Epson WorkForce WF-2540 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $129.99
Sale Price: $89.00
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This unit was tested on a Windows 7 Home Premium desktop workstation.

SHORT REVIEW OF NON-SCANNING FEATURES:

Yes, this does have a small footprint, but note the extra 6 inches of height and 3 inches of depth needed when trays are extended for printing. Setup was easy, though if you know what you're doing, I recommend connecting the printer to your wireless network BEFORE you install the software on CD to your PC you can then just say "printer is already on network" when prompted during installation. I tested ALL advertised features (including AirPrint and send and receiving FAX) and was able to get them all working to varying degrees. Per page printing costs are fairly standard for an inkjet (7-10 cents per page black and white; 20-25 cents for color including nicer photo paper). Speed is "quick" and not "super fast." Big batch jobs will still require a laser printer. To keep the size of this review reasonable, I'll leave it to other reviews to supply more specifics other than scanning features.

SCANNING FEATURES:

Note that there is a less expensive version of this printer, the Epson WorkForce WF-2530 which is virtually identical to the WF-2540 being reviewed here. The one major difference in the scanning features, discussed below, is that the cheaper WF-2530 does not have an external USB interface. This means that the WF-2530 must be attached to a computer by wifi or USB cable in order to scan. Otherwise, other than the extra interface option for an ethernet connection and a slightly different control display on the WF-2540 being reviewed here, it appears to be identical in size, speed, and function.

That being said, one of the best features of this all-in-One (WF-2540) is that it does have that external USB port. This actually allows the unit to be a stand-alone, non-attached, non-networked scanning station. If your workstation breaks, your network goes down, or you run out of ink, you can still scan documents to a USB drive and take them elsewhere to print, email, or whatever. As well, you can use as a stand-alone photocopier.

The second best feature for scanning is the automatic document feeder (ADF). It can hold only 30 pages, and was a little finicky when I used thicker source paper to scan. Still, ADF's are a great feature for an inexpensive all-in-one unit like this. Note that if you scan directly from the control panel of the unit, your only choices are 200, 300, and 600 dpi resolution, and either PDF or jpeg formats only. The PDF is NOT searchable with no default of optical character recognition (OCR). The included ABBYY software cannot convert non-searchable PDFs to searchable (OCRed) PDFs. If you save scans as jpeg images the included ABBYY software CAN load and convert jpegs to searchable PDFs.

Using the workstation as a stand-alone scanner, I was able to create and store to attached USB drive a 5 page pdf document scanned at 200 dpi in color mode in 160 seconds (32 seconds/page). The same test document scanned at 600 dpi in color mode took 260 seconds (52 seconds/page). Rule of thumb would be 30-60 seconds per page depending on resolution.

Using the included EPSON Scan software, which runs on your computer, you can choose from a larger number of options than the limited ones from the control panel of the printer. E.g., you can set resolution from 60-9200 dpi, choose color smoothing, set to scan in gray scale, etc..

Scanning speed with a wireless connection varied greatly depending upon how far the WF-2540 is from your wifi router wifi connection speed and strength is critical. Using the same 5 page document and the EPSON Scan software with the WF-2540 in wireless mode, I needed 20 minutes to produce a document when the unit was 50 feet away from my wifi router. Moving the WF-2540 to about 20 feet away, the same job took about 8 minutes. Connected with a USB cable to my PC, the same job took about 6 minutes. It was STILL much slower than the direct scan to attached USB device.

Rule: scanning and creating documents via wifi WILL be slower, and with a weaker wifi connection can be unusably slow. Consider how far your WF-2540 will be from your wifi router.

I give this 5 stars for being an excellent small office solution with a lot of built in flexibility (especially the USB scan and store capability). Connect by ethernet, wifi network, USB cable, or use as a stand-alone scan, copy or fax unit and you're ready to go.

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Canon PowerShot SX280 HS Digital Camera (Red) with 32GB Card

Customer Ratings:

I ordered this because we have the canon rebelX and it is to big and bulky but we had purchased a great zoom lens. We were headed to Alaska on an 8 day cruise and I dreaded the thought of carrying that camera everywhere. I ordered this and it showed up one day before we left!!

This little baby got me close for some great pictures. In fact the zoom was the same as the one for the canon we had purchased. It was small enough I could carry it everywhere. The color and resolution is amazing. These pictures are better then the big canon.

This package wow! The Tripod I figured it would be a small tripod you know like the little rubber ones, oh no it was a very nice tall one. I used it on our balcony for pictures when we went thru the Fjord. Everything was better then I had hoped.

The one drawback is when you use the video recorder it will drain your battery very fast. This package has an extra which was a big help and the charger was very fast at recharging. I did not do any video after the I saw how fast it drained it, I had so many more pictures to take to be without.

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Yamaha R-S300BL Stereo Receiver (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $329.95
Sale Price: $279.95
Today's Bonus: 15% Off

If you love classical music CD's this is for you. Power, clarity, timbre and atmosphere; puts my old Marantz to shame. Makes my 30 year old Technics speakers sound like a state of the art system. There's also receptacles for a second set of speakers in another room. Unless you have a really huge house I don't see why you'd need an s-r700.

W/respect to FM reception; if the signal is a bit weak, it'll go on mute rather than play static interference. I may have to hook up an outdoor FM antenna.

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Sony 50mm f/1.4 Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera

Customer Ratings:

I bought this lens because I needed a "portrait" lens for my K/M 7D when my Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 EX "Pro" lens took a dump on me. The lens hasn't been dropped or anything like that (that I'm aware of) but it suddenly is always out of focus and won't focus at infinity at all ... but that's a problem for the Sigma people, so I digress.

In need of a good "portrait" length lens for my 7D I opted for this Sony 50 f/1.4. I'd had a Maxxum 50 f/1.4 years ago but had gotten rid of it shortly after getting a zoom lens. Big mistake. In any case, because my Sigma lens mentioned above was in need of repair and I had a portrait shoot coming up, I got this lens and I must say it's been a worthwhile investment.

Wide open the lens is tack sharp at point-of-focus. Stopped down between f/2.8 and f/4, doing head and shoulder shots of an average-sized adult the lens provides fantastic portraits ... nice contrast, beautiful color and of course very sharp with beautifully de-focused backgrounds.

I shoot a lot of film with Medium format Mamiyas (RZ67 and 7II) and have very high expectations for image quality. With the purchase of this 50 f/1.4 I realized I've been compromising image quality on my 35mm cameras (film and digital) by using "off brand" lenses like Tokina and Sigma. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Tokina and Sigma make flat-out junk. Just that I didn't realize that the image quality could be better in my 35mm cameras.

Up to now I'd thought that the sensor in the K/M 7D was just mediocre. And, I'm sure that some would say it still is. But, I'm here to tell you that this 50 f/1.4 proved to me that the problems I've thought were all in the body were in actuality all in the lenses.

I'm in the process of replacing all my off-brand "Pro" lenses with Sony/Minolta and Sony/Zeiss lenses. Today (14Nov07) I purchased a Sony 16mm f/2.8 lens (SAL-16F28) to replace my 17mm Tokina lens. The Tokina lens just doesn't cut it when it comes to image sharpness and resolution. I'm hoping this 16mm will perform on-par with my 50 f/1.4. If it does then the next step is a Sony/Zeiss 85 f/1.4 and eventually a Sony/Minolta 80-200 f/2.8 (to replace my Tokina 80-200 f/2.8 ATX PRO).

I know some people aren't as critical as I may be about image sharpness, resolution and contrast. And for those people I say ... to each his own. But, my experience and expectations are very high and I feel there is no reason to compromise. Spend the extra money and buy the best glass you can ... because it does make a difference.

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SanDisk® microSDHCTM 8GB Memory Card

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $7.59
Today's Bonus: 92% Off

I tested the possibility of using my BlackBerry 8310 Curve as my primary mp3 player with an inexpensive Kingston 2GB microSD card. I ran into several issues in the process, but learned how to overcome them.

The Curve limits the file size transfers when they are sent to the phone's storage. This protects the phone from running out of memory. The trick is ensuring you are transferring files to the card instead. If you map drives on your computer, the first available drive is automatically used for the Curve's memory card. At home this is my F drive while at work it is K. If any other device is mapped to that drive, the Curve's memory card will not be recognized.

Additionally, there are settings that may need to be changed to allow music file transfers. Go to "Settings", then "Options" to click on "Media Card." Set "Mass Storage Mode Support" to ON. Also set the "Auto Enable Mass Storage Mode When Connected" to YES or PROMPT.

Initially to save music, I needed to remove the card from my Curve and transfer files directly from my computer. This is where the adapter, which converts the microSD card to full-sized SD card, comes in handy. After removing the Curve's battery, I simply popped the microSD card into the adapter and used my computer's SD drive. Do not format the card in the Curve, as it will only recognize half the storage space. If you must format, do so on your computer instead. Now that I have everything set up properly, this card does the job without worries.

PROS:

Good price

Reliable card

CONS:

None

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Sony DCR-HC1000 3-CCD MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/12x

Customer Ratings:

I bought this camcorder last December (2004) and it is absolutely the best picture I have seen out of a Mini DV camcorder. I originally bought the Panasonic 3CCD and returned it due to no ability to adjust shutter speed below 60 for low light conditions. This goes down to 4 fps which you better have it on a tripod or serious ghosting will appear. The perfect setting I have found for low light, for instance inside your home is 30 frames per second. This camera will also take MPEG4 movies to the memory stick for emailing. Overall, I must say this is the best camera on the market currently for the price. Buy one and you will not be sorry!!! Have fun shooting!

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Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch

Customer Ratings:

I've had the T1i for about almost week now and after some extensive use, here are my thoughts:

1. 15.1 megapixel sensor. Yes, the high megapixel count is impressive, but keep in mind that, as you approach higher resolutions, you need to ensure the lens on the SLR can resolve that much detail. Sadly, the included 18-55mm IS lens is functional, but the high resolution really shows the so-so quality of the lens. Even if taken at the proper focus, pictures can appear soft with this kit lens. Shots I have taken with Canon EF-S 17-85mm and EF 70-200mm L lenses are crisp. I don't have any gripes on image quality. There are some issues with noise on the higher ISOs that don't seem to show up on the Nikon digitals, but overall, the quality is amazing for the price. Skin tones, textures, colors are reproduced very accurately.

2. Digic 4. The Digic 4 processor appears to process/save the 15 megapixel images in the same time (if not faster) than the Digic III processor on the XSi (even in RAW+Jpg mode). I have also noticed that at higher ISOs, the sensor and the Digic 4 produce images with less overall noise compared with its predecessors.

3. LCD. The 920,000 pixel LCD screen is large (3"), crisp, vibrant and fully visible even in bright sunlight. In comparison, the Canon XSi SLR (which the T1i replaces), also has a 3" LCD, but with 230,000 pixels. The viewing angle is great as well and the LCD can easily be seen nearly 180 degrees around.

4. ISO 12800. Canon and Amazon are correctly identifying that the T1i maxes out at ISO 3200. Some less reputable dealers are listing an ISO 12800, which you should disregard. The ISO 6400 and 12800 settings are expanded ISO settings. The pictures taken on these two settings are ISO 3200 images pushed to ISO 6400 or 12800 by the Digic 4 chip before saving to the memory card. These pictures are extremely grainy and contain a lot of noise to the point of only being usable as for snapshots or adding an artistic effect to certain compositions.

5. Penta-mirror. That Canon is still using one in the T1i is disappointing. The penta-mirror viewfinder image is functional, but still noticeably darker than that of the penta-prism viewfinder in the Nikon D90 (which is the T1i's main competitor). I really would have preferred if Canon had kept the XSi's 12.2 megapixel sensor, forgone 1080p video altogether, and maybe upped the cost of the camera slightly to cover the production cost of using a penta-prism in the T1i. Honestly, unless you are massively cropping your images, or creating large photos, the difference between 12.2 and 15.1 megapixels really is negligible.

6. Size. This is the same body as the XSi, and therefore a bit on the smaller side compared to other digital SLRs. I have small hands, so the T1i is comfortable for me. If you have big hands, I can see this being a very difficult camera to use over an extended period of time. If you haven't handled a Canon XT, XTi or XSi, I would suggest you go to a store and hold the T1i yourself before purchasing it online. (I will upload a picture of the T1i in my hands to the user gallery for a size reference.)

7. HD Video. Yes, the Canon marketing department made a horrible marketing decision and pushed the T1i onto shelves limiting the 1080p recording to 20fps (frames per second). Recognize this as a marketing gimmick that allows them put a 1080p sticker on the camera box. The 1080p @ 20fps is fine most times, but seems a choppy if you have a lot of action in the frame or are panning quickly. The T1i's 720p video is recorded at 30fps and is clean, smooth, and sufficient for all but the most discerning consumers. One major criticism though is that the sound is recorded in mono, AND there is NO input for an external microphone.

A lot of pre-production reviews of the T1i criticize its inability to automatically autofocus while recording. I wouldn't put much weight in this criticism, mostly because neither of the other two SLR cameras with HD recording capabilities (Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D90) can automatically autofocus while recording either. What you can do with the T1i is pan/zoom the lens and then press the AE lock (*) button to make the camera autofocus on the new subject (all while recording). A problem with using the AE lock button to have the camera autofocus is that the microphone for the camera is on the front upper left of the body near the lens mount. Therefore, the lens motor noise is picked up just as much as ambient sounds. Even with my quietest Canon USM (ultasonic motor) lenses, this lens motor sound is pretty loud in video playback. Although, remember, you can always manually turn the focusing ring on the lens to get your subject back into focus. It's not easy, but after a little practice, it's not all too hard, either.

Ultimately, you shouldn't let the HD recording limitations sway you one way or the other. This is an SLR camera -not a video camera. The HD video is a great feature, but if you're looking for something primarily to take video, look elsewhere. There are much better, cheaper VIDEO cameras out there which can record true 1080p.

8. Record button. For some reason, the record video button is next to the LCD screen (the same button used for direct printing). The first few times you take video, you'll intuitively find yourself using the shutter release button used to take pictures. The reason for this switch is that you can take a still picture while recording video, although, doing so will interrupt the recording.

9. Battery life. My first fully charged battery only lasted about 250 shots (no flash), but all charges since have given me in the range of 500-700 shots per charge. I'm guessing the first charge had such a short life because I spent quite a bit of time learning the camera, its menus, and settings.

10. Live View. I honestly can't review this as I haven't used it too much yet -I prefer using the viewfinder. One feature I can say is nice is that, on the LCD, you can digitally zoom in (up to 10x) on a section of your shot to ensure it is properly focused. This, and the fine focusing, can really help if you're into macro-photography.

11. HDMI cable. The T1i has an HDMI Type C output on the body to allow you to directly display pictures and video on an HDTV. A minor criticism is that the HDMI Type C cable is not included in the box. You have to buy it separately. It would have been nice if it were included, as it's not an expensive cable.

Conclusion. The T1i is a bit on the light end, yet the construction still feels solid. For the camera's price point, you'd be hard pressed to find any digital SLR out there which gives you all the capabilities and growth range of the Canon T1i. The camera is intuitive enough for those new to photography to pick and learn easily, yet configurable enough for advanced amateurs. If video is not a big deal for you, then get the Canon XSi. There is very little the T1i has (other than ISO 3200 and a sharper screen) that the XSi doesn't. Plus, with the release of the T1i, you can probably pick up a used XSi for a great price on eBay. My wife recently gave birth, and I'm not looking to record endless (never to be watched) tapes of video footage of our son, but I do want several minute clips of him as he grows through the years. I've always been more inclined towards photography, so this camera gives me a very versatile digital SLR that I need with the wonderful capability of recording HD video that I want.

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Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF-S

Customer Ratings:

I love this camera. I used to do a lot of photography with an SLR. This is my first DSLR. I am still learning

everything it will do but so far I am very pleased. Easy to use. Light weight and easy to handle. Takes great

photos.

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Sony Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo 32Gb (MS-HX32A)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $124.23
Sale Price: $64.99
Today's Bonus: 48% Off

I purchased this item because of price. They (amazon) list two of the Sony cards in this size and I purchased the less expensive one thinking they were the same. Later I notice the two cards had different letters at the end. This one is A and the other is G. I couldn't find much difference in the description and have been meaning to call Sony to find out what the difference is. Evidently I haven't done this yet but will tell you when I find out. This card seems to work just fine though.

Later. I called Sony and asked them what the difference was between the MSHX32A which amazon sells for $111 and the MSHX32G which sells for $193 on amazon's site. They said the one that ends in G is "Transfer Jet" compatible. He said that what that means is that the G card can transfer data wirelessly to other peripherals that are also "Transfer Jet" compatible. I've never heard of "Transfer Jet" and since I don't have anything that is "Transfer Jet" I guess I saved $80.

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Canon EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR Camera & EF-S 18-135mm IS STM

Customer Ratings:

Delivered on time. The kit has everything I need for a very good price. Everything fits on Camera Case, except, of course, the Tripod, which has its own case.

Both lenses are great. The external flash workes well and permits several adjusts on direction. I believe that the extra battery is essential.

Very happy!

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Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 Planar T* ZF Manual Focus Standard Lens for

Customer Ratings:

This review is for those who are looking to achieve the highest possible image quality in the 35mm format at an affordable price (for Nikon / Canon shooters) in the 50mm 'normal perspective' focal length. Some have called the Zeiss 50mm ZF the best standard DSLR lens in the world.

You can find technical details on the Zeiss website along with MTF charts. Reviews do not give you a physical sense for build quality. Once you hold one of these in your hand, you will probably fall in love ....and immediately sense that Nikon does not offer any competing (current) wide angle primes.

Nikon does offer Auto focus; the Zeiss lens is manual focus only. Therefore Zeiss does not allocate part of the budget to an expensive and bulky auto-focus mechanism. If event shooting is NOT the objective, this lens will work wonders for you. For the deliberative shooter, with time to compose and shoot, it is hard to imagine a better tool in the 35mm format.

What is so great about the images from the Zeiss 50mm? Some have described it as a '3D look'.

These images have a certain personality, a finesse and panache which is missing in the typical lens. To make a long story short, it produces images with a delightful visual palette which pops off from the page-breathtaking colors, excruciating sharpness and detail, subtle tonal rendition, micro-contrast, variegated color, beautiful bokeh (above f2), resistance to flare, vignetting and distortion.

It is a very fast lens at F1.4 (extreme low-light capability). It is actually quite usable at this aperture unlike many other lenses which make this claim. With the D700 I could shoot in very dark conditions and still produce amazing results.

For those who are afraid of manual focusing, I suggest you invest in a third party split-prism focusing screen. I have purchased the Katz Eye screen (highly recommended) made by a tiny MA based company with excellent customer service. Granted, it is expensive at $ 105 for the Nikon D700. But it will make your focussing issues all but disappear; in fact I am having a lot of fun with deliberative shooting. Manual focus may not be fast enough for event shooting (weddings, graduations etc).... unless you have sufficient distance, are focussed at infinity and can blast away.

In fact, infinity + F8 will all but guarantee you fabulous results with this lens, as long as exposure conditions allow for F8. The D700 does display exif data if you set the menu up properly (for non-CPU lens data as 50mm etc.) In other words, if you set the aperture on the lens, the camera will calculate the appropriate speed in aperture priority mode. Caution--you have to make sure that you adjust exposure compensation based on your judgement.

Is there anything I do not like? The lens cap is awful, it is hard to put on and take off, as well it falls off into my camera bag on a regular basis. I cannot imagine how Zeiss / Cosina came up with such a fiddly design when they have designed such a superior lens and hood.

Minor quiblings aside, if you are looking for a compact, light, fast, all-MANUAL lens for deliberative shooting with a 35mm DSLR, I doubt you will find a better option than the 50mm Zeiss (except for the Zeiss 50mm F2 macro). Yes, I own the Canon and Nikon equivalents which are competent, but these lenses are simply not in the same class.

This is my absolute favorite lens (along with Nikon 24-70) & it is always my first option when conditions permit. To repeat, in my opinion, the Zeiss 50 f1.4 Planar lens can help you produce the absolute best possible images in the 35 mm format.

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Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-55mm IS II

Customer Ratings:

This bundle was the best value I found on the T4i -a very good price, and contained things I actually needed. Package arrived from Cameta camera quickly, complete and as promised. I had the older XSI previously (which I loved gave it to my daughter). The controls on the T4i are very similar -nice not to have to relearn buttons, menus etc. I have not shot videos yet but the new buttons for that appear very straightforward. The view screen folds outward or can be returned into place, facing outward or inward / closed -works great and great quality. I have also been very pleased with the quality of shooting in low light conditions. Even shooting kids basketball games (the gym lighting can be poor) even at 1800-3600 ISO the graininess is not bad at all.

Also the camera bag is much bigger and deeper than I realized. The inside main compartment can be completely custom organized for your stuff, and would probably hold two SLR's with multiple lenses and accessories. It is fairly heavy too because of its size. I'm sure I'll find a use for it, but I'll probably buy a smaller bag to cut down on the weight. I don't really mind because for the price you can consider the bag and probably most of the other items "free" compared with just buying the camera, the 18-55 mm lens, and the memory card by themselves.

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Sony Alpha DSLRA500L 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens

Customer Ratings:

I have had my a500 for a few months and am very happy with my purchase. This is a great camera for someone wishing to switch from advanced point-and-shoot to full d-SLR. The menus are intuitive, and this camera is generally easy to use. It has some nice features like HDR imaging, manual live focus, and an amazing live view. I tested this camera with Nikon and Canon models in the same price range and felt this was the superior product. I also like that this camera has the autofocus motor inside the camera itself (unlike many similarly priced models by other brands), making it compatible with my 20-year old Minolta lenses. As you probably know, lenses are as important, if not more important, than the camera body so it's nice to be able to use older, reasonably-priced, solid glass. This generally takes nice low light shots although there is some noise at higher ISOs. This is to be expected from a camera in this price range. Also the kit lens is not the greatest, but this is usually the case with entry level SLR cams. I'd recommend buying the body only and picking up a 50mm prime lens. Then start shooting. I gave this 5 stars because it's great at what it is --a starter SLR camera with some room for the photographer to grow. This of course can't compete with $2000-$3000 full frame models, but it has none-the-less exceeded my expectations. Great value. In general, I think this brand is underrated in the digital camera world. If you are in the market for your first d-SLR, give Sony a try.

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Sony NEX-6 16.1MP Compact Interchangeable Lens w/ 3" LED Screen

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,273.00
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

This camera exceeded my expectation. Its got all features of DSLR and then some! The camera is very comfortable to hold. Its not big and heavy and its not small. Its just the right size for my hand. The controls and features are easily accessible. I just love this camera. The only thing i dont like is that its not touch screen but i expected this.

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SanDisk Extreme 30MB/s SDHC Flash Memory Card - 16 GB

Customer Ratings:

Regarding complaints about performance with HD camcorders:

SDHC cards are rated in MegaBytes per second (MB/sec). HD camcorders are rated in Megabits per second (Mb/sec). There are 8 bits per Byte.

Therefore, an HD camcorder with 24Mb/sec video capture requires (24Mb/sec) / (8Mb/MB) = 3MB/sec SDHC card. A Class 4 SDHC card with at least 4MB/sec data transfer is more than enough to capture full HD. Those camcorders are not designed to work with Class 6 and Class 10 cards.

Remember that Full HD, 1920 x 1080 pixels = 2,073,600 pixels, or 2 Megapixels. Digital SLRs shoot at 12 Megapixels with minimal lag time between shots requiring much higher data transfer rates than HD camcorders.

Consequently, people who use Extreme Class 10 SDHC cards with high speed digital SLRs seem happy, but people using them with HD camcorders are not. It can be confusing, but you must use the appropriate card for your application. Faster is not always better.

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Tamron AF 17-35mm f/2.8-4.0 Di LD SP Aspherical (IF) Ultra Wide

Customer Ratings:

On a 1.6x crop factor camera like the Canon 350D/20D, the effective area of this lens is equivalent to a 27-56mm lens on a old school film-based SLR camera. As I come from a background of extensive 50mm lens use, I find this to be my most common working range (and I have four other excellent lenses in my bag to choose from).

My reason for purchase was to replace the pathetic kit lens that comes with the 350D. The Tamron is a much faster lens at f/2.8-4, and as it is designed for full-frame SLR use, the photos you'll get on a 1.6x crop factor camera are outstanding. The edges are sharp and just as bright as the center. In fact, the images produced with this lens are so sharp that you'll find yourself reducing the in-camera sharpening for portraiture. Additionally, my photos show great contrast and need very little--if any--post processing.

I do have a few complaints about this lens. First, the lens hood's diameter is enormous (over 4"), and I wish there were a smaller hood for 1.6x crop factor camera use. Second, like all Tamron lenses that I have encountered, the manual focus ring moves during autofocus. Third, the focus should be faster and much quieter. However, in light of all the positive aspects going for this lens these are minor issues.

Reviewers on other websites have given this lens outstanding marks, and it was only after careful research that I decided on purchasing it. I was then off to Thailand where this lens truly proved its worth.

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Canon PowerShot S100 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide-Angle

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $429.00
Sale Price: $309.00
Today's Bonus: 28% Off

I owned five Powershot S Series (s30,s50,s60,s80,s90) cameras prior to purchasing the s100. I took close to 100,000 photos with my s90 in the two years that I owned it. I am a semi-professional photographer that owns multiple Canon EOS DSLR cameras with L lenses.

First off, I don't think it's fair to compare the s100 to DSLRs, APS-C, Four Thirds cameras. These large sensor cameras are in another class and even my really old Canon 10D with 6MPs will at low ISO have better image quality than the s100. If you don't mind a larger camera that is not pocketable and are willing to spend more, the s100 is not the best camera for you. For example, the Sony NEX-5N will give superior results to the s100 in nearly all situations.

The s90, s95 and now s100 are all unique in that the are truly pocketable--all the competitors are too large for pant pockets (Panasonic LX5, Olympus XZ-1, FujiFilm X10). Some of these cameras are quite good and all of them provide faster lenses across the zoom range (the s100's size precludes a faster zoom lens). But none of these competitors are comfortably pocketable--this means that the s100 has practically no competition for it's size as a truely pocketable semi-pro camera.

If you don't need the manual control, the Canon 300HS will also take great pictures for less than half the price in a smaller/slimmer camera body. The s100 does have a great AUTO mode and multiple Scene modes which in most situations does an excellent job. But shooting both the s100 and 300HS in AUTO will lead to very similar results. The s100 differentiates itself by providing excellent manual control and the ability to shoot RAW images.

Now if you are someone that wants pant pocketable camera with excellent manual controls and image quality, the s100 is very hard to beat. I take ten times more shots with my s100 than my DSLRs because I ALWAYS have it with me.

If you already have a s90 or s95, there is little need to upgrade to the s100 immediately. The s100 has some worthy upgrades (24mm, GPS, better designed body) but the image quality is near identical to the s95/s90. My s90 took many falls and goo in an airplane pocket killed the flash otherwise i'd stay with the s90. I have now taken close to 1500 photos with the s100 and here are my experiences of it's pros and cons:

PROS:

* The s100 is cleaner at high ISO (eg 1600 and above) but the difference isn't as substantial as Canon claims (for low ISO, there is no difference in noise)

* s100 is even slimmer than the s95 which is was already quite pocketable

* GPS is a great addition and quite accurate most of the time

* rough texture finish makes the camera easier to hold and also looks great

* rubber grips make camera easier to hold but don't expect miracles

* mirror like shutter button is easier to find especially given the removal of the func button from the top of the camera

* back wheel now has the perfect resistance and feedback

* the delete button is not on the dial so I can finally delete while viewing a zoomed in on an image!!!

* lens zooms very quickly (sometimes too quickly to get accurate zoom)

* fast shutter speed (in fact in Continuous drive mode it is very difficult to take one photo--always get two photos and I am fairly fast releasing the shutter button--an additional slower Continuous mode option would have been helpful)

* 8 shots in a second is a handy feature to have though not often used (limited to 8 shots and then have to wait for the photos to be written to the card)

* 24mm wide-angle is very useful for indoor photography

* lens is sharper across zoom range than the s90--with sharper corners (people have reported variation in the sharpness of the lens on early models)

* ability to control max ISO and ISO selection criteria for Auto ISO

* dynamic range correction works well

* dedicated movie recording button

* 1080p video recording (much better resolution but not as good low light capture than s90&s95 but can't match Sony HX-9V)

* can zoom while recording video with minimal noise

CONS:

* all Canons Point&Shoots have slower focus especially in the dark. The s100 is comparable or slightly slower than the s90. Fuji and Sony have made strides to provide faster focus and I hope Canon follows. Set shortcut button to Focus-lock to pre-focus--once focus is locked the s100 is really fast

* NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHERS: a major con for me is that the s100 is locked to ISO80 for shutter speeds over 1sec. May not matter to most people but I loved shooting 15sec ISO400 shots with my s90

* The display does not brighten as much in a dark room making composition more difficult. The s90 shows a very grainy but bright image in a near dark room where the s100's display is very dark (also if multiple shots are taken with the shutter button half pressed the display is darker for the subsequent shots)

* The s100 is better in high-ISO short shutter speed situations but the s90 is better for long shutter speed photography

* Auto mode is limited to 1/8 (have to switch to P mode if you don't want to use a flash in a dim room)

* HDR requires a tripod because camera does not align images (given the tech Canon really should auto-align the images).

* battery life slightly worse than s90 (buy a second battery--I had three for my s90)

* fast zoom with steps sometimes makes it difficult to get the exact zoom desired

* Movies are great in well-lit areas but have a lot less gain than the s90 resulting in hi-res but darker movies

* Sony's panoramics are fantastic and Canon is still using same approach as it did in the s30 in 2001!

* always open flash if it is needed before handing the camera to anyone else. Everyone initially presses down on the flash resulting in a flash error.

* price but you get what you pay for

UPDATE 03/25/2012: Had to call Canon Support for the first time in a decade (lens error on s100). Discovered, that you have to pay to mail back the camera to their facility in Virginia and be without a camera and wait 2 weeks to get it back. Maybe I have been spoiled by the excellent warranty Amazon provides for it's products.

UPDATE 05/31/2012: My Canon Service Center experience was much better than I expected. They kept me informed on each step of the process and got the camera back to me within a week. Yes, I had to pay to mail the camera to Canon and be without the camera for a week but the overall experience was excellent. (Have taken over 12,000 photos with S100 and still love it).

SONY RX100 Announcement 06/05/2012: Sony has just announced what I consider to be the first pocketable camera that delivers better features and image quality than the Canon S95/S100. The only major con against the RX100 is that it costs $650. For that price you get a larger sensor, better iso performance, better video, much better auto focus, better features, ect. If price is not a concern the RX100 which will be released in July is the best pocketable camera to get based on early impressions of reviews and image quality comparisons. Sony DSC-RX100 20.2 MP Exmor CMOS Sensor Digital Camera with 3.6x Zoom

UPDATE 09/18/2012: The Canon S110 [] was announced yesterday and is mostly unchanged from the S100 with the following notable changes: Wi-fi functionality, touchscreen, GPS functionality removed, presumably faster focus. Will cost $450.

I will soon update this review to update it based on the options available today since there have been a number of changes in this camera segment in the last year.

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