Onkyo BD-SP809 Blu-Ray Disc Player - Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $599.00
Sale Price: $398.97
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

The brand Onkyo has been around almost as long as some of the other great Japanese Hi-Fi companies (Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood,etc). they have a great reputation as builders of fine quality stereo gear, as far back as the 1970s.

I havent had alot of experience with all their current product line, but checked out some of their AV multi-channel receivers, and WOW, they are built beautifully...I was very impressed,everything weighs like, 70 lbs, the cases are metal, well sheilded, the face plates are heavy machined aluminum, etc...Im happy to see that there is still HIGH QUALITY stuff being built out there, when most mass market brand equipment you see at Best But is just lightweight, cheap, plasticky CRAP. I am a vintage stereo/ hi-fi collector, and was determined when I went shopping to find a Blu-Ray player that had the quality look and feel of a high-end stereo product.

i have some very cool vintage Pioneer, Kenwood,Dual Turntables,that kind of cool, OLD SCHOOL gear...and this stuff is made like a tank...its from the 70s, before the motto became "Lets build everything as cheaply as possible" and most of the DVD or BluRay players, or low priced receivers you see out there are CRAP...they feel like cheap, plasticky junk.They work OK (or NOT LOL), but they just dont look like they fit in with a nice stereo or High End Home Theater system.

If you care about this, and have a high quality stereo /home theatre system, and want a BluRay player that matches the SOLID old school feel of VINTAGE quality gear, or high quality MODERN home theater gear, then this player will probably appeal to you. Its built like a friggin TANK! It has a nice, THICK, black, adonized aluminum face plate, and the whole unit feels like its very well designed and the build quality is fantastic! The whole case is solid metal, and according to most reviews Ive read, the unit is very well damped, and immune to external vibration. it also features a very advanced D to A converter.

Quality wise, Its like an AUDI or Mercedes...or a Lexus...it just feels RIGHT! Its like when you slam the door on a lightweight, crappy cheap car door, and the whole car rattles. Well, there are plenty of DVD/Blu Ray players the mass market stuff you see at Best Buy, Im sure you know what Im talking about! This piece feels like high end VINTAGE stereo gear, heavy and beautiful to look at, and it feels nice, even the controls, everything, has that mmm....nice!....feel to it.

So far, Ive found it works beautifully, both with streaming ( Netflix, etc) as well as playing BluRays and DVDs. The picture is gorgeous, with rich vibrant colors, and the sound is also excellent!

One thing Ive found, none of the higher price,better quality players are "WI-FI ready", you have to pop an extra 60 to 80 bucks for a "wireless bridge" which is just a little box, like a ROKU box size, that basically connects the internet in your house, to the BluRay player. You just plug it into the BluRay player with an ethernet cable, and thats pretty much it: youre ready to GO!

I know some people think this is kind of a pain in the ass...When I first realized NONE of the better quality players have this feature, I was confused...but now, I get it. The cheap players have it built in. My LG BD 590 has WiFi built in, and I actually think that is a real nice player for the money (Theyre still out there, brand new, even though discontinued, for like, 200-230.00 bucks on Amazon.) But this Onkyo player is a whole different thing. Its like comparing a Kia to a BMW! Any of the top players, by Oppo, Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, or Onkyo, DONT have the WI-Fi "built in", so you have to decide if buying the wireless bridge is worth it. At first, I was pissed off, then I said, Ok, WTF, and bought it and hooked it up, and Im very pleased!

People complain that feature for feature, this player doesnt have every single bell and every single whistle it could...so, I suggest compare each player, and then decide what features you really need...for me, again, priority is i wanted a nice, SOLIDLY BUILT quality player, that plays DVDs, CDs, and Blu Rays effortlessly and brilliantly, and with the addition of the necessary WIRELESS BRIDGE, BAM! This player plays virtually anything you can throw at it. So, i would say, this player is DEFINITELY worth checking out! Good Luck, you guys! Sincerely,Bbopman

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Nikon D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Body Only (Bronze)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $799.95
Sale Price: $576.49
Today's Bonus: 28% Off

Bought this from Electronics Basket, camera appears to work fine, have been using it for 2 weeks and haven't had any problems. It came in a kit box with the kit lens taken out, a manual for the D5100 instead of the D5200 and there was not a warranty card, but this bronze one was cheaper than the black body Amazon is selling. I assumed there was a warranty but apparently not, my mistake. I am happy with the purchase, for a real review of his model just check out Ken Rockwell's site.

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Lenovo K1 Ideapad 130422U 10.1-Inch Tablet (Black)

Customer Ratings:

Initially posted this review under the white K1 Amazon listed before but this is the unit that the review covered:

Let me first say, I'm doing this review to help those people, like I was, who have been sitting on the fence waiting for a good option apart from the Ipad 2, so I apologize for the lengthy review.

I do have access to an Ipad 2 (when my daughter is not hammering away at it) & I must say that I love it, but being an android phone user, could not get comfortable with the iTunes thingy & the plain old icons interface. However, for a not so technical user, I think the Ipad is the best Tablet choice out there.

However, apart from liking what I had seen of the Android Honeycomb OS, I was also looking for an Android Tablet with connections (hdmi out, sd card slot, etc.) so that ruled out my early favorite, the Galaxy Tab 10.1. After looking & trying the rest I settled on either the Toshiba Thrive, which is fat, but really has a nice feel in your hands, & the Asus Transformer, which has a nice screen & that keyboard dock. Eventually ruled out the Thrive as I couldn't get over the washed out graphics on the screen & the power problems in sleep mode. So it was the Asus..... until I stumbled on an article on the Lenovo Ideapad K1 which grabbed my attention the very night I was going to order the Asus here on Amazon. (Sorry Amazon!)I decided to check it out at Office Depot the next day as it was rumoured they had it on display but not stocked.

Now, I usually buy all my big electronic purchases from Amazon but I couldn't let this one pass since Office Depot only had one in stock. I'm not sure how they've had these tabs on sale for a few days now since Lenovo only officially launched this product Wednesday, but I went to look at a display unit I heard they had & boy, I liked what I saw.

The Good:

Firstly, the screen. It's really nice. Just as good as the Ipad, IMO, but just below the Samsung. The screen has a sharpness to it that reminded me of the old Sony Wega TV's..... nice.

Looks! Kinda look like the Samsung Tab and I like the curved edges.

Netflix!! What more can I say, apart from it runs flawlessly here.

Apps! Apps already included on this Tablet would cost you extra dollars &, for what I need, is mostly ones I can really use, like Documents To Go, Print Share, etc. Not much of a gamer, but Angry Birds is preloaded along with some other neat looking games.

Connections. Hooked the tab to my 50" Plasma via the micro hdmi out (you will need to buy a micro hdmi cable here from Amazon) & it recognized it right away. My daughters played Angry Birds using the connection & now I'm not sure if they can go back playing it on their phones lol. I opened the micro SD slot but have not inserted a card as yet. However, trying to access this slot was something else till I finally read the manual & deduced (not exactly spelt out) that you need a small twisted paper clip to push in the hole beside the slot to push the slot cover open to reveal the drive.

Honeycomb 3.1. Not unique to the Ideapad but it runs really nice on this tablet without too many glitches. I like the Lenovo unique small menu launcher on the desktop that seems to be the only tweak to Honeycomb that Lenovo did to this OS.

Build. Definitely a solidly built unit. It's Lenovo & although it's my first from this brand, they're usually known to build solid units. But the solidity comes at a price (see Cons below)

Cons

No good accessories. Normal for a new device. The Lenovo case was awful & def not worth the $35 being asked for it. Will wait for Amazon availability of cases for this Tab.

Weight. Although it's not much heavier than most tablets in unit measurement, it feels heavier. Maybe it's the aluminum edges or the glass (IPS) screen but this is one of the heavier tablets I've felt. It's not as heavy as the Xoom but still has that same feel of the Xoom, that feel of holding a cold metal tray in your hand. This doesn't bother me as, same with the Ipad, I prefer having these tablets in a case anyway, for feel & security.

Powering On. Noticed a couple times I've had to do a restart of the Ideapad to wake it up from sleep mode. Happened at least 4 times the first day of usage but it's 3 days now & haven't been happening since. I noticed when I added a secure login pattern, it hung on the startup screen the first couple times as well but seems to be working okay now.

Headphone Jack Position. Small annoyance, but positioning it by the power connector, IMO, was not a good idea, but you can overcome this by turning the tab around so it positions the outlet to the top, but then you will have to get used to the volume up/down buttons are now on the opposite side.

In summary, I waited a longtime for a good Ipad alternative & I'm pretty confident that I've found it in the Lenovo IdeaPad. I'll update this review after a few more weeks of using the tablet, especially since I've discovered a dead pixel on startup today, but not noticeable in Honeycomb.

6 MONTH UPDATE:

After 6 months of using this tablet I felt the need to update my review. I have been a little disappointed with the performance at times with the stock browser which crashes on certain websites. Lenovo does update the firmware every month or so but I've found the last update to have been a downgrade more than an upgrade as my K1 seems to be more laggy since. Some have seen improvements as per the Lenovo forum which I find useful .

The headphones jack positioning continue to be a real irritant, especially after getting a case for this thing which also makes you notice the weight of this tab even more. But with all these constraints in mind,I have not regret the purchase as it's used everyday but I would probably take away half a star for Lenovo's inconsistent firmware upgrade & sketchy support for this tab. I still do look at my daughter's Ipad2 with slight envy & convinced that it is still the best tablet on the market due to it's stable OS & quality of apps that's available to date. But, for me, the K1 is one of the best Android tabs out there along with the Samsung Galaxy & Asus Transformer, with the latter being the best value for money once the K1 is on the market for over $400. For those wondering if a tablet is necessary in their lives, I can only say that I find myself using mine mainly for personal use but it's been loads of fun using. I would still say this is a buy at this time especially if you can grab one below $400, anything over that, I would suggest looking at the much vaunted Ipad 2.

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Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-135mm IS

Customer Ratings:

The kit comes with everything you need to start taking pictures. I've been into photography since the 70's and already owned some of the products in the bundle. I had been researching just the T4i and the price was the same as this bundle. So it was kind of a no brainer to purchase this kit.

I'll be reviewing most of the products on the appropriate pages. What I will say here is that I've tried everything in the kit and it all works fine. Cameta Camera is an authorized Canon dealer. They answer your emails in a timely manor.

You can buy this kit with confidence!

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HP g7-1310us (17.3-Inch Screen) Laptop

Customer Ratings:

OK, so to add some perspective to this I will say that I upgraded from a 4 year old underpowered Dell laptop with barely a gig of RAM so any upgrade would be a good one for me. That being said, I am still very impressed with my initial experience with this product. I got it for what I consider to be a very reasonable price under $550 and less than it would have cost direct from HP, even with their promotions and dicounts. The 640gb hard drive is huge for a relatively 'normal' user like me; I have a digital photo album, about 500-600 songs and a few videos saved so storage is not likely to be an issue for me. It comes with 6gb of RAM so the performance is pretty speedy (for me, it's lightning fast compared to my old Dell but that is probably not the case for many others). Set up was a breeze and it worked smoothly right out of the box. My only issue is that I had some older software that is no longer compatible with Windows 7 but that's not an HP issue and it's a minor point regardless.

So, I've only had it for about 5 days but so far it's great. As I said the screen looks great love the 17" size which will come in handy when I stream movies from Amazon. The responsiveness and boot up times are very good so far. The other surprising thing, pleasantly, is how light it is for it's size. I'm not saying I would carry it around with me everywhere but if/when I do need to move it around I can tell that it won't be very much of a burden.

So all in all very satisfied with this upgrade and would certainly recommend this for any normal uses like general web browsing. Not sure what serious gamers would think I imagine this isn't targeted at them anyway but I do play an online golf game with pretty good graphics and it performs very well. Hope my initial impressions are helpful to someone else.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another edit:

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

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

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

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FUJIFILM Digital Camera FinePix F800EXR (Black) 16MP EXR-CMOS

Customer Ratings:

Am not a expert with cameras but this is simple point and shoot camera to me. I love the face recognition, how the camera can tell when to use the flash. This is perfect for me because I can't tell anything about which is the lighting mode to use.There is so much

to learn about it, I just having fun. The only thing is I brought it from China and the manual I receive was in Chinese however there is a digital one on the cd and printing it out was annoying.

I did not receive one of the cable from the company but they a sending it to me but now I have to pay an additional sum of money to clear it and this am piss about.

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XIOS DS Streaming Media Player for TVs (with XBMC capability)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $114.99
Sale Price: $94.90
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

This unit CANNOT run Android and stream xbmc video content over the web.

It CAN play movies if you have them on a local hard drive.

The way it ships, it has Android running. But if you run XBMC server on top of Android... the processor goes to 100% max and the Frames Per Second goes from 29 fps down to 10 fps.

The video sort of moves at 1/10th the speed it should.

I contacted tech support, and they had me delete Android, and run a pure XBMC over system ... no android.

It still didnt work... because it wouldn't recognize my wireless Ethernet.

Also, the XBMC isnt even loaded when you get it. You have to load all that stuff yourself. I am a geek, so I managed.... but non-techy people would NEVER succeed.

I returned it, and got a GBox Midnight MX2 . It is strong enough to run Android AND xbmc...

XBMC was loaded out of the box (unlike the Xios).

Plus the Gbox controller is far better.

Very frustrating to take all this time and effort on an underpowered box.

Give it a pass.

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Panasonic TC-P60S60 60-Inch 1080p 600Hz Plasma HDTV

Customer Ratings:

Panasonic as far as I am concerned is the best producer of television sets in the world right now. Nothing compares to the picture clarity and quality of a Panasonic Plasma TV and this model is no different. I replaced a 42" Plasma from 5 or 6 years ago with this model and a week later I'm not even slightly regretting the choice.

Plasma technology has come a long way, you'll find that not only do you get the high refresh rate, deep blacks and crisp picture but you also get a longer lifetime now (~30 years of 8 hours a day viewing before the TV will begin to fade), much lower power consumption (CNET rates this model around $44 a year, Panasonic states $28, so figure it somewhere between $35-40 without using Eco-mode settings) and better picture control than in the past (multiple ratios, you can choose to cool/warm the picture in minute quantities and set different profiles for each input).

Still, if you're sitting here trying to decide between a Plasma and an LED, you need to really only consider a few scenarios.

If it is going to be in a family room that has bright lighting and won't be used for a lot of high action (sports) programming, you're probably better off going with a newer LED model for the screen reflectivity and to avoid the color saturation you get on Plasmas. If you want a Plasma and to avoid any serious glare problems, try stepping up a model to the ST60 or the VT60, each step up will dramatically improve screen glare (and add a crisper picture, which isn't terribly noticeable unless a side by side comparison is performed when in a scarcely lit room). Otherwise in a bedroom or somewhere you don't mind closing the blinds, this is a great buy. Update: Recently read about the P50S64 which has the anti-reflection coating on the S60 model here, try looking online to find your nearest dealer if this interests you.

Trying to decide between the ST60 and the S60? Even I had a difficult time with that. The final decision really only came down to the fact that there isn't a noticeable difference in picture quality in the setting I have my TV and I don't need the Smart TV/3D ability.

This model has Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, Hulu and a few other Apps. All of which are updated applications so the interfaces are more modern, which is nice. The Wi-Fi set up was very easy, so despite not being Wifi certified I wouldn't be concerned, it comes built-in and ready to go.

Another great feature some Techies might find useful is full DLNA support with no complications. All I had to do was connect the network, pull up my DLNA apps on my Surface or Lumia 920 and boom, streaming right to the TV in all of its glory.

Don't be fooled for other knockoff brands like Samsungs which just copy market innovators or LG/Sharp whom don't have the same technology built into their TVs like Panasonic does. The S60 is a great deal for the consumer, bringing affordable HD sets to the masses and backed by a brand that lasts, my TV still works from 6 years ago without ever needing a repair and I know of other people with Panasonics from 10+ years ago that never had problems.

Update: I've seen a lot of people trying to find a magic configuration for their picture quality, but it's unlikely one settings configurations will match someone else's. Your best bet is to setup the TV and begin tweaking the main settings for your common programming. For instance, I watch a ton of hockey and like for the ice to be vivid and cool, I leave on CATS to dynamically adjust brightness from day to night, the human eye is only so precise so I wouldn't recommend obsessing over tweaks you can't actually recognize. Some people claim to see enhanced reds, pro settings can drop that level when you're in Cinema or Custom.

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Samsung NX1000 White ~ 20.3MP Digital Camera with 20-50mm Lens

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $699.99
Sale Price: $359.99
Today's Bonus: 49% Off

Samsung NX1000 Review -an excellent value!

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.

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Fujifilm Instax MINI 25 Instant Film Camera (White)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $125.99
Sale Price: $82.11
Today's Bonus: 35% Off

Initially I had purchased the instax mini 7s from amazon and I really liked it, but the size and weight of the camera had always bothered me. Because this camera, the instax 25, uses 2 cr2 batteries instead of 4 AA batteries like the instax 7s its much smaller and lighter. I'm able to fit this camera in the instax bags you find on ebay with 2 extra packs of film whereas with the 7s i could only fit the camera due to its size.

Also when the 25 is used outside, the flash does not fire which is a definite plus when you dont want washed out photos. This camera also comes with a closeup lens which enables you to take close pictures without having to get too close. This camera also comes with an extra shutter button on the side of the camera in case you want to take pictures horizontally instead of vertically. The camera also comes with a feature that lets you either take lighter or darker photos. You can also control the flash somewhat by choosing whether you want the flash to be strong and highlight the background of the photo or you can switch it to landscape mode where i think it doesnt flash at all(not exactly sure because ive only used this option outside in bright light and the flash doesnt go off).

In order to really enjoy and appreciate these instant cameras you have to take a step back and appreciate them for what they are. Of course you can take a thousand pictures with a digital camera and print out 4x6 photos for 5 cents each, whereas each picture you take with the instax minis cost around 75 cents each, but its the appeal of having a photo seconds after you take it, and with these cameras each picture you take is one of a kind.

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Sony MDR-NC7/BLK Noise Canceling On-Ear Headphones

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $31.58
Today's Bonus: 37% Off

Based on the price, I took the plunge. The construction is pretty solid and look good on the head. The pads are very comfortable with a soft "vinyl" type material. The "arms" of the headphones wrap around the head really well because of the hinge at the top of the headphones.

But to the most important feature: the noise cancelling function was not dramatic during flights it worked well for a semi-quiet office environment, but my primary need for this is flying. And during flying I noticed only a slight change. Good for the price, but not if you are looking to use this while flying or similar environments investigate other options.

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Pentax K-5 II 16.3 MP DSLR DA 18-135mm WR lens kit (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,449.95
Sale Price: $1,039.00
Today's Bonus: 28% Off

Unbelievable camera.

What else I would say?

The Pentax K-5ii is significantly more compact than similar Nikon and Canon cameras while offering more options and features. It is a well thought out, digital photography tool. There is something special about using a high quality camera, the feel in your hand, a solid mechanical sound, the way it comes to your eye. This camera has all of it. And hey, you get to use Pentax lenses, the best glass in the world.

Warning: This camera is arguably the best in the industry to date.

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Nikon COOLPIX P7700 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 7.1x Optical

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $499.00
Sale Price: $439.95
Today's Bonus: 12% Off

The new Nikon COOLPIX P7700 was announced in the late summer of 2012 as the company's Performance-series flagship, a camera designed with the true photo enthusiast in mind. As a current owner of the Nikon COOLPIX P7100, I was curious as to what improvements might have been made.

Read a good number of first-look previews, then decided that it was worth a second look. I luckily had a chance for a short hands-on local preview, along with a few other cameras as noted below, then decided that there were enough features and improvements that made the P7700 well worth considering, so I put in my order here on Amazon and waited for it to be released.

It's a decision that I don't regret. Getting down to the subjective nitty-gritty, here are my basic observations.

◆ Pros:

+ Substantial 7.1x optical zoom; extra punch over 4x or 5x helps

+ Fully articulated 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD display; extra sharp at 921,000 dots

+ New 12.2 Megapixel CMOS-type sensor; offers excellent image quality

+ Improved ergonomics; rational array of controls, easy to master

+ Rechargeable EN-EL14 Li-ion battery; averages 320 350 shots per charge

+ Full manual exposure plus Program, Apertureand Shutter priority modes

+ Much faster operational speeds than the P7000 or P7100

+ Uses readily available SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards; full support

+ RAW (NRW) support; 19 Scene modes for creative control

+ ISO range is 80-1600; can be boosted to 6400

+ Accepts any Ø40.5 mm filters; compatible with Nikon 1 series

+ Hot shoe; accepts wide variety of Nikon Speedlight units or GP-1 GPS Unit

+ Rubberized grip area on the body; adds to handling

◆ Cons:

As with the P7100, wish this camera would go to 24mm wide angle

Picky point: 40.5mm lens cap has easy-to-bump tabs making it easy to lose

◆ First Impressions:

There was little about the new P7700 of which I wasn't aware before my Amazon order arrived and it came out of the box. Had read a number of editorial comments and had a brief hands-on locally. When first unboxed, it's immediately noticeable that this is a solid camera, and that's probably due to its magnesium chassis. There's a definite professional feel to the P7700, similar to the older P7100, yet in a more refined package.

Followed the printed Quick Start Guide and charged the battery for the recommended 1½ hours while reading and going through the box contents. This camera came packaged with the following:

~ AN-CP22 Strap

~ UC-E17 USB Cable

~ EG-CP16 Audio Video Cable

~ EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery

~ MH-24 Quick Charger

~ LC-CP26 Lens Cap

~ NikonView NX 2 CD-ROM

~ P7700 Reference Manual on CD-ROM

~ Printed Quick Start Guide

~ Yellow Nikon USA Warranty Card

The MH-24 Battery Charger blinks when charging, and glows steadily when the battery is topped up. I put the battery cap in a safe place for when it's needed, and once the battery was charged, inserted a Class 10 SDHC card and took the P7700 out for a trial run to get a feel for it, carrying my older and more familiar P7100 along as a comparison.

Though I had briefly played with this P7700 before, I now had a chance to really put it through its paces. Larger than most compacts, this camera subjectively has quite a comfortable feel; everything seems to fit the hand and eye quite easily. There are enough controls and options that can be set to customize it to ones individual preferences, and in my initial explorations, found that this was easy to accomplish.

◆ The P7700 In Use:

As expected, the camera offers complete PSAM control from the top dial near the shutter button, but the small Quick Menu dial on the left top of the camera body quickly became my ally. This made access of the various functions such as ISO settings, white balance, auto bracketing and such to be far easier than exploring the camera menus. Tried various shots trying face detection, the different metering settings and such, all as part of the learning experience. This shortcut method is far better than digging into the viewfinder menus to access the various features, and it's fully customizable. Still working my way through all of the automation features, but there are nineteen Scene modes offering some very artistic in-camera effects.

The small optical viewfinder that was found on the P7100 is gone, yet for this user it's not missed much, as this new P7700 comes with a fully articulated 3-inch Vari-Angle LCD display. The P7100 has a tilting 3-inch LCD display, which is quite good, but this new one is as versatile as those found on some of the Nikon DSLRs. It offers a brilliant and very sharp screen, offering very close to 100% of what your results will be, and for one who wears glasses, those 921,000 dots do help. Being fully articulated, it allows for creativity from some fairly awkward angles, and as I have made good and frequent use of this feature on my D5000, I'm pleased to have it on this camera. Reverse the screen before you put the P7700 away and the LCD is protected.

Once one gets used to the P7700, and that doesn't very take long, the ergonomics and controls are excellent. I'm just the occasional video shooter, but the resolution has been increased from 720p to full 1080p HD on the P7700. The video exposure can be controlled using aperture-priority, auto, manual, or custom movie modes, and the autofocus remains active while shooting videos. There's a built-in stereo microphone, an external microphone jack, and an HDMI mini connector & HDMI-CEC support.

The built-in flash on the P7700 does a decent job for snapshots, and the results are better than those from the P7100. Have no complaints with the results within the abilities of how these function. But when I attached and used the Nikon SB-400, the resulting images were close to dazzling. I've used my SB-400 and the older SB-600 on my Nikon DSLRs, but this combination on the P7700 helped produce some of my best flash images ever.

◆ The Lens and More:

Where the P7700 really shines is in the lens, and that was apparent within the first twenty or so images. The 7.1x Zoom-Nikkor ED lens offers a 35mm peer to that of 28-200mm zoom lens, and even though its range is the same as the P7100, the new camera offers a construction of 13 elements in 10 groups, as compared to 11 elements in 9 groups for my older camera. Add to this, the P7700 has a maximum aperture of f/2.0 (at 28mm) to f/4.0 (at 200mm), where the P7100 has a maximum of f/2.8 at its widest setting.

But no description of the lens would be complete without mentioning that the built-in neutral density filter added to its 7-blade rounded iris aperture offers beautifully natural bokeh, better than this user has encountered in a compact digital camera. Just beginning to explore this, but my results have been quite pleasing.

One of the more appealing things about the P7700 is that finally we have an enthusiast's compact Nikon that can take filters, a big improvement over my P7100. This now moves the camera into the corner of a compact for the serious user, as the ability to use non-proprietary Ø40.5mm filters adds to this camera's capabilities. These filters are also used with the Nikon 1 series of cameras, and there's a forthcoming optional Ø40.5mm threaded HN-CP17 lens hood where you can also use Ø58mm filters if you like.

Though not as common as other sizes, there are plenty of Ø40.5mm filters avalable, and in all sizes and grades. For those interested, there's a bargain priced Vivitar Series 1 Three-Piece Multi-Coated HD Pro Filter Set. The better grade Hoya 40.5mm UV HMC Filter sits on the end of my P7700 at all times.

◆ Other Observations:

The inclusion of the Nikon EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery and the MH-24 charger is welcomed by this user, as it's the same one used in the P7100, P7000 and a variety of Nikon DSLRs. For those who already own any of these models, it means a logical system approach to carrying extra batteries, along with a decent cost savings. I've had a few of these from the other Nikons, and am getting an average of 320 to 350 shots per charge from them. This battery even gives notice when calibration is necessary.

On the downside, this camera comes standard with a Nikon LC-CP26 lens cap. The downside to this particular cap is that it has easy-to-bump tabs, making it easy to lose. If you lose yours and want a better replacement, this Nikon LC-N40.5 Front Lens Cap from the Nikon 1 series cameras works.

◆ Warranty Note:

I purchased my P7700 here from Amazon directly, and it came with a Nikon USA 1-year yellow warranty card. There was a brief flurry when it was discovered that some of us could not register our new cameras with Nikon USA at the site on the card. This was cleared up completely in less than twelve hours when it was discovered that there had been a clerical database error on Nikon's side. If you have a similar problem, just contact Nikon and they will straighten it out quickly.

◆ Other Cameras Considered:

Along with the new P7700, I had seriously considered the Sony DSC-RX100, the Fujifilm X10 and the Canon PowerShot G15. All of these were superb products, but keeping it simple, the Nikon P7700 won me over with its combination of an exceptionally good f/2.0 28-200mm Nikkor zoom lens, its fully articulated 3-inch LCD display, a real dedicated hot shoe and its ability to use filters. The Fuji, Sony and Canon are highly recommended products worth considering from my recent hands-on experiences, but we all have different priorities and requirements, and the bottom line was that the Nikon P7700 met my needs best. Your needs may be different.

◆ A Frank Editorial Admission:

Like many of us, I spent far too much time reading online reviews about the new digital gear that was being released in 2012, making personal notes and trying to remain objective, as my brand loyalty in ownership spreads to not just Nikon but to Fujifilm and Canon. I got caught up in sensor sizes, image processors and such. But at one point I finally stopped, as even the best reviewers and sites do seem to have their repeated subjective favorites. What matters here is that we buy cameras like this to create images, and not to wear around our necks as status badges. What works for you may not work for me, and vice versa. The key to this is to research your camera, then find what will do the best job for you. I found it with this camera, and it works quite well for me.

◆ [Update] 10/20/2012:

An acquaintance who read this review right after it was posted was prompted to immediately buy the P7700 from a local NYC retailer. I heard about it from the individual by phone that same evening when I was informed that my advice was "wrong" and that "the camera doesn't work," though it had worked in the store when the sales rep had tested it after inserting the battery. I asked the individual a few quick questions, and within 60 seconds we found the problem, and it's right there in the supplied Quick Start Guide in Step 4 on page 9, where it states: "When the monitor is closed and with the screen facing inward, the power cannot be turned on even if the power switch is pressed." This refers to the fully-articulated display screen, and when it's closed, it protects the LCD screen from scratches or impact, and when closed for three minutes, it goes to standby, and the power turns off.

Problem solved; another happy owner. Better solution: when you get the camera, RTFM... read the manual for a few minutes.

◆ [Update] 5/23/2013:

Nikon has released two firmware updates for the P7700. Firmware update 1.1 was released on 4/23/2013, and firmware update 1.2 was released on 5/23/2013. I have posted the links and further info in the comments section to this review on this date as links are not permitted within the body of the review.

◆ [Update] 11/14/2013:

Nikon has released a new firmware update 1.3 for the P7700. I have posted the links and further information in the comments section to this review on this date as links are not permitted within the body of the review.

◆ Summary:

As an early purchaser of this camera, I've had time to run through most of the many functions that are available with this new model. There are too many of them to list here in my review, and I don't want to bore the reader with technical details, but there will be ongoing updates here and in the comments as new things are discovered.

The new Nikon COOLPIX P7700 is the finest advanced enthusiast compact digital camera that I've used, though that can be considered highly subjective depending on the needs of the individual. Luckily for us, the quality of the equipment that is available to us in advanced digital compacts continues to improve, as I've noted with the outstanding Sony and Canon offerings noted above. Will admit that I can be picky with what I expect in a DSLR or advanced enthusiast's compact, but this new P7700 surprised me with the results that I've been able to get, and that's what it's all about. If your needs are similar to mine, then consider the P7700 to be an excellent camera. For this user, it's a true 5-star choice, and highly recommended.

10/14/2012; Updated 10/20/2012, 5/23/2013, 11/14/2013.

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HTC Flyer 7 inch 32GB 3G WiFi Android Tablet Network:

Customer Ratings:

I bought the wi-fi version, but I noticed a couple of "cons" in the reviews below and thought that if I responded to them, it might help those users enjoy their Flyers more. Here's a couple of things I learned while using my Flyer...

-THE STYLUS-It's true that you can't use the pen-tip of the stylus to select most icons outside of the special "scribe-compatible" apps...however, the opposite end (the "eraser" side) of the stylus works as a capacitive stylus. That's the same as what you might buy for an ipad or any number of different capacitive screen devices. I wouldn't suggest using it unless you already have a screen protector on the Flyer as it's a metal stylus and could scratch the screen. Now, I don't know whether it's easier just to use your finger than to flip the pen around, but the option is there.

-THE SCREEN-The Flyer has an autodimmer on it which, when placed on the default setting of auto, tends to make the Flyer look washed out. Setting it to the highest level makes it nice and bright, and an easy competitor to other devices out there. I downloaded an power control app (free) that allows you to toggle between three different settings easily from your homescreen.

-THE POWER PLUG-While the Flyer *does* ship with a special plug, the port itself will accept any of the standard microusb cables that work on most new phones these days. At first glance, with that vaguely horseshoe shaped hole, it doesn't look like a standard plug will fit, but it does, and snugly. Just make sure you line it up correctly. I don't know if the full plug that ships with the Flyer charges faster, but I use a regular microusb cable to charge my Flyer every day, and it works wonderfully.

-VIDEO OUT-Ok, I know this wasn't a con that someone listed, but this was almost a dealbreaker for me until I saw a video review on youtube. The Flyer doesn't appear to have video out like most devices do (HDMI, etc), but the power port serves double duty as a video out port. You have to buy an adaptor, but it does work. Not the easiest way to get video out, but it may be worth it for those who could use the feature.

I hope that helps...

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Sony Cybershot DSCT300/B 10.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical

Customer Ratings:

Lets get to the bottom line:

The Good:

This camera takes excellent pictures as a response to CNET and other reviewers who note that the DSC-T300's pictures are soft/noisy/high contrast/ et cetera are reviewing this from a professional photography point of view. Comparing this to an SLR or any other non-subcompact isn't reasonable. Just like we wouldn't compare a Chevy Pickup with a BMW sedan. Photos taken with this camera are intended for "everyday shooting." I will use this for vacations, parties, or tours. I would not use this to photograph my own wedding. For everyday shots, the quality is superb. If you are looking for a professional camera in a subcompact chassis, then this is about as close as you will come.

The optical zoom is fantastic, as is the image stabilization -I do not have a very steady hand. Of the first few test shots that I took with this camera, one was of a license plate from a car parked about 100 meters away. I zoomed in with full optical and digital zoom, and snapped a photo of what looked like a very grainy and pixelated white blob jerking quickly around the screen. To my surprise, when I viewed this shot, the camera had cleaned it up so that not only was there no motion blur, the license number was perfectly visible. I could even see the county name on the bottom! Needless to say, I won't be taking many pictures from this far away, but still it is good to know that the feature is there if I ever need it.

The smile shutter works surprisingly well, and I use it all the time. What not many of the other reviews that I read talked about was the functionality of the smile shutter. When the feature is enabled, the camera is not in normal photo mode. You will have to take it out of Smile Shutter mode if you want to resume taking pictures. Once enabled, the smile shutter constantly looks for faces, and puts an orange box around each one. It will identify up to 9 faces. Once a face is ID'd, it judges how much the person is smiling, and if they are smiling enough, then a picture is taken. It will take pictures of smiles until you take it out of smile mode. In fact at a party of mine, I put the camera on a tripod, set it up for smile mode, and told people to go smile in front of it. By the end of the night, every single person had a smiling portrait in my camera. Excellent feature. The funny thing is, no one believes that the camera actually can determine who is an isn't smiling so when they finally see the red-eye flash go off, 90% of people cant help but smile a real, and perfectly captured, smile of pleasant surprise. When in this mode, this camera only captures happiness.

The Add-A-Smile Feature is completely useless, but because of it, your camera will be a hit. I have tried the add-a-smile feature on 20+ people and more often than not, they end up looking creepy. However, this is hilarious. You will never seriously use this feature, but its a joy to have all the same.

Video is surprisingly good. When in "fine video" mode, I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and broadcast quality. "Fine video" does take lots of memory though 1 hour ~ 4 GB. To fit more video on the card, you can switch to "standard" but unless you are using this ONLY for youtube, don't bother with standard.

Touch Screen Once you learn it, it is a very intuitive interface.

The Bad:

There is a learning curve on the touch screen Most people will be turned off initially by the touch screen. I have found that the learning curve has put people off from borrowing my camera to take pictures. I always have to explain how to use it. Not a huge deal, I bought the camera for me, not for people who want to take pictures of me.

Fingerprints collect on the screen well, its a touch screen, what do you expect?

Bottom Line: This is a great camera for everyday shots. For shots that you do not intend on editing professionally, this is a great camera. For shots that are for viewing pleasure, this is a great camera. If perchance you do want to edit professionally photos taken by this camera, the resolution gives extreme detail.

All in all, I have never considered returning this camera.

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HP 2000-2b10NR 15.6-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $399.99
Sale Price: $362.95
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

I was a little bit nervous purchasing this laptop considering the specs listed on amazon's site are different. The top of the page says the computer has Windows NT operating system and the bottom said Windows 8. I took a chance and ordered the computer and I LOVE it.

Its very fast and picture quality is amazing. I love that it has an HDMI output. My only computer only had VGA. The difference in streaming video on the computer and onto the tv is amazing.

Windows 8 is taking a little while to get used to. I was using Windows 7 previously but I'm starting to get the hang of it.

The laptop is light weight, sleek and the keyboard feels good on your hands. Overall I def recommend this product. I think everyone will love it!

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