Just purchased this from Amazon @ a great price. I use the 5D Mark II and wanted something small, light and fast. I like primes due to their lightweight and the face they are faster and sharper than zooms. Previously I owned the 28mm f/1.8, which I liked a lot, but this one is better. There is so much clarity and details in the pictures, more than I notice with my other lens. It is sharp and 2.8, so you can shoot wide open. It is even sharper @ f/4 and due to the IS, you can shoot some extremely low shutter speeds. This is going to take over as my indoors lens, taking over my Canon 50mm f/1.4's spot. Very glad I decided to go with this one. I also picked this up to go with it it works great and is much less that Canon's. Rinbowimaging Lens Hood for Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens & 28mm F2.8 IS USM lens, replaces Canon lens hood EW-65B
Showing posts with label digital camera phones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital camera phones. Show all posts
X-Rite EODIS3 i1Display Pro
List Price: $269.00
Sale Price: $224.00
Today's Bonus: 17% Off
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program List of relevant hardware:
Apple 15.4-inch MacBook Pro MC723LL/A (hi-res antiglare)
Dell 24-inch UltraSharp U2410
Apple LED Cinema Display 27-Inch MC007LL/A
2007 Apple MacBook
I am a software engineer by trade, a photography enthusiast (Canon DSLR with Aperture) and a home video editor (Canon AVCHD with Final Cut Pro) at nights and weekends. I have been using a borrowed Spyder3Pro (S3P for short), which is a reference for this review.
X-Rite is perhaps the largest name in color matching products. It owns PANTONE and makes some of the most respected products. i1 Display Pro (i1D Pro for short) is its latest offering. The hardware is about the size of a memory card reader and smaller than S3P. Unlike S3P, i1D Pro has only the counterweight, lacking suction cups. The counterweight can be moved along the entire cable run. Counterweight is fine for most computer displays, but unusable when calibrating very large HDTV that some people use as a monitor or for HTPC (you will need to hold i1D Pro with your hand over 2 minute calibration run).
All in all, i1D Pro feels substantial and more high-end than S3P. It has a built-in diffuser to measure ambient light and it is capable of calibrating CRT, LCD (CCFL, variations of LED), and even projectors. It has a flare correction feature to compensate for glossy flat screen displays, such as 27" LED Cinema Display.
iD Pro includes i1Profiler software that runs on both Windows (untested) and Mac (tested on 10.7 Lion). Installation was mostly uneventful (and no reboot required), although it did prompt to me update to 1.1.1 (from 1.1.0) and register and activate the product (it otherwise becomes a 30-day trial demo app). The app resembles Apple's Aperture. Coming from S3P and television calibration experiences, I am pretty familiar with the art of display calibration and profiling. So I found the app to be fairly straightforward. Unlike S3P software, i1Profiler can calibrate luminance level as well.
I used advanced mode to calibrate all 4 displays. First, using the app's white patch measurement feature, I set luminance on my displays to as close to 100 cd/m2 as possible (by tinkering with brightness and/or contrast). 100 cd/m2 is below industry's recommended 120-140 range, but I find 120 to be just too darn bright.
The manual and online help are on the inadequate side, so if you are not familiar with profiling, you may want to visit the support section on X-Rite's website to get additional clarification. On the positive side, aside from selecting backlighting type (CCFL and white LED in my case) and luminance level, default recommended values are all good and should be ideal for all but advanced users with discriminating needs.
2 minutes later, I got ICC profiles with better color saturation, more accurate color, more natural whites, and/or deeper black level than S3P (when looking at before and after for various RAW files). The differences are sometimes subtle, but never worse and generally better. Comparing results to Mac OS X's default ICC profiles is much more dramatic, which tends to be very blue with limited color saturation and contrast level. Mac OS X's calibration mode can yield better results than the default, but still dramatically worse than i1D Pro's profiles.
On multi-monitor setup, dragging i1Profiler app from one display to another will let you calibrate other displays. The app can also measure your monitor for uniformity and color accuracy.
That said, the application did crash few times and UI is a bit unrefined here and there. For instance, all important measure button is often hidden, requiring a scroll down. Help icon next to some controls do not reveal any hints of any kind.
A companion piece is i1Profiler Tray, which can run continuously to remind you to recalibrate and uses i1D Pro to adjust for change in ambient light as needed. I am not a fan of ambience compensation, but it does work much better than Apple's built-in feature.
Also included is PANTONE Color Manager software.
SPECO 4 Camera Digital Video Recorder w/80GB Hard Drive
This was one of Speco's first DVRS with INTERNET PROTOCOL and has been updated since its introduction in 2004. It still is a remarkable unit for the price. As I Custom Install and sell Video Surveillance Security Systems and Equipment, I have installed many of Speco's DVR-X4/IP. They are easy to install and are client user friendly. SPECO's tehnical support is excellent (1-800-645-5516) and their website () is very easy to nevigate.
You can download their complete catalog and technical tips for this product. Speco technologie offers Quality, Reliabilty and Affordabilty. Regards, Eddie. WEBSITE: CONTACT: info@eddiescustomintall.com
You can download their complete catalog and technical tips for this product. Speco technologie offers Quality, Reliabilty and Affordabilty. Regards, Eddie. WEBSITE: CONTACT: info@eddiescustomintall.com
Transcend 32 GB Wi-Fi SDHC Class 10 Memory Card (TS32GWSDHC10)
List Price: $139.99
Sale Price: $69.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
Review and comparison of the new Transcend 16g Wi-Fi Class 10 card vs the Eye-Fi Pro X2 Class 6 Wi-Fi card. This is going to be a top level review and not an exhaustive review of each card's features. Hopefully it will give you some information you haven't read elsewhere so to aid in your purchase decision.
I've had the Eye-Fi for a while so I am a bit more familiar with it but even saying that, the Eye-Fi is a much more mature piece of hardware and software.
What I like the best about the Eye-FI is that it can operate autonomously, uploading photo's to Facebook through your phone without any intervention by the user. The Trancend card, although newer and faster, requires the user to select, download and then share (upload) the pictures to your account. For me, the ability to upload to Facebook is what I'm looking for and I prefer the unattended operation of the Eye-Fi. You may feel differently.
First, let's look at the card's memory speed. Neither card is fast but the Class 10 Transcend is quite a bit faster than the Class 6 Eye-Fi
Using CrystalDiskMark as the benchmark, I recorded the following results.
Transcend 16g Class 10
File size 500mb
Seq Read 20.55mb Seq Write 17.56mb
512K Read20.06mb 512k Write 0.598mb
4K Read 2.397mb 4k Write 0.006mb
4k QD32 Read 2.421mb 4k QD32 Wrt 0.006
Eye-Fi 8g Class 6
File size 500mb
Seq Read 17.22mb Seq Write 13.49mb
512K Read16.40mb 512k Write 1.904mb
4K Read 2.592mb 4k Write 0.017mb
4k QD32 Read 2.749mb 4k QD32 Wrt 0.017
And for comparison.
SanDisk Extreme Pro 16 GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-1
Seq Read 90.21mb Seq Write 81.06mb
512K Read73.33mb 512k Write 8.106mb
4K Read 3.237mb 4k Write 1.484mb
4k QD32 Read 3.062mb 4k QD32 Wrt 1.136
As you can see from the above data the Transcend wins the speed race although neither card is speedy as compared to the Sandisk.
Next is setup. I'm not going to spend a lot of time here and there is a lot of detail which is outlined in each card's user guide. The Eye-Fi is set up by plugging the card into the included card reader and into your computer's USB port. You then log into the card via your browser and Eye'Fi's web page and set up the card for your desired operation. As I said earlier, the Eye-Fi has been around longer and is much more mature so you have a lot more control over what the card does when you ask it to transfer a photo.
After some trial and error with the Transcend, mostly centered around keeping it powered up while I was configuring it, I decided to try setting up the Transcend the same way, while plugged into my computer's card reader. That was the ticket, it allowed me to get everything working without worrying about the card shutting down while in the camera.
Advantage goes to Eye-Fi here, not only for the more mature utilities but also because the Eye-Fi card is recognized by my Nikon D600's firmware and the camera knows too keep power to it when the card needs to connect and transmit. The Transcend requires a lot of power and I discovered that I either had to keep the Nikon D600 in the "Live View" mode to keep the card powered or change the Custom Setting C2, Standby Timer, to some long period of time, like 5 minutes, to give me enough time to configure and transmit.
Operation:
I like to run both cards in the "Internet" mode as opposed to peer to peer. This way I set my phone to be a WiFi hotspot, connected to the internet via my mobile broadband connection. I install the Wifi card in my second SD slot and set that slot for use as overflow so that normally my photos are saved to the first card slot in which I have my fast Sandisk. I then go about my shooting. With the Eye-Fi card my work flow is to look at the pictures I took and "protect" those that I want the Eye-Fi to upload. Then when I'm ready to upload I simply use my camera to copy the protected photos to the second card slot...the Eye-Fi card, at which time the Eye'Fi knows to upload those photo's to my Facebook page and mark them as private so only I can see them. It does all this without intervention on my part. My camera has some really great built in photo editing utilities so I really do not need to post process on my phone or tablet so having the Eye-Fi work autonomously is great for my workflow.
I would do almost the same thing with the Transcend, would copy the photos to the second card, the Transcend. Then I would have to use my phone to select and download those pics to my phone. Once that was complete I could use either the Android Wi-Fi SD app or Facebook, or Flickr, or whatever, to transfer the photo's to my account.
There are many more features to the Eye-Fi card including Geocaching and endless memory so I suggest you go to their website and investigate all it has to offer before you make up your mind as to which card to purchase.
The Transcend card does have some potential and because I only paid $39 for it I plan on keeping it. It will be interesting to see how often Transcend updates the firmware and how many more features they can get into this card and mobile apps. I didn't mention the Transcend's "Shoot and View" option because my D600 has a great display but if your on camera display makes it difficult to see what you just did, the Shoot and View option may be important to you.
For me, the winner is the Eye-Fi hands down and I eagerly await the next generation of this card.
Kodak Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery/KLIC 7001
List Price: $19.95
Sale Price: $9.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
This is an excellent rechargable Lithium-IOn Batery brought to you by Kodak. Yet when purchasing a camera, please check the in-box content. Most-to-all cameras include this battery.Yet as a backup or replacement, this is your battery to use for your Kodak EasyShare
Q-See QT426-5 16 Channel H.264 Smart Recording DVR
List Price: $479.99
Sale Price: $449.99
Today's Bonus: 6% Off
Q-See QT426-603-5 16 Channel Surveillance System with Multiple Recording Options and 16 Weatherproof Cameras
When my manager said "Why can't we use a dvr system like this" I was very skeptical. Usually you get what you pay for. I agreed we should try it out. I can't buy 16 B+W mini 420TVL cameras for less than this system. We both looked over the Q-See website and agreed that compared to other DVR system mfgs Q-See had a intuitive web-site with very well written documentation. We've used PC and Linux based DVRs for several years now. I am very pleased with the way this system works. After testing I submittted this report.
1) No manual was included as specified. It was available for download online so not a big deal.
2) The internet setup was a little goofy and did not work as seamlessly as outlined in the manual. I had to manually setup the port forwarding on my home router which was among the list of supported routers in the free port forwarding program used by Q-See to accomplish that task.
3) I tried to contact support via phone. There were 8 customers ahead of me in the queue so I opted not to hold. I used chat and got a response very quickly.
4) All sales literature says the system comes with 16X 3.6mm(wide angle) 40ft night vision cameras. That is incorrect. The system shiped with four boxes containing 4X cameras and 60' cables and power adapter. Two of the cameras are standard zoom and two of the cameras are wide angle. So, we have 8 standard and 8 wide angle total. I've got an e-mail into the management(hopefully sales) to find out 1) if we can exchange the 8 standard for 8 wide angle and 2) if they configure a package with all wide angles. The standard angle will not be wide enough for our application.
5) The stand alone interface is aesthetically appealing and intuitive. Basic setup/record/playback functions are very straight forward and perform as well as any other DVR system we own.
6) All the cameras that I've tested (8 total) look clear and consistent. The IR will allow us to record even when the lights are off.
7) Internet access and interface is very clean and well optimized. Search and playback was easily accomplished and allowed for up to 16X fast forward and reverse.
I did hear back from Q-See and they will assign an RMA# to exchange the normal zoom cameras. They also said that the 2X 6mm and 2X 3.6mm camera packages had been discontinued and that they were now only shipping with 3.6mm wide angle.
I am very pleased with the response time (chat & e-mail) for support that I've experienced and plan to continue doing business with q-see in the future.
Moultrie M-880 Low Glow Game Camera
List Price: $159.99
Sale Price: $124.86
Today's Bonus: 22% Off
I own several game cameras: Bushnell Trophy 8MP HD, Primos Truth Cam 35, and now a Moultrie M-880. I have been operating the Moultrie for 10 days so far. I've used the Bushnell for about 6 months. I've used the Primos for almost one year. The Moultrie clearly beats the Bushnell in several characteristics. (The Primos does not rank against these two cameras.)
1. In the field, and I know there are lab results that claim differently, but in the field, the Moultrie triggers faster than the Bushnell. This was easily noticeable in the first set of pictures I downloaded. I have had both cameras in the same position monitoring the same section of my driveway (we have a long driveway). The Bushnell often catches the very end of the rear quarter panel as a car is exiting the field of view. The Moultrie catches the front quarter panel as a car enters the field of view. Wow! Then it catches pictures of the entire car as it passes by. I knew that was significant at first glance.
2. The imitation bark housing works surprisingly well. This camera completely dissolves into summer woodlands. Unless someone steps right up to it, they're not going to see it. The Bushnell, in brown, looks like just what it is: a game camera strapped to a tree. You can pick it out from 250 feet.
3. The Moultrie has motion freeze for night pictures. It is an improvement over the Bushnell's night shots, but that's about all can be said. The feature itself is nothing spectacular.
4. The Moultrie costs about $25.00 less.
5. In night photos, the Moultrie reaches further. Moultrie claims 100 feet. I think they're reaching that (see Update below). Bushnell claims 80 feet and I think that is true also.
6. The thumb latches on the Moultrie can be released with gloves on. This is not possible with the Bushnell. However, no other functions on either camera can be operated with gloves on, so this issue may be unimportant. (See Update below)
For the above reasons, the Moultrie I have beats the Bushnell I have.
Cons:
1. The Moultrie uses a double-ring locking hasp which makes it too wide. It requires a lock with a minimum shank length of one inch. This length is predominately available on big, honking padlocks that are overkill for the application, and since they are usually finished with bright zinc, they compromise the very effective bark camouflage. I wish the hasp was smaller. (See Update below)
Other comments:
Daytime picture quality is comparable between the two. No noticeable difference. (Wrong. See Update 9-23-2013 below.)
Given these differences and assuming there are no future reliability problems, my next camera will be definitely be another Moultrie.
UPDATE (9-8-2013):
1. The night distance illumination continues to impress me. I am using the "image freeze" feature for night shots, which is a faster shutter speed and consequently, less light, but my night time photos are well lit as far out as 90 feet (measured). It's probably better than that, but for my camera placements so far, 90 feet is as far as foliage will allow me to see anyway.
2. I really don't like the latches on the Bushnell. I have medium sized fingers, but it's always a struggle to pull the latches on the Bushnell. I have to use my limited fingernails and if the tree is big, which limits the space behind the latches, then it's a real struggle to get my fingers behind the latch.
3. In case anyone is interested, I came up with a solution to the wide double hasp on the Moultrie, which requires a lock with a minimum 1" long shank. I cut the loop end off of a 3/16" steel cable just behind the ferrule. I flattened the ferrule to make sure it could not pass through the hasp on the Moultrie, and I squeezed the cable loop with pliers to make it narrow enough that it will pass through the hasp. I drop the loop through the hasp till it sticks out the bottom (the ferrule stops against the hasp), and then I pass a small padlock through the exposed end of the cable loop and lock it. Done. (See two photos in Customer Images)
The more I use this Moultrie, the more I like it.
UPDATE (9-23-2013):
I swapped the cameras a few days ago. Now the Moultrie is strapped to the same exact location where the Bushnell was and vice versa.
1. The night illumination of the Moultrie is a whole lot better than I even realized. Now I can see that, at 90 feet, the Bushnell has reached its maximum distance and the field of illumination is a flashlight effect, roughly 15 feet wide and falling off rapidly after that. The Moultrie easily reaches 90 feet and floods an area at least 40 feet wide.
2. The daytime pictues of the Bushnell have a lot more image blur. When people pass the Bushnell, their legs are a complete blur, whereas on the Moultrie only their feet are completely blurred.
3. The Moultrie absolutely positively triggers faster. I was jogging past the cameras and the Moultrie caught me when I was about 1/4 of the way into the field of view. The Bushnell did not snap a photo until I was 1/2 way into the field of view. In each case I was passing perpendicular to each camera and the same distance away, give or take 5 feet.
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Acer Aspire E1-571-6837 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Black)
List Price: $579.99
Sale Price: $502.73
Today's Bonus: 13% Off
It's an impressive laptop to say the least. It hasn't been the most popular selling laptop as of yet, but it sure does pack some decent hardware. This laptop will replace my old HP laptop. Acer has been dominating the laptop charts lately, and their E1-571-6837 laptop honestly appeared as another great release. So if you're looking for a low priced Acer Aspire laptop, than keep on reading.
At a mere 15.6 inches, this cheap Acer Aspire laptop packs a 1366 by 768 pixel resolution. Great for watching movies in 720p HD. Windows 8 is the default operating system, and it looks stunning on the Aspire's LED display.
The processing unit contains Intel's third generation Core i5 processor, running at 2.6 GHz with turbo boost abilities of up to 3.20 GHz. 4 GB of DDR3 RAM can also be found inside this laptop.
Graphics will be basic — Intel HD Graphics 4000. Just enough to play basic computer games, such as The Sims 3. Higher end games will run, but quite possibly on a lower setting.
Pros
This Aspire laptop can be described as a great desktop replacement system. It has the right amount of speed and build quality that most desktop computers contain. The Intel Core i5 processor does one heck of a great job in my opinion. It runs Adobe Premiere Elements 11, Quick books Premiere 2013, and so much more — without the hassle of lag.
Battery life isn't anything shocking, but it also isn't bad either. On average, the battery will last 3.25 hours while on the internet. That's somewhere around average for a laptop of its caliber.
The whole laptop was designed a glossy black color. It looks great It's very professional looking.
Price-wise it goes up and down, but as i said before and i say it again Amazon has the best prices
Cons
It's a great deal already, but wish Acer would've added more RAM. Currently, it has 4 GB of RAM, however I prefer to be on the safer side with around 6 GB of RAM. This can be upgraded for less than $20.00 yourself and it's extremely easy to install. It requires removing a few screws and inserting the ram into the empty slot.
i recommend this laptop to all..............
Swann 8-Channel DVR8-2550 and 4 x ADS-180 CMOS SWDVK-825504C
List Price: $449.99
Sale Price: $309.55
Today's Bonus: 31% Off
I picked this set up last year. mounted the cameras on the eves of my house.
The overlap covers part of the road and with in a month picked up pictures of the vehicle
responsible for a neighborhood break in.
I picked up a second dvr and 4 cameras to completely cover the parameter of my house.
You can adjust the frame rate and with motion configuration I can block out my trees moving in the wind.
I set the camera pointing at the front door and gates at highest quality and the ones over looking the kids
play structure to a lower value to save disk space.
I have older kids and these camera seem to eliminate issues with coming home late.
I put one in the garage and can now find when/where my tools walked off to, "teenage son".
Word got out about the camera and the rift/raft now walk down a different street
It's a better world.
The only con: if you loose power the dvr can scramble your video index and/or stop recording.
I've had to unplug the cameras and restart to log in. Then format the hard drive to get it working again.
After the second time I bought a ups battery back up and plug the cameras and dvrs into this. Now
it works even when the power goes out.
I also run the provided application on my laptop at home to view saved fiels and I downloaded the android app so I can check my garage camera to make sure I really did shut the garage door.
Sony SAL18250 Alpha DT 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 High Magnification
Short version: This is a great lens... very well made, effective, versatile, and performs impressively. A great investment for anyone wanting a lens that really can 'do it all'.
Long version: I got this lens as an upgrade from my original Sony 18-55 lens, since I wanted a lens with a little more zoom capability (and some close-up as well) without having to switch back and forth between the 18-55 for wide angle and a bulky telephoto for higher zoom.
I was worried a little bit by reviews of the similar Tamron 18-250 lens because some reviewers claimed it had slower focus times and zoom slip.
Well, with this lens, I've not noticed any difference in focusing speed or had any problem with the zoom slipping; the zoom itself is tight and the autofocus is spot-on (I have mediocre eyesight, so AF is pretty important for me). Colors are vibrant, the view is clear... everything is good with this lens so far. I'm very pleased and not at all remorseful about dropping the cash for it.
Long version: I got this lens as an upgrade from my original Sony 18-55 lens, since I wanted a lens with a little more zoom capability (and some close-up as well) without having to switch back and forth between the 18-55 for wide angle and a bulky telephoto for higher zoom.
I was worried a little bit by reviews of the similar Tamron 18-250 lens because some reviewers claimed it had slower focus times and zoom slip.
Well, with this lens, I've not noticed any difference in focusing speed or had any problem with the zoom slipping; the zoom itself is tight and the autofocus is spot-on (I have mediocre eyesight, so AF is pretty important for me). Colors are vibrant, the view is clear... everything is good with this lens so far. I'm very pleased and not at all remorseful about dropping the cash for it.
Nokia N85 Unlocked Phone with 5 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $169.99
Today's Bonus: 69% Off
This is an updated review; I originally wrote it before this phone was commercially available in the USA. After having tried one out in a store in Singapore, I had decided to keep my N95 8GB and wait for the N97 instead. First, I was unimpressed with the keypad design, as the flat surface gives you very little guidance to help you hit the right keys. Plus, both the N85 nor the N96 are merely incremental upgrades, neither one offering the type of groundbreaking advances that the N95 did two years ago.
Well, being a compulsive gadget geek, I succumbed in a weak moment. As the price started dropping (and it has been dropping fast, and continues to do so!) I latched on. The couple of factors that did it for me was the bright, crisp screen (and it is gorgeous!) and its smaller, more pocket-friendly size compared to the N95. Also, I liked the new features that it offered: Tri-band UMTS ("worldwide" 3G), FM transmitter, a UI upgrade with "transition effects".
I was soon taken in with the N85. Not only does it have a much sleeker and modern-looking design than the N95 (especially the N95-3 now looks klunky by comparison), but there are dozens and dozens of little details that have been tweaked in the user interface, making for an overall more pleasant experience.
One thing that came up for me, as apparently for many others, is the issue of build quality. After having used the N85 for less than two weeks, a lot of dust had gathered underneath the display it turns out it is not sealed properly onto the base. I returned it to Amazon for a replacement initially I actually ordered a N96 because of this issue. It turns out that there were other problems with the N96 (particularly related to its slow performance and low available run-time memory), so I returned that too in favor of my second N85. This time I was luckier, and I can now say that I have never been as happy with any other phone.
My original review follows, including some reasons I had planned to forgo it; I have marked updates as appropriate.
Both the N85 and N96 incorporate nearly every feature of the N95: GPS w/optional voice navigation, 5 MP camera with LED flash (though these newer models use two LEDs for brighter indoor pictures) and built-in geotagging, support for up to 32GB of µSDHC removable memory (currently 16GB are largest available), standard 3.5mm headphone/headset connector which doubles as a TV-out port, comprehensive bluetooth suppport, and last but not least Symbian S60 (by far the most popular smartphone operating system in the world, far ahead of Windows Mobile, Blackberry OS, iPhone, etc with a corresponding wealth of available applications). See my review of the N95 8GB for some more details. Also, both the N95, N85 and N96 are issued in a "standard" version for international markets, and a "NAM" version for enhanced support of North American 3G networks.
The N85 and N96 differ from each other as follows:
UPDATE: I have added the older N95 8GB into the mix for comparison's sake.
* The N85 has a 2.6" OLED screen, whereas the N95 8GB and N96 has a 2.8" standard LCD screen. OLED offers brigher colors, especially in sunlight, and lower power consumption (longer battery life). That's because the pixels themselves illuminate, rather than relying on a backlight to do this.
* Both the N85 and N96 are running S60 release 3 "Feature Pack 2", which means that they support "transition effects" for an overall smoother UI and interactive experience. In particular, the N85 seems overall more "modern" than the older N95. (ADDED 3/19/09)
* In addition to quad-band GSM/2G (850/1900 MHz for North America, 900/1800 MHz for the world outside), the N85 also has a tri-band UMTS radio. The North American version supports the 850/1900 MHz UMTS bands (for e.g. AT&T), plus 2100 MHz for roaming internationally, while the N85 8GB NAM and N96 NAM only supports 850/1900 MHz. (Conversely, the international versions of the N85 and N95/N96 support 900/1900/2100 MHz and simply 900/2100 MHz, respectively). In short, it means that if you take your N85 with you abroad, you should still be able to get faster 3G coverage in most places where available, something which is not true for either the N95 or the N96. (Plus, among the North American models, the N85 is the only one that also will work in Japan, since there is no 2G/GSM network available there, only 3G/UMTS over 2100 MHz).
* The N85 has a built-in FM transmitter, for streaming voice calls and music e.g. to your car stereo. This is particularly useful if your car is not equipped with bluetooth (incl. A2DP) technology.
* The N96 has a built-in TV tuner, supporting DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds). However this feature is not enabled in the North American version, because such broacasts are not available here. AT&T, like other North American carriers, have instead chosen to use MediaFLO for digital video broadcasts.
* The N96 has 16GB of built-in mass storage, in addition to a µSDHC slot. Thus, in theory, it is able to store up to 48GB of data with the addition of a 32GB µSDHC card. The N95 8GB is limited to the same 8GB of memory for its lifetime, while the N85 has a µSDHC slot (I currently use a 16GB card in it).
* The N85's processor contains a 369 MHz ARM11 core, while the N96 has a dual 264 MHz ARM9. It is difficult to say which one performs better, but both use Symbian S60 version 3 feature pack 2, which offers significant improvements in interactive feel over the N95 (which contained a 333 MHz ARM11 core). That said, none of these have the graphics coprocessor that the N95 did, so applications (mainly games) that are optimized for this, will run much faster on the older N95. The N95 also wins hands down in JBenchmark trials.
UPDATE 3/18/09: Now having owned/tried all three, I can say that overall, the N85 is the snappiest one of the bunch. The N96, in contrast, is quite underperforming; it even has problems streaming audio to my Pioneer car stereo over Bluetooth A2DP without hickups every 11-12 seconds. As for interactive use, both the N85 and N96 feel a little bit quicker than the older N95.
* Some people have complained about cheap, plasticky build quality on the N85 (see e.g. HowardForums); in particular, the keypad is seemingly somewhat flimsy and simply glued onto the phone. People who have tried both generally seem to prefer the N96 on this account.
UPDATE 2/8/09: With a few day's use of the N85 under my belt, I'd say it is no worse than the N95. The keys are flat and with less tactile feedback, so it may be a little bit more difficult to text with one hand; however it's no worse than, say, the Motorola RAZR or some Samsung phones.
UPDATE 2/19/09: As described above, mine had a problem with the display peeling off the base, and dust gathering underneth.
UPDATE 3/19/09: My replacement N85 has been stellar.
* The N85 is smaller (mainly due to the smaller screen) and will fit easier into your pocket. UPDATE: Both the N85 and N96 are slimmer than the N95.
* Both the N85 and N96 use the micro-USB standard (a slightly wider and flatter connector than mini-USB as seen on the N95) for data, and both can be charged through this port as well. In addition, the N96 has a separate Nokia charging connector. Now, here is the single reason I will not be replacing my N95 with a N85: This connector is at the top of the phone! To me, this is stupid (and the only reason I subtracted a star from my rating), because it precludes the ability for third party manufacturers of docks and cradles to create one that you simply dock your N85 into for syncing/charging. This is especially important in your car, if you plan on using the GPS navigation feature of this phone (keep in mind that when the GPS reciever is turned on, the batteries are drained pretty fast). With my N95 8GB, i simply got a Brodit/ProClip device holder, along with a corresponding vehicle mount from PanaVise, and voila I have a very nice little GPS device/music player/etc readily available; the N85 is definitely a bit more cumbersome in this regard. UPDATE: Obviously I caved in and got the N85 anyway. now has a cradle for the N85 but as I said, it does require that you manually plug the charging connector into the phone.
* As always, beware of rather dismal repair/warranty service from Nokia USA (c/o PALCO). You buy it, you own it. You should be able to do most repairs yourself, though, with parts from e.g. cnn.cn once available for this device. UPDATE: Various customer accounts both here and on[..] indicate that PALCO have gotten significantly better lately.
All this said, the bottom line is that there is simply no match for these phones when it comes to their sheer capabilities and the amount of features found on them. Sure there are phones out there with more emphasis on ease of use and eye candy (e.g. iPhone), and sure there are ones with their own unique features/gimmicks (e.g. the Google Applications in the new T-Mobile G1) but Nokia S60 smartphones are widely regarded as pure workhorses with the best overall feature sets.
The N85 pushes the limits a little further, and is perhaps the phone with the most capabilities on the market today. But if you are concerned about a solid build, you might want to consider the N95 8GB or N96 instead. Or, wait for the newly announced N86 8MP, where apparently a lot more attention has been paid to build quality.
Sony E-Mount SEL 1855 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens for Alpha NEX
Sunset, thanks for the fast shipment.
I have one feedback to give:
The order status tracking package wasn't updated at real time.
My e-mails are replied with the message: "I can't solve your problem, please call for the number...". For me, e-mail follow-up it's better than phone calls.
But it worked, so i'm very happy with the product.
The lenses are fantastic. The filters works well. The macro lens, are not great, but are not so bad. 100% satisfied.
Thanks again,
(sorry for bad english, i'm learning)
Rama,
Brasil.
I have one feedback to give:
The order status tracking package wasn't updated at real time.
My e-mails are replied with the message: "I can't solve your problem, please call for the number...". For me, e-mail follow-up it's better than phone calls.
But it worked, so i'm very happy with the product.
The lenses are fantastic. The filters works well. The macro lens, are not great, but are not so bad. 100% satisfied.
Thanks again,
(sorry for bad english, i'm learning)
Rama,
Brasil.
DNP DS-SL10 SnapLab Portable Digital Dye-Sub Photo Printer
This has been a perfect solution to being able to provide 4x6 or 5x7 photos on site quickly. I have used it for 2 years at work for proms, graduations etc. selling both photos and key chains. Fast, great color and makes me lots of money. Purchased one for my own studio when I opened it and it continues to impress me. I highly recommend this printer to anyone looking for a fast, dependable printer. The only con is the LCD screen faces up on the top of the printer when stored in its bag. This makes it very vulnerable to being cracked. I protect it with bubble wrap and a towel. So far no problems.
Canon EOS Rebel T3i SLR Digital Camera Kit with Sigma 18-200mm
I hesitated buying but happily I did and was pleased not only with the camera which is AWESOME!) but with all the other lens' and gear that came with it in the kit. I have already entered a photo in a contest. It was delivered when they said and again I was pleased. Yes! I will order from them again and Yes! I will buy more Canon products.
Rokinon 24mm F/1.4 Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Nikon
List Price: $849.00
Sale Price: $629.00
Today's Bonus: 26% Off
I own the Rokinon 85mm, 35mm as well as the Tokina 11-16. This is the 4th lens I've purchased for DSLR Videography projects and I bought it because of the wider angle and extra shallow depth of field/bokeh it can give at 1.4 on my crop sensor 550D.
Pros:
1.Lens is fast and equivalent to a full frame on a crop sensor.
2.Wide F1.4 Great Bokeh. Excellent Low Light Capabilities...Did I mention bokeh..yea bokeh. yum
3.Thick Focus Ring like all Rokinons. For easy follow focus additions
4.Cheaper than any 1.4 Canon with comparible optics. This is a steal. Clients won't know the
difference and they would have to be a camera lens enthuisiast to tell.
Cons:
1.This IS a manual lens but for Videography you can't Auto Focus
anyway which is alright with me. When doing photography I use a magnetic viewfinder
for precision at f1.4
2. F1.4 is Extremely soft tho. In comparison to the Rokinon 85mm at 1.4 which is very sharp, this lens
fails. Its seems a tad bit dreamy but when stopped down to f4-5.6 it gets dead sharp
The comparison between the 85mm at 1.4 is a bit frustrating which is
the only reason I took 1 star away. Clients will not notice softness with mixed video footage.
and bokeh just makes everything look extra professional to them..gotta love that bokeh.
Conclusion:
This is an essential lens for cropped sensor camera buyers on a budget. Lens is a well made and will give you wider shots with great Depth of Field. I recommend this lens and the 85mm rokinon. I would have skipped the 35mm rokinon for this lens. Make sure your lighting doesn't suck because slight over exposure enhances the 1.4 softness. (I shoot everything at 1.4,manual iso because I love bokeh.) Be careful..Did I mention bokeh?..yea bokeh.
Sony NEX5T, NEX-5TL/B 16 MP Compact Interchangeable Lens Digital
List Price: $739.00
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 11% Off
Purchased this camera when it first came out in Sept 9, 2012 with a package deal from Focus Camera (FC) and I love it. The package arrived within the quoted delivery date with a wasabi extra battery component missing. After I reported the missing item to FC, they immediately sent it to over and a few days later, voila, there it is.
All in all, I love this camera and the package deal offered from FC. I took the camera to Bali, Indonesia for vacation and the pictures I took with this little camera are exceptional. The camera is small enough that it is always with me where ever I go. The 64GB SD card that came with the package allows me to shoot all of my vacation pictures and video clips (700+) with plenty of HD storage space left after I came back.
I would definitely recommend this camera package to anyone who is looking for a great digital camera deal .
Polaroid 900mm f/8 Mirror Lens & 2x Teleconverter (= 1800mm)
Consider a few things first. I am an amature using a Canon Rebel, T3. You are not paying a fortune for this and such lens' can cost a fortune. Considering these and more I will say it works well. Focus can be tough at times but super fine tuning will get a decent result. The fixed f stop takes away from darker lighting but nice all in all!! I don't like these multipliers as I have a better one but multiplying will make focusing that much harder. Will produce very nice Pics once you have the shutter speed just right. I like it and would buy again. Great seller!!!!!
