Fits nice in pocket. Takes great pictures. Small controls but easy to get used to. Lots of easy to understand icons for setting up shots for those les techy types. Good battery life.
Showing posts with label digital camera lens comparison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital camera lens comparison. Show all posts
Sony DVPFX980 9-Inch Screen DVD Portable
List Price: $129.99
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 23% Off
I was a little skeptical about ordering this at first because of the other 2 bad reviews, but then I realized the reviews didn't really talk about the product quality, just that they didn't get what they thought they were getting. So, here is what I was hoping I was getting: 1. 9-inch screen 2. 4 hours of battery life 3. A clear screen 4. Good sound quality 5. An easy to use portable DVD player
That's it! It has what I was looking for at an excellent price! I don't think I could have been more pleased. The sound quality is great if you use halfway decent headphones. My son's only cost $20 and it sounds great with them. Just bear in mind that a portable DVD player isn't going to have the sound quality of a large TV. Although, it's still pretty good in my opinion.
Acer Aspire S5-391-6419 13.3-Inch Ultrabook (Black)
List Price: $1,049.99
Sale Price: $659.99
Today's Bonus: 37% Off
After a Month with the laptop I have to say, it impress me the way it boots, from turned off to ready to work it only takes 10 seconds, the SSD shines for this. This is a great laptop if you need a fast portable machine, the battery life is about 2 hours on a normal workload (Browser, Music, video and a Text editor). Just remember this laptop does not have a DVD/CD drive.
The only bad thing i could say about it, is windows 8, some of my work software (Music production/edition) and its interfaces were not windows 8 compatible, but the good thing is that this computer can be downgraded to windows 7, the drivers are available in Acer's site. I did the downgrade and it keeps the same performance as in windows 8.
Sony Alpha SLT-a35 16 MP Digital SLR with Translucent Mirror
List Price: $598.00
Sale Price: $479.54
Today's Bonus: 20% Off
Sony Alpha SLT-A35 16 MP Digital SLR Kit with Translucent Mirror Technology and 18-55mm Lens
I've had the Sony SLT-A35 for a couple of weeks now and after some testing and two in the field photo shoots, I think I'm ready to review it. I'll outline Pros, Cons and Matters of Preference.
Pros:
The photo quality is very good, what you would expect from a 16MP camera.
The colors seem accurate and true to me.
While the menu system is fairly deep, it seems well organized. Key features (Shutter Speed, F-Stop, WB, ISO, Bracketing/Self Timer, Screen Display Toggle, Focus Zoom) all have buttons within easy reach. A programable button can be set for easy access to one of many additional feature sets like HDR, Filter Effects, etc.
If you use Auto Focus, it is extremely fast. Manual focusing is a snap and the 7.5X and 15X focusing zoom helps a great deal for distance details.
While the battery life isn't great, compared to reviews of the A33 and A55, it is improved. I was able to shoot for about 4 hours and still had about 30% of the battery charge remaining. Still, a second battery just in case seems like a must.
The 18-55mm kit lens (SAL1855) seems solid as an all purpose lens.
Cons:
Biggest flaw so far is lack of Camera RAW support from Adobe/Lightroom. The Image Data Converter SR software that comes with the camera is lacking at best. I'm shooting everything in RAW + JPG so that I have something to play with until the RAW files are useable.
There is a strange chromatic effect through the EVF when the camera moves or even when you blink. It's somewhat mild and I've gotten used to seeing it pretty quickly, but it was startling at first.
I haven't captured a quality image with the Panoramic sweep after about 20 attempts. The file size is around 3MB, so it's capturing significantly less data than even a fine JPG at full resolution.
Matters of Preference:
The camera body is very light. People taking the camera on long treks will probably find this to be beneficial as every ounce of weight you can shed matters. Those who like a more substancial feeling in their hands as they shoot may see that differently.
So far this camera is near useless for Infrared Photography. It lets through very little IR light. With a 720nm filter on a bright sunny day, a 4-5 second exposure shows almost no IR light. Adding a ND 8 filter allowed for longer exposure time but very little additional IR light. What you get is a very orange cast image with proper IR sky but foliage retains it's greens. With a 950nm filter, finally IR light came through but on the same bright, sunny day, an exposure of 1 minute or more was necessary. It's very difficult to get quality IR shots over that long a shutter. If you don't shoot in IR, this is a non issue, obviously.
Conclusion:
I'm very satisified with the camera. Although it's IR capabilities are non existent so I have to carry my old setup out on shoots I may want to do IR work on, the image quality and basic functionality of this camera are spot on. The annoyances will either be sorted out soon (Adobe RAW support) or are in the extra features that are non-essential.
RCA CC4352 Full-Size VHS Camcorder
This is the 2nd full size I have bought for the office. We use for courtroom recording. You can attach to VCR and get 8hr recording. Attorneys can get instant review of proceedings for price of tape. Also is small enough to travel with. Excellent product for price.
Pogoplug Multimedia Sharing Device
I work out of town a lot and want to be able to transfer large files back and forth to a remote site. Also I collaborate with other professionals and need to share large files with them. Pogoplug is my solution. It works great. I have 2TB drives connected to it and, rather than trying to e-mail large files, I just upload to my pogoplug and share them with whoever I want. Also, whenever I have questions, the Pogoplug customer service is quick to respond and very helpful. I have been very pleased.
Eric
Eric
Sony Alpha A330L 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Super
I've been using this camera for several weeks now and I am very impressed. Here are the pros, in my opinion:
(1) The camera is very light and balanced when using the 18-55 lens. My wife was very surprised at the weight, or lack of it.
(2) Minolta Maxxum autofocus lenses work flawlessly with this camera! I have two old telephotos (20 years old) that produce incredible pictures with the new Sony. My old zoom flash works too, although I have to adjust exposure manually. Although the newer Sony lenses are much lighter, quality older lenses can be purchased on auction sites for a fraction of the cost of new lenses. Just remember: they will be much heavier than today's modern opticals.
(3) The A330 functions well as an automatic point and shoot camera, but also allows the flexibility to set everything manually if desired. I especially appreciate the ease of setting white balance for those flashless shots in changing lighting conditions. Depth of field was easy to adjust using Aperture priority.
(4) Picture quality is outstanding. Viewing the high definition output on my Sony Bravia through the HDMI output is an incredible way to preview photos. My TV remote even advances the photos in my camera as I watch!
(5) It will take both an SD memory card and a Memory Stick Pro Duo card AT THE SAME TIME. When one is full, the flip of a switch changes to the other card. Memory is mostly limited by the size of your wallet.
(6) The 3200 iso setting does well in low light situations, although there is some grain.
Here are a few cons:
(1) Some functions are buried in menus. This seems to be par for the course these days for all camera manufacturers.
(2) In moving up from an 8 mega-pixel camera, this 10.2 creates substantially larger files. It is important to take into consideration what the photos will be used for, and then set the resolution accordingly.
(3) The pop up flash knocks my hat off!
I did a lot of research before purchasing this camera. The primary selling point was the ability to use my old Minolta lenses, and the tilting rear screen. This camera reminds me of my old 35mm. It feels like I am really taking pictures again, instead of merely capturing digital images. Those wanting or needed more features should look at the higher end Sonys. However, for beginner or intermediate photographers, this should fit the bill just fine!
(1) The camera is very light and balanced when using the 18-55 lens. My wife was very surprised at the weight, or lack of it.
(2) Minolta Maxxum autofocus lenses work flawlessly with this camera! I have two old telephotos (20 years old) that produce incredible pictures with the new Sony. My old zoom flash works too, although I have to adjust exposure manually. Although the newer Sony lenses are much lighter, quality older lenses can be purchased on auction sites for a fraction of the cost of new lenses. Just remember: they will be much heavier than today's modern opticals.
(3) The A330 functions well as an automatic point and shoot camera, but also allows the flexibility to set everything manually if desired. I especially appreciate the ease of setting white balance for those flashless shots in changing lighting conditions. Depth of field was easy to adjust using Aperture priority.
(4) Picture quality is outstanding. Viewing the high definition output on my Sony Bravia through the HDMI output is an incredible way to preview photos. My TV remote even advances the photos in my camera as I watch!
(5) It will take both an SD memory card and a Memory Stick Pro Duo card AT THE SAME TIME. When one is full, the flip of a switch changes to the other card. Memory is mostly limited by the size of your wallet.
(6) The 3200 iso setting does well in low light situations, although there is some grain.
Here are a few cons:
(1) Some functions are buried in menus. This seems to be par for the course these days for all camera manufacturers.
(2) In moving up from an 8 mega-pixel camera, this 10.2 creates substantially larger files. It is important to take into consideration what the photos will be used for, and then set the resolution accordingly.
(3) The pop up flash knocks my hat off!
I did a lot of research before purchasing this camera. The primary selling point was the ability to use my old Minolta lenses, and the tilting rear screen. This camera reminds me of my old 35mm. It feels like I am really taking pictures again, instead of merely capturing digital images. Those wanting or needed more features should look at the higher end Sonys. However, for beginner or intermediate photographers, this should fit the bill just fine!
Sony Alpha SLT-A57K 16.1 MP Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor DSLR
Great purchase of our Sony Alpha SLT A57K...! The package arrived promptly, and with all features included in the bundle, well packaged and with instructions easy to understand. What a great buy! This camera gift I gave to my husband Juan as our 35th years wedding anniversary. He is thoroughly enjoying it. Thanks to Amazon and Beach Camera for this excellent product. The Lens included with the Sony A57K is of good quality, and he will give a good use to it on our next trip out of state.
I will always recommend anyone to do an , and be extremely glad you did it. Absolutely a Five Star recommendation!!
I will always recommend anyone to do an , and be extremely glad you did it. Absolutely a Five Star recommendation!!
Sony DEV-3 Digital Recording Binoculars, Black
I got the DEV-3 from a different site, but do most of my electronics research from reading amazon opinions. Although it comes with proprietary software, you can view the video shot in Windows Media and the photos are in jpeg format both of which are a big deal to me. I bought the binos for surveillance and I can read a license plate from about 100 yards away, even at dusk. Although the product states you can see in low light, it definitely is not night vision. The video eats up memory like crazy. A 12 minute video shot in 3D is about 2.3 GB. The nice thing about this product is, when you are shooting continuous video it breaks it into 2 GB segments so you don't have to worry about a file that is too large when you want to burn it to a DVD. The auto adjust and stabilizers are a great feature on this. I took snap shot of a person about 75 yards way riding on a golf cart (going about 6 mph) and it was such high quality, you would be able to identify him from the photo. There was no blurriness and the facial shot came out great.
Unlike the DEV-5, the DEV-3 does not come with a lens cover or eye cups, which is silly (Sony trying to justify the extra $600). The lens is a large surface area and without a lens cover I worry about scratching it. When you are looking into the eye pieces, you can see the reflection of your eyes without the eye cups. The product is shipped with a cheap eye piece cover. At the end of usage, the eye pieces have to be adjusted or the cover doesn't slide properly over the eye pieces. As of today (12/4/11) Sony does not sell these lens cover or the eye cups (they told me to call back in 1 month and see). The DEV-3 also does not come with a carrying case. If you plan to abuse it like i do, i recommend the Pelican 1500 carrying case due to the depth and durability. It's a little more expensive but offers a piece of mind for an expensive electronics device
The nice thing is that it accepts a sony hd pro-duo flash card and a sdhc card (half the price). I tested both of them and i can't tell a quality difference. I also can't tell a transfer rate difference when you burn it to your hard drive. I am sure there are technical geeks out there to dispute this but i am just writing my observations. So save your money and go to the sdhc (about 1/2 the price). Also unlike on a camera there is no zoom toggle switch on the binos to zoom in on a particular picture you just shot. (maybe there is and i have not found it)
I wish they would sell the binos in a local store so i can see if the 20X zoom is worth the extra $600. The 10X zoom is nice, but leaves you wanting a little more, however I would buy these again as i think they are worth the money.
Unlike the DEV-5, the DEV-3 does not come with a lens cover or eye cups, which is silly (Sony trying to justify the extra $600). The lens is a large surface area and without a lens cover I worry about scratching it. When you are looking into the eye pieces, you can see the reflection of your eyes without the eye cups. The product is shipped with a cheap eye piece cover. At the end of usage, the eye pieces have to be adjusted or the cover doesn't slide properly over the eye pieces. As of today (12/4/11) Sony does not sell these lens cover or the eye cups (they told me to call back in 1 month and see). The DEV-3 also does not come with a carrying case. If you plan to abuse it like i do, i recommend the Pelican 1500 carrying case due to the depth and durability. It's a little more expensive but offers a piece of mind for an expensive electronics device
The nice thing is that it accepts a sony hd pro-duo flash card and a sdhc card (half the price). I tested both of them and i can't tell a quality difference. I also can't tell a transfer rate difference when you burn it to your hard drive. I am sure there are technical geeks out there to dispute this but i am just writing my observations. So save your money and go to the sdhc (about 1/2 the price). Also unlike on a camera there is no zoom toggle switch on the binos to zoom in on a particular picture you just shot. (maybe there is and i have not found it)
I wish they would sell the binos in a local store so i can see if the 20X zoom is worth the extra $600. The 10X zoom is nice, but leaves you wanting a little more, however I would buy these again as i think they are worth the money.
CowboyStudio RL02F+R Camcorder Steady Shoulder Rig and Follow
List Price: $294.00
Sale Price: $285.67
Today's Bonus: 3% Off
I had to have this item. I just looks easy to use and comfy. I hate the ones with the plastic shoulder support or metal plate on your shoulder. There is no support. This one has a comfy cushion and fit nicely on my shoulder. I can also adjust the bar so If I need to be closer I can do,so. It also has really good grip handles for comfort for long shoots. I have really sweaty palms so I do not have to worry about the rig slipping out of my fingers. Also the gear belt is great for having to adjust the lens, it is so easy with the follow focus. It is just a really good quality product.
Canon PowerShot S110 12 MP Camera (Black) + 50-Inch Tripod
List Price: $419.00
Sale Price: $356.95
Today's Bonus: 15% Off
My Canon PowerShot S110 Digital Camera is great. I have used my new camera for a couple of weeks now and it is awesome, although I have a lot to learn about the many, many functions that it possesses. The touch screen is my favorite feature so far, but I look forward to learning more about this compact camera and all that it can do. The size is a big plus since it fits in my pocket and is so easy to use. It does take excellent low-light photos as well. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to take superb photos with a compact camera for a reasonable price. This is my fourth Canon digital camera and I have loved all of them. (My other three work perfectly--I gave them to my kids so that I could get my PowerShot S110.)
Swarovski Spotting Scope HD-ATS 80 High Definition Glass
List Price: $2,543.33
Sale Price: $2,299.00
Today's Bonus: 10% Off
For nearly 30 years, I used a Swift 15-60x scope (my first scope), primarily, but not solely, for birding. There was a even some astronomy thrown in for good measure. It was a good scope at the time, and more than adequate but, in the past few years and particularly when I had a chance to use it side-by-side with the 'top end' scopes, it paled in comparison. Therefore, I have some experience with Swarovski, Nikon, and other excellent spotting scopes, having had the chance to use them at the same time.
My Swift scope dropped off of what I found out to be a faulty tripod bracket last February, and broke, so it made it easier to justify looking for a new scope.
I researched scopes for many weeks prior to purchasing this one and had a chance to try out several. In the end, it was obvious (at least to me) that the scope that so many top birders used was the best choice for me, and for good reason. This is not a small amount of money to part with on a whim so the research was fully warranted.
This is a beautifully made instrument. It's tight and well finished with excellent attention to detail. The optics are just about as good as they come and it's ergonomics are excellent...that is, it's very easy to use. Everything is in what feels to be the right place to make use in the field a pleasure. The image is bright and crisp, and the field is wide, even when zoomed in at 60x. And using it with glasses is absolutely fine. There is really no loss of field due to excellent eye relief with the 20-60x zoom lens. This spotting scope is top-of-the-line in all ways. An excellent instrument to make an enjoyable pastime even better.
I was able to find the discontinued case for it at an excellent price. I feel this is a very needed item when you're out on a beach, or in damp or unsteady conditions. It will protect the scope well but, at the same time, allow for full operation.
Was it worth the money? In my opinion the answer is 'absolutely'! This scope has a great warranty and should last for decades. I am very happy with this decision.
Nokia Lumia 920 Unlocked GSM Phone - Black
List Price: $999.99
Sale Price: $320.00
Today's Bonus: 68% Off
Windows 8 apps are a welcome change from iOS. Among the three ecosystems, I prefer Android, Windows 8, and iOS in that order. Blackberry, what ?! For ease of use, Windows phone is really easy to use. For someone interested in a first smartphone, Lumia 920 is an excellent choice. I got access to few Windows 8 phones to review. I will try to review them, but since I have not used for a period longer than a month I am not reviewing for reliability. User interface in Windows 8 is very pleasing and this is one of best phones with awesome user experience. If you prefer great user experience over infinite hackability, aka Android, then Windows 8 phones are great choice.
The Lumia 920 has a stunning 4.5" IPS LCD, 1280x768 resolution, 332 ppi display. This phone has up to 32 GB storage and 1 GB RAM. 8.7 MP camera and a 1080p HD Video. 1.5 GHz dual core processor. I have extensively used in the past HTC Titan I and II which is pre Windows 8 (7.5) and I was surprised it has become more buttery smooth now. This phone has Gorilla Glass 2. Glass 3 is in the making and supposed to be even better. Stating following because this is highly underrated in reviews. From Corning's Gorilla Glass specs; WHAT MAKES GORILLA GLASS SO DAMAGE RESISTANT? The unique composition of Gorilla Glass allows for a deep layer of high compressive stress (created through an ion-exchange process). This compression acts as a sort of "armor," making the glass exceptionally tough and damage resistant. Ion exchange is a chemical strengthening process where large ions are "stuffed" into the glass surface, creating a state of compression. Gorilla Glass is specially designed to maximize this behavior.
Lumia 920 does not support microSD expansion. I always feel this is a bummer. But with 32GB it is plenty with current app ecosystem. These phones seem to be copying iPhone philosophy. Battery 2000 mAh Lithium polymer battery (Compared to a high end Android Galaxy Note II, which has a battery of 3100 mAh Battery.) Unlike the Nokia Lumia 820, the Lumia 920 doesn't have a removable battery cover, which means you can't access or replace your battery. __Not having a storage expansion slot is a bummer for lot of people! Not being able to remove battery is a double bummer.__ For me, storage expansion and removal of battery is very important, so I was disappointed. This is the downside the unibody design. Wireless charging is a big plus, though!
Phone quality was excellent and speakerphone was awesome. Nice to see built in active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic. Nice to see Lumia 920 has Bluetooth 4.0. Bluetooth low energy (BLE), known as WiBree, is a subset of Bluetooth v4.0 with an entirely new protocol stack. As an alternative to the Bluetooth standard protocols that were introduced in Bluetooth v1.0 to v3.0, it is aimed at very low power applications running off a coin cell. I was able to get excellent reception with Bluetooth headset, Jaybird Sportsband Stereo Bluetooth Headphone Bulk Packaging Midnight Black and JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Headphones Midnight Black All the usual smartphone stuff, facebook, twitter, music, emails etc are all excellent. It is only the third party apps that are lacking in some arenas. If you are Microsoft heavy like Office suites, Lumia phone are awesome!
Apps are limited in Windows 8 marketplace. Yes, we have heard this a gazillion times. Lumia has GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support. I tried with Garmin Navigon app which turned out to be great in giving voice directions. App ecosystem is a chicken and egg situation. Unless more phones are sold, developers don't have incentives to write apps. Apps are less now, because people are not buying in big droves. Windows Phone is now (early-mid 2013) the third-leading mobile phone platform, more than tripling its market share year-over-year. One recent report I read Android and iOS are ahead in games with 162.1 and 37.4 million shipments in 1Q13 and Windows phone came in 7 million. This is more than double from previous year. I really hope for Windows 8 platform to surge ahead because having a 3 way competition with iOS and Android is good for the ecosystem.
ONE LINE SUMMARY: The Nokia Lumia 920 is certainly the best Windows Phone 8 smartphone on the market right now.
Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18MP - Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS II - Canon EF
I love this camera so much! I never knew how much fun it would be to take pictures! I am an actress and I wanted to have something to capture every moment! This is wonderful! I can practice my monologues, record scenes, and do so much with it! I can't believe what a steal this product is! I didn't like the camera bag, but I will get a new one soon. I wish it just came with a small case for protecting the camera when out, instead of a bag. Love it though!!!!
Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4
List Price: $1,049.99
Sale Price: $649.00
Today's Bonus: 38% Off
Buy this camera has been my best investment, it comes with everything that has, by the way .... I have taken the photos are beautiful, amazing, just .... I love amazon
JVC Everio GZ-X900 AVCHD HD Flash Camcorder w/5x Optical Zoom
This is without a doubt the best camera / video camera combination on the market. The video is absolutely outstanding and surpasses my prior camera the sanyo Xacti HD 1000 by far and I thought that camera was outstanding. The photos are also brilliant with great color saturation and reproduction. It turns on almost instantly and the 5mp stills that can be taken while shooting video are also great quality. The camera has only 2 drawbacks, a limited optical zoom and only fair low light performance. The high quality of the images does much to surpass the limited optical zoom as the digital zoom can be used toover 10x with still wonderful quality. Compared to my panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5, a highly rated point and shoot the low light performance is similar. Bright indoor lights are no problem, but dim lighting results in a grainy image. The use of a tripod or monopod has helped low light performance significantly. Recently shooting images at dawn with a 32x zoom on video the simultaneously recorded stills were grainy but I captured images I never thought I could. When the lighting is better WOW! The images taken on a recent back countrytrip could be published, and the video is DVD quality. The image stabilization is excellent as well with good lighting. The high speed pictures and video are good but also require adequate lights. Lastly, it fits in my front jeans pockets without too much of a bulge. In summary,it is as good as a high quality point and shoot camera,and better than nearly any other video camera on the market wrapped in a small easy to use, instant on package that can always be with you. Low light conditions require a tripod or monopod and the zoom is limited as well but these factors affect less than 10% of my needs.
Panasonic 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5 OIS Four Thirds Lens for Panasonic
List Price: $1,199.95
Sale Price: $949.99
Today's Bonus: 21% Off
Probably the best thing about this lens is that it is almost up to par with Olympus. At best, it is sharp, with beautiful bokeh, etc, etc. Typical quality we expect from Leica-like optics (this isn't really a leica lens, but as close as you can get from Panaasonic's factories.) The bad thing is that it is not nearly as well built as Olympus. No moisture protection, so with an E-3 not a great fit. Also, it suffered from the all-too-typical "Zoom Lock" problem. A screw gets loose and it won't zoom past 25mm or so. It was a fairly easy fix, but not for everyone. A little irritating for a lens costing this much. If you suffer from this problem, please search out on the internet for the repair instructions. The fix is available for the brave ones out there. That having been said, I do like this lens. Just not as much as my spectacular 12-60mm or 11-22, which are almost bullet-proof.