than the N95 (especially the N95-3 now looks klunky by comparison), but there are dozens and dozens of little details that have been tweaked in the user interface, making for an overall more pleasant experience.

One thing that came up for me, as apparently for many others, is the issue of build quality. After having used the N85 for less than two weeks, a lot of dust had gathered underneath the display it turns out it is not sealed properly onto the base. I returned it to Amazon for a replacement initially I actually ordered a N96 because of this issue. It turns out that there were other problems with the N96 (particularly related to its slow performance and low available run-time memory), so I returned that too in favor of my second N85. This time I was luckier, and I can now say that I have never been as happy with any other phone.

My original review follows, including some reasons I had planned to forgo it; I have marked updates as appropriate.

Both the N85 and N96 incorporate nearly every feature of the N95: GPS w/optional voice navigation, 5 MP camera with LED flash (though these newer models use two LEDs for brighter indoor pictures) and built-in geotagging, support for up to 32GB of µSDHC removable memory (currently 16GB are largest available), standard 3.5mm headphone/headset connector which doubles as a TV-out port, comprehensive bluetooth suppport, and last but not least Symbian S60 (by far the most popular smartphone operating system in the world, far ahead of Windows Mobile, Blackberry OS, iPhone, etc with a corresponding wealth of available applications). See my review of the N95 8GB for some more details. Also, both the N95, N85 and N96 are issued in a "standard" version for international markets, and a "NAM" version for enhanced support of North American 3G networks.

The N85 and N96 differ from each other as follows:

UPDATE: I have added the older N95 8GB into the mix for comparison's sake.

* The N85 has a 2.6" OLED screen, whereas the N95 8GB and N96 has a 2.8" standard LCD screen. OLED offers brigher colors, especially in sunlight, and lower power consumption (longer battery life). That's because the pixels themselves illuminate, rather than relying on a backlight to do this.

* Both the N85 and N96 are running S60 release 3 "Feature Pack 2", which means that they support "transition effects" for an overall smoother UI and interactive experience. In particular, the N85 seems overall more "modern" than the older N95. (ADDED 3/19/09)

* In addition to quad-band GSM/2G (850/1900 MHz for North America, 900/1800 MHz for the world outside), the N85 also has a tri-band UMTS radio. The North American version supports the 850/1900 MHz UMTS bands (for e.g. AT&T), plus 2100 MHz for roaming internationally, while the N85 8GB NAM and N96 NAM only supports 850/1900 MHz. (Conversely, the international versions of the N85 and N95/N96 support 900/1900/2100 MHz and simply 900/2100 MHz, respectively). In short, it means that if you take your N85 with you abroad, you should still be able to get faster 3G coverage in most places where available, something which is not true for either the N95 or the N96. (Plus, among the North American models, the N85 is the only one that also will work in Japan, since there is no 2G/GSM network available there, only 3G/UMTS over 2100 MHz).

* The N85 has a built-in FM transmitter, for streaming voice calls and music e.g. to your car stereo. This is particularly useful if your car is not equipped with bluetooth (incl. A2DP) technology.

* The N96 has a built-in TV tuner, supporting DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds). However this feature is not enabled in the North American version, because such broacasts are not available here. AT&T, like other North American carriers, have instead chosen to use MediaFLO for digital video broadcasts.

* The N96 has 16GB of built-in mass storage, in addition to a µSDHC slot. Thus, in theory, it is able to store up to 48GB of data with the addition of a 32GB µSDHC card. The N95 8GB is limited to the same 8GB of memory for its lifetime, while the N85 has a µSDHC slot (I currently use a 16GB card in it).

* The N85's processor contains a 369 MHz ARM11 core, while the N96 has a dual 264 MHz ARM9. It is difficult to say which one performs better, but both use Symbian S60 version 3 feature pack 2, which offers significant improvements in interactive feel over the N95 (which contained a 333 MHz ARM11 core). That said, none of these have the graphics coprocessor that the N95 did, so applications (mainly games) that are optimized for this, will run much faster on the older N95. The N95 also wins hands down in JBenchmark trials.

UPDATE 3/18/09: Now having owned/tried all three, I can say that overall, the N85 is the snappiest one of the bunch. The N96, in contrast, is quite underperforming; it even has problems streaming audio to my Pioneer car stereo over Bluetooth A2DP without hickups every 11-12 seconds. As for interactive use, both the N85 and N96 feel a little bit quicker than the older N95.

* Some people have complained about cheap, plasticky build quality on the N85 (see e.g. HowardForums); in particular, the keypad is seemingly somewhat flimsy and simply glued onto the phone. People who have tried both generally seem to prefer the N96 on this account.

UPDATE 2/8/09: With a few day's use of the N85 under my belt, I'd say it is no worse than the N95. The keys are flat and with less tactile feedback, so it may be a little bit more difficult to text with one hand; however it's no worse than, say, the Motorola RAZR or some Samsung phones.

UPDATE 2/19/09: As described above, mine had a problem with the display peeling off the base, and dust gathering underneth.

UPDATE 3/19/09: My replacement N85 has been stellar.

* The N85 is smaller (mainly due to the smaller screen) and will fit easier into your pocket. UPDATE: Both the N85 and N96 are slimmer than the N95.

* Both the N85 and N96 use the micro-USB standard (a slightly wider and flatter connector than mini-USB as seen on the N95) for data, and both can be charged through this port as well. In addition, the N96 has a separate Nokia charging connector. Now, here is the single reason I will not be replacing my N95 with a N85: This connector is at the top of the phone! To me, this is stupid (and the only reason I subtracted a star from my rating), because it precludes the ability for third party manufacturers of docks and cradles to create one that you simply dock your N85 into for syncing/charging. This is especially important in your car, if you plan on using the GPS navigation feature of this phone (keep in mind that when the GPS reciever is turned on, the batteries are drained pretty fast). With my N95 8GB, i simply got a Brodit/ProClip device holder, along with a corresponding vehicle mount from PanaVise, and voila I have a very nice little GPS device/music player/etc readily available; the N85 is definitely a bit more cumbersome in this regard. UPDATE: Obviously I caved in and got the N85 anyway. now has a cradle for the N85 but as I said, it does require that you manually plug the charging connector into the phone.

* As always, beware of rather dismal repair/warranty service from Nokia USA (c/o PALCO). You buy it, you own it. You should be able to do most repairs yourself, though, with parts from e.g. cnn.cn once available for this device. UPDATE: Various customer accounts both here and on[..] indicate that PALCO have gotten significantly better lately.

All this said, the bottom line is that there is simply no match for these phones when it comes to their sheer capabilities and the amount of features found on them. Sure there are phones out there with more emphasis on ease of use and eye candy (e.g. iPhone), and sure there are ones with their own unique features/gimmicks (e.g. the Google Applications in the new T-Mobile G1) but Nokia S60 smartphones are widely regarded as pure workhorses with the best overall feature sets.

The N85 pushes the limits a little further, and is perhaps the phone with the most capabilities on the market today. But if you are concerned about a solid build, you might want to consider the N95 8GB or N96 instead. Or, wait for the newly announced N86 8MP, where apparently a lot more attention has been paid to build quality.

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MOTOACTV 8 GB GPS Fitness Tracker and Music Player (Discontinued

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $249.99
Sale Price: $155.72
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

I'll admit that I was torn about purchasing the MOTOACTV after reading the reviews on Amazon, but I finally decided to purchase this product a few days ago and I'm glad I did. As an alternative to some of the detailed, product-specific reviews, I thought it might be helpful to walk through my purchase decision:

It is clear that Motorola identified an unmet market need with this product: a small, fitness-specific GPS device with a built-in MP3 player. That was exactly the feature set that I had been searching for. The alternatives on the market fell short for different reasons:

iPod Nano, 7th generation: GOOD: small, clip + watch + armband options, music, Nike+ app; BAD: No GPS

Nike+ Sportwatch, Garmin Watches: GOOD: GPS, small; BAD: No music, watch only

Smartphone apps (e.g. Runkeeper, Endomondo, MapMyRun, Nike+): GOOD: GPS, cheap or free, most offer music; BAD: requires bulky smartphone, varying quality software

Despite having a feature set that separated it from these alternatives, the MOTOACTV is a first-generation device supported by first-generation cloud-based fitness tracking software. As a result, the device shipped with key flaws, not the least of which was poor battery life and inaccurate GPS accuracy. These types of issues should have been fixed before this product hit the market, but my guess is these flaws were a result of the product team being pushed to get the product out before the holiday shopping season. The nice thing is that in this day and age, the concept of "rapid prototyping" is all the rage. It's now okay to ship a half-baked product, solicit tons of input from early adopting customers, and offer frequent firmware updates to fix major and minor flaws.

Which brings me to the reason I purchased this product: I knew the MOTOACTV v1 would not be a flawless device but it had the features I wanted at a price (on Amazon) that I thought was reasonable. I debated waiting until v2, but I decided to buy this model because I recognized that most of the flaws could be fixed with firmware updates and Motorola appears committed to listening to users and releasing frequent updates. They have already released multiple firmware updates over the past few months (with a preference for the 8GB model, so be wary of the 16GB), including one just before I bought it that fixed the battery life issues. Since battery life was one of the primary complaints from early users, it was essential that they corrected that issue. In addition, they have a forum manager named Matt who is trolling all of the comments on this site and others and is frequently responding directly to customers. I appreciate that, even if he can't fix every issue.

In sum, this is not a perfect product, but I love the combination of features and the fact that it's getting better with each firmware update. Using the MOTOACTV is SOOO much better than lugging around my bulky mobile phone on long runs! As long as Motorola continues the level of support that they have shown during the first few months of this product's life cycle, I would definitely recommend purchasing this device.

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January 14, 2012 Update

I've been running with the MOTOACTV for over two weeks and have logged ~80 miles with it. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the device itself. The website that stores workout data and other features, on the other hand, is decent but needs additional focus. For instance, the site does not integrate "planned" and "actual" workouts into the same calendar interface. That's a clear miss that I imagine most customers would want.

As I mentioned in my review above, this is a v1 website and thus I would not expect it to be perfect. Motorola appears committed to listening to customers and rapidly updating the product, so I trust that they are working behind the scenes to improve the online experience. At this point, I'd give the entire MOTOACTV ecosystem (device + website) 4.5 stars. Because I care more about the device than the website, however, I left my rating at 5 stars.

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August 25, 2013 Update

Downgraded to three stars since Motorola discontinued the product and is no longer committed to improvement as they were when I wrote the initial review. Unfortunate because this could have been a great product.

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Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical

Customer Ratings:

The Canon A1200 has the features which we value most and as such, is our favorite digital camera. In particular,

* It can take wide angle photos the equivalent of 28mm on the older film SLR's

* It uses 2 AA batteries which is great especially when traveling overseas. In the past, we encountered too many occasions when a battery became exhausted in the middle of the day or could not be recharged at night. This was especially true when traveling overseas. So now we only consider cameras which use AA batteries because they can be purchased almost anywhere.

* It takes HD video.

* Its size is compact and can easily fit in a pocket or purse. Years ago, I enjoyed taking photos with SLR's and wore out 3 of them (the film versions). However, I missed many shots on vacation because I did not want to carry an SLR everywhere I went. The compact size of the A1200 allows us to carry it everywhere with ease. And it takes high quality photos.

* This camera does not offer as many options as some others. However, it gives you the options people use most of the time. I do not miss the other ones.

There are a few negatives. Cords to connect the camera to a TV or DVD recorder are sold separately. And it is difficult to force the camera to flash it wants you to choose the mode and it will decide whether to use the flash. Also, this camera does not have the option to merge 2 or 3 shots into a panoramic picture. And it does not zoom in as close as some other cameras. All that said, we shopped around a lot and, in our opinion, the A1200 has the best combination of features and size.

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Sony DPF-D820 8-Inch SVGA LCD (4:3) Digital Photo Frame (Black)

Customer Ratings:

I've had this frame for a week and it worked great out of the box. I was up and running within minutes with photos loaded easily, direct from my computer. The little remote is very handy and comes with a battery which I am very happy about because I'm not sure how to open it. I really like the slide show setting of "Time Machine" -at first I thought it showed the current date and time in the bottom right corner, but it actually shows the date and time the photo was taken, which is WAY cooler! The frame is programmable so you can make it turn on and off automatically any time you want. I love it!

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MatteBox 15mm Rod Support Follow focus 9" Camera Cage

Customer Ratings:

This is an amazing rig for the DSLR. The only part that I don't like is that most of the parts are plastic. I cracked one of the clamps on the first time tightening it. After I got it all put together everything works great.

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Zeiss Normal 50mm f/1.5 C Sonnar T* ZM Manual Focus Lens

Customer Ratings:

This Zeiss Sonnar is a sharp, fast lens, and a good choice for an M8 or M9 at a price point between the Cosina Voightlander line and Leica's own glass.

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Tokina AT-X AF 10-17mm f3.5-4.5 DX Fisheye Lens for Nikon

Customer Ratings:

Lightweight lens with super sharp optics, and can be used to focus as close as eight inches. Great for close up nature photography, and you are able to get the flower in focus along with the entire garden in the background. The visual distortion makes some interesting photos at the 10 mm zoom level. Combine this lens with the nikkor 18-200 mm VR lens and that is all you need to carry on any trip. I did not see any flare except when shooting into the sun. Lens is 15 ounces, matte finish without a professional look as good as any nikon or canon lens.

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OMAX 40X-2000X Digital Binocular Biological Compound Microscope

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,699.99
Sale Price: $429.99
Today's Bonus: 75% Off

I bought this microscope thinking it would be OK. I thought that it would be of OK quality, maybe some plastic components & a loose rack for slide carrier. Boy was I wrong. This microscope is absolutely awesome. The quality is 1st rate. The optics are great. The rack is solid & tight as a drum. This microscope reminds me of the ones I studied on in college (before they had been thrashed by us students. I would highly recommend this microscope at this price it is a steal. This should be $1000 or more. I just bought this scope & I have been looking at everything that I can get my hands on (CD, feather, spit, dirt, hair). I have not yet figured out how to attach the mirror to the chassis (no biggie, I'll figure it out). Remember, it doesn't come with any slides. So, order them with the scope. PS: I am not "Merca" that must be the manufacturer.

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MV900F MultiView - Digital camera - white

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $358.45
Sale Price: $207.99
Today's Bonus: 42% Off

best camera I have beside the Samsung Galaxy which is over double the price so for the price there is none better out there this camera with the HP Envy Printer wow you really have a pair to beat a full house its honestly the two best products out there for the price

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