Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Standard Zoom Lens for Canon

Customer Ratings:

Week after buying Canon T1i camera I went to Mt St Helens National Park and realized how much I need extra zoom. So I ordered the new Canon 18-135IS. My first impressions are very positive:

The build quality is pretty decent.

The lens is relatively light and feels pretty balanced on the T1i body.

Front of the lens doesn't turn during auto focus which is a plus if you use a polarized filter.

AF is quick and very accurate it easily finds focus even in dark conditions.

Image Stabilizer supports horizontal and vertical panning.

I think sharpness is comparable with the kit 18-55IS (looks like corners are a bit softer).

Zoom range is perfect for vacation/outdoor photography.

There is no zoom creep (so far).

Very smooth bokeh (background blurring)

Few cons:

No zoom lock.

Doesn't have USM/full-time manual focus this is the feature I'd expect in the $500 lens.

Distortions on the wide end (18-24mm)

More CA than 18-55IS.

P.S. I've spent the last couple of weeks reading endless forum posts and reviews. Here are my notes about the similar/competing products:

1. Canon 55-250IS My friend got this lens it's sharp but some shots have bad color saturation/contrast. He also told me that he needs to change lenses too often.

2. Canon 28-135 IS USM sharp, has full-time manual focus, but the lens is quite big and heavy for T1i and has a zoom creep. 28mm is too much for the wide shots on the x1.6 cameras.

3. Sigma 18-125 OS HSM good zoom range/color/price, relatively sharp. I almost bought this lens but then I noticed that almost every review mentions the constant background noise produced by the image stabilizer. Sometimes I use the camera for short videos so that was a deal breaker for me.

4. Sigma 18-200 good zoom range/color/price, but too heavy. Sharpness is very inconsistent. Also not much extra zoom comparing to the 135mm.

Overall I think this lens is a good choice for nonpro photographers looking for a multipurpose zoom lens.

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Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Customer Ratings:

I actually could not decide between the Garmin Nuvi 255w or the 750 model, so I decided to buy them both for comparison. I mounted them both to my car windshield and gave them various addresses to find together. I found that both models took the same routes and announced upcoming turns and street names at practically the same time. One thing I noticed about the 255w was that it was updating my position on the road more often, I'd say about 3 times as often as the 750. This made for smoother graphics on the 255w of the vehicle moving along displayed roads, where the 750's display was more of a "jerky" movement. I also found that the display on the 255w was a bit brighter, clearer, and more vivid than on the 750 in both daylight and at night. Another feature I like on the 255w is the graphic turn indicator in the upper left corner, which the 750 lacks. This is a small arrow which shows upcoming turns and the distance to that turn. It also show things like a fork in the road, (ie: a Y intersection), and which fork you will be taking. The 750 just displays text on the top line for upcoming turns without the arrow. It's just a little extra feature on the 255w which I happened to really like. The 255 also automatically adjusts the font size of displayed text so that even lengthy text will fit.

Another feature on the 255w is a display of the posted speed limit on the road which you are currently on right above your current displayed speed. I found myself not even looking at my car speedometer as I could easily see my current speed and the speed limit of my route at a glance. The 750 doesn't have this feature. I also like how they moved the zoom in (+) and zoom out (-) buttons on the 255w to the same side of the screen which makes it a bit easier. On the 750 the zoom buttons are on opposite sides of the screen.

Now there are some features on the 750 that the 255w does not have. The 750 can broadcast it's sound over your FM radio with the supplied cigarette lighter cable, and it has a headphone jack, which I found to be nice features. The 750 also has an MP3 player and an Audio-book player, which the 255w does not. Another really nice feature of the 750 is the car locater. This is a great feature if you are parking in a really big lot, such as at an amusement park or a fair. The 750 marks your location when you remove it from the car, then you take it with you and it remembers where you parked and takes you right back to your car. The 255w doesn't have the car locater.

I also thought the the voice prompts of the 750 where more pleasant sounding than the 255w's. The 750 sounds more like a real female voice, where the 255w sounds more robotic.

Another thing to consider was that I paid $50 less for the 750 and it came with the FM transmitter cable and a USB cord to connect it to your computer for updates and downloads.

My final decision was to keep the 255w and return the 750 because I really liked the graphic turn indicator and the posted speed limit and current speed indicators. I didn't find a need for the 750's MP3 player and Audio book player, but that is up to personal preference. Since the USB cable was not included with the 255w, I purchased it on this site for $10. I also intend to purchase the MSN direct cable when it is available in August 2008.

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Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder

Customer Ratings:

***UPDATED, IMPORTANT EDIT*** September 2013: Zoom has released a new firmware (v. 2.10) at their Japanese website (which acts as a download center for their US consumers). The update adds USB 3.0 support.

Go to zoom.co.jp and click the "downloads" link at the top. Find the link for the H1 under "Recorders." There's an updated manual for version 2.0 as well in Acrobat format. Enjoy! On to the (updated) review...

Straight to the point: If you're considering getting a digital recorder and your needs are simple, seriously consider this one.

The sound is quite phenomenal for a recorder this size and asking price. (Zoom claims the H1 has the same frequency and SPL handing as their popular H2.)

Button/switch placement is intuitive and couldn't be simpler. Need the lo-cut filter? Slide the switch in the back (and the LCD will tell you it's on). When you're ready to record, simply press the big red button on the front. When done recording, press it again. If you want to hear what you've just recorded (via the built-in speaker or the line out jack), simply push the play button on the side of the unit.

There are several functions that will prove useful including adjusting the input level manually (from 1 to 100; *really* useful for loud situations like a rock concert) and being able to actually monitor audio during recording via the line out jack.

The unit records in MP3 and Broadcast WAV formats, in many bit-depths and sample rates. (Max for WAV is 24-bit/96 kHz and 320 kbps for MP3.) Broadcast WAV functions just like any other WAV with the addition of having metadata (like time and date) stamped into the file, which is great for identifying WAVs in audio editors that support the format. The H1 allows you to place markers into WAVs during recording for easy transport/identification during playback in audio editors as well. (The H1 will also jump to these markers while in playback mode should you push the "" buttons during playback.)

I have not tried the newly-added function of being able to use the H1 as a USB audio interface, mostly because I did not get the H1 for that purpose, though it's very nice to know that such a feature is available to me should I need it. ASIO drivers are available at Zoom's website.

File transfer to your computer is quite fast. (For comparison's sake, the H1 uses Hi-speed USB 2.0 versus the H2's Full-speed USB 2.0. In layman's terms, the H1 is quicker than the H2 file-transfer wise.) The unit is firmware-upgradable and version 2.00 is available at Zoom's website. (Mine came with version 1.02 initially and now runs 2.00.) When you connect to the computer using a (Mini-B to Standard-A) USB cable using version 2.00 of the firmware, the H1 will ask if you want to use the H1 as a card reader or an audio interface. It will eventually default as a card reader if you do not do anything. Otherwise, you simply choose what you want the H1 to do with the record button.

I knew that the H1 was small but I wasn't exactly prepared for how small. If you were to lay your hand flat, the H1 would fit inside it with room to spare. (I have average-sized hands.)

The H1 is so light even with one AA battery that it feels delicate. I wouldn't suggest banging it around. There's a connector for a wrist strap at the bottom of the unit (near the speaker) so if you're concerned about dropping the H1, it might be worth your while to connect a strap.

The cover to the microSD card slot can come open with just a nudge which might annoy you while handing the H1. (I should also note the cover is made of a hard plastic but looks like it might come off and break with enough force; just be careful as you open it.) The tripod mounting joint is also made of plastic so you might not want to overtighten when mounting the H1. Like most recorders, the H1's sensitive mics are prone to handling noise.

There doesn't seem to be any way of recording in mono; it would have to be done post-production.

Get the H1 Accessory Pack as well but also get a RedHead windscreen (or similar) to boot; the included windscreen in the Accessory Pack is great for voice/plosives and all but horrible for wind noise (which is not surprising since it's a foam windscreen). One needs more to baffle the wind only a "dead cat" type windscreen can provide.

I know I forgot things but I wanted to make this as concise as possible, pros and cons. It's simply a great recorder and I was not disappointed.

UPDATED EDIT 2010: Since my initial review, two months have passed by, so I thought I'd give my updated thoughts. There are some reports that the H1 is draining batteries faster than normal even while the H1 is off. This is obviously not in every unit as I do not have this issue. (I had mine since official release, which was August 20, 2010.) A quick way to find if you have a defective H1 is to simply check the battery within a day. If it's quite low or no battery power, contact Samson (in the U.S.) and let them know.

There are users who claim that the H1 is shoddily built. My challenge to that is, What were you expecting for $99 USD? Gold? As I said in my review, the H1 is so darned light with a battery in it it's hard to not think of it as delicate. Is it so shoddy that users who are careful with their electronics shouldn't pick it up? Oh, heck no. It's not like the H1's casing is made of plastic that's so pliable it's pathetic. It feels solid enough at least in my hand.

Obviously, if your needs put you in a situation where durability is a concern, the H1 might not be for you. I would think this was common sense all things considered.

Of course, a note on the sound: It is quite superb. I've done (far) more than a bunch of recordings already and there are times where I have to check to see if what I'm hearing is coming from my monitors or in the real world. (I thought someone was presently mowing their lawn off in the distance when, in fact, they were not.) It's that good.

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Samsung NX210 Kit 20.3-megapixel Digital Camera

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $899.99
Sale Price: $390.82
Today's Bonus: 57% Off

First off, if you want an extensive review of this camera go to cnet or dpreview. That's where I went to do my research when I decided to buy an dSLR. Upon doing my research I decided on a mirrorless interchangeable lens system camera. I always purchased Canon cameras, but they're kind of late to this party since they're just now releasing their first mirrorless camera. I narrowed my decision down to the NX210 versus the Sony NEX-5r that is coming out in October. I believe these models stand out because of their Wi-Fi connection and ability to use your cell phone as a remote viewfinder. Ultimately I chose the Samsung because I was able to get a free 50 200 mm lens making it several hundred dollars cheaper than the Sony.

I've had the camera for about a week now and have been satisfied with the image quality, flash coverage, manual options/controls, etc. The panoramic function is excellent and I believe that I will use it a fair amount in the future. The worst part of the camera was the Wi-Fi connection... It continually disconnected hampering the ability to use my smartphone as a viewfinder, and transferring pictures to my smartphone or computer. It just didn't work! I was contemplating returning the camera but today I went on Samsung's website and they just released firmware update 1.10 yesterday. I downloaded and installed the firmware and the Wi-Fi now functions flawlessly! IF YOU PURCHASE THIS CAMERA MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FIRMWARE 1.10 OR HIGHER. IF NOT, INSTALL IT! With the new firmware, this is a 4.5 star camera. The focusing system is not perfect and gets worse in lower light conditions. It's much better than on my previous camera (Canon SX 20), and it's probably one of the best focusing systems out there. If I had it to do over again I would've chosen this camera and I would have no problems recommending it to family and friends.

UPDATE...

Samsung has released firmware 01.11 and Wi-Fi connections are even more stable. Samsung also eliminated a bug that would lock up the camera until the battery was removed. Kudos to manufactures that continue to improve and tweak their products, even after you've surrendered your money to them. I'm still thrilled with the picture quality and features this camera offers. Focusing continues to be average but acceptable; maybe a future firmware upgrade will improve the accuracy and speed of the system. I've convinced a few friends to consider an EVIL (electronic viewfinder interchangeable lens) camera such as the NX210 instead of a dSLR for their next upgrade.

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Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G DX AF-S ED Zoom-Nikkor Lens

Customer Ratings:

The title says it all. The wide shots allow more of the storm into the shot. This increases your chances of capturing a lightning shot or the structure of the entire storm, which I had to do in sections with my 18-55mm lens or my phone camera. It is also great for photographing city skylines, landscapes, and even things that are very close to you. In Memphis, for example, I came across a neat statue, but it was located feet away from a busy street. I could not capture it any other way because of the position of the sun, and I wanted the Memphis skyline behind it. I set the lens to its widest setting and captured the whole thing! It was also great to bring to southern France and Monaco. I could photograph the entire city of Nice from one vantage point, with the Alps in the background.

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Canon PowerShot SD900 10MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical

Customer Ratings:

The SD900 is my 6th digital camera, replacing a well-used Canon S400 workhorse. I wanted more pixels (10MP vs 4MP), a larger LCD screen (~3x larger than S400), faster powerup (>2x as fast), wider ISO range (ISO 3200 max vs ISO 400 max), faster shot-to-shot times, better user interface, scratch-resistant case material (titanium), same or smaller size/weight and SD memory cards (new laptop has an SD reader). The top-of-the-line Canon SD900 titanium-clad wundercam delivers the goods; but not without a few caveats. The titanium case is gorgeous and virtually scratch-proof; but it's quite slippery and provides no discernable perch for fingers. (I've gotten used to it.) On the first few powerups, it sounded like the lens gears were grinding and jumping teeth or something: The usual "whir" sound was very loud, with strange clicking sounds. I almost returned the camera; but it appears to work fine.

JPEG compression artifacts are quite visible, especially at the "Fine" quality setting (~2-3 MB file size). The huge 10.0 megapixel CCD produces oceans of detail; but it is very noisy at high ISO settings. At lowest aperature (f2.8), some lens softness and purple fringing is visible in certain scenes. At higher aperatures and longer focal lengths, images are razor-sharp. The SD900 has no image stabilization; but I was able to take handheld shots in extremely low light conditions with no problem. This camera is small enought to carry with you at all times, in the pocket, the purse, the briefcase, the glovebox, always at the ready when that perfect photo opportunity presents itself. It doesn't matter now great your camera is if you don't have it with you to capture those priceless photos. If you can only have one camera, get this one

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Logitech X-140 2.0 Speakers

Customer Ratings:

I can not really add much to my review which has not already been said. These are great sounding speakers for the price.

If you want speakers with accurate music reproduction, thumping bass and higher volumes, best to spend more money and upgrade to Logitech's Z-4 model. But for casual listening and computer gaming, the X-140 speakers are more than adequate.

My biggest positive is the durability & construction; very hard plastic backs with heavy duty metal front grills (which are virtually impenetrable to pencils, pens, and other kid wielded objects). So far, after 4 months of use, I have deemed them "kid proof". Those of you who have small children know what I mean. I highly recommend the X-140's for those on a budget or those who just can't see the logic in dropping big dollars when kids are around. ****March 2013 update. Still in great condition and rockin' strong!****

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Canon Waterproof Housing WP-DC44 for Canon PowerShot G1 X

Customer Ratings:

The Canon waterproof housings for the G-series cameras are fantastic! They are relatively cheap as housing go--brands for other kinds of cameras can cost 2-4 times as much. I've owned Canon G-series cameras with underwater housings for the G-8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and now the the G1X. I've been on many dives with them and had other divers drool over them including some very advance divers especially once the find out what a value they are.

They are easy to use, but you have to follow instructions carefully. A Camera under 2-3 atmospheres of pressure will be ruined in a second if the seals fail.

This is a great camera, housing and a super value if you dive and want to take easy-to-use pictures underwater. This isn't professional grade gear but it's great for what it is.

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Nikon D5200 24.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S

Customer Ratings:

I would like to mention that I am so happy to receive that bundle. It is really worth spending your money for SLR. Trust me, It is the best available deal on amazon for D5200.

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Studiohut KIT2CS Photography Studio Continuous Lighting Umbrella

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $38.00
Sale Price: $26.65
Today's Bonus: 30% Off

I was impressed with the quality of materials and construction of each component. However, it seems that the components were not originally designed specifically for one another. The light holder, for instance, is designed to mount on the top of a metal shaft by means of a screw clamp. But the top of the light stand has a screw that points upward, and the only way I could determine to mount the holder is by clamping it onto the threads of the stand's screw -it cannot be positioned lower, onto the shaft, where it would be more appropriate. It works, but not optimally. In another instance, the shaft of the umbrella is constructed of lightweight tubular steel. It is held in position by another screw clamp on the light holder. But when clamping it down, the screw will easily crush the tubular steel. I overcame this problem by temporarily removing the aluminum cap at the bottom of the umbrella's shaft and inserting a 15" long, 1/4" diameter wooden dowel into the tube. I can now apply adequate pressure to satisfactorily secure the umbrella.

You might gather from these problems that I don't recommend this purchase, but actually I'm quite happy with it. Compared to other sets, it's an amazing value. The use of color-balanced compact florescent bulbs makes a lot of sense (unless you require intense illumination). And the entire package is very compact.

If you're a professional photographer with an array of lighting options, this set probably isn't for you. But if, like me, you just need a simple, inexpensive way to light your subjects, this is probably as good a product as you'll find for the price!

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Clarion CX501 Double-DIN CD/Bluetooth/USB Receiver

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $160.98
Today's Bonus: 46% Off

I bought this for a 2005 Chevy Colorado. I used a Metra 95-2009 Double DIN Installation Multi-Kit for Select 1995-2008 GM/Honda/Isuzu/Suzuki Vehicles installation kit and an Axxess GMRC-01 Class II GM Chime Retention Interface to keep my chimes my truck doesn't have On-Star or a separate factory amp. I also got the Scosche Mda-1B 1988 Up Gm Micro/Delco Antenna Adapter because GM uses a small antenna plug. All parts were exactly what I needed. The radio fit perfectly WITHOUT cutting the truck's metal rear support bracket inside the dash. The truck has Boston Acoustic speakers in the front doors and factory speakers in the rear. As a result I keep the fader set to the front speakers only. This truck has no dimmer wire or illumination wire so the dimming feature will not work. I did not need navigation because I use my Droid and I don't need DVD or movies in the truck. I had that feature in my last head unit for three years and never did watch a movie in the truck.

I like that it's compatible with my existing Sirius SCC1 receiver I didn't want to have to buy a proprietary Sirius receiver. That kind of thing just rankles me and it's a BIG reason I chose this unit. I just plugged it in and it simply worked. The unit will hold 18 Sirius presets and I can choose to display Artist and Track at the same time.

Also, the ability to read USB MP3 files is great I like to throw audio books on a USB stick for long drives. The Clarion will remember the track position even after the truck is turned off and the USB stick removed so when I put the USB stick in again the unit will shift to the USB source and start playing where it left off. This is a great feature for audio books. Fastforward/rewind is accomplished by holding the Next Track/Previous Track buttons.

Good bluetooth connection with my Droid X The unit connects automatically with both BT phone and BT audio at the same time. (My wife's much-more-expensive Pioneer AVIC will not connect both phone and audio to her Incredible at the same time; she has to choose one or the other and go through the cumbersome process to do it.) I can play music on my phone and sound comes out of the Clarion instead of the phone and I can pause, skip tracks, control volume, etc with the Clarion. The BT Telephone part also works great and the sound is fine. The microphone is built into the unit. The Clarion easily accepted my Droid X phone book although it wouldn't transfer the contacts in my favorites but I think that is a problem with the phone and not the Clarion I'm still working on it. It is not possible to add single numbers to the phone book. The Clarion phone book stores all the names in Last Name | First Name order which I don't like. Calls are not that easy to start from the Clarion unless it is redialing a recent call. Trying to direct dial from the radio while driving would be crazy because its way too complicated. However, incoming calls work perfectly (and mute the radio during the call) and I can make outgoing calls from the phone while it sits in the dock and then it's hands free speaker-phone over the Clarion. Overall I'm extremely happy with the bluetooth and this is another BIG reason I am happy with this unit.

Aux-In jack on the front haven't used this yet but its good to have.

Double Din Big two-line text thats easy to read while driving. The buttons are not all mashed together and the volume knob is big. It's easy to control the unit quickly and safely. I appreciate this after driving another vehicle with a single-din unit that had dozens of tiny buttons and practically unreadable text and button labels. However, I can't see the clock at the same time as anything else which is a negative in other words I can see Artist and Track, or Station or whatever but if I want to see the clock it will be all I see. They should have left a spot where the clock can always be visible.

The FM sounds pretty good better than the Sirius music stations I think. I can't compare the FM sensitivity to the factory radio because I took out the factory radio long ago...

Music sounds good enough with my BA speakers. Not outstanding, but good enough for me. In my younger days when I was more into music I would have demanded more and probably used an external amp and sub-woofer, etc (and also bought a more expensive brand just because of the name!) but nowadays I mostly listen to talk radio on Sirius. However, like I said, music sounds very acceptable if I don't crank it up way too loud. I actually removed my external Alpine amp at the same time I installed the Clarion. I don't feel like I need it.

The ability to change colors is very cool. Right now I have it on a custom yellow which looks real good.

The remote, which I don't use, has a mute button but the head unit does not. However it's easy to turn down quickly due to the huge volume knob.

I did test the CD part which was fine, but I probably won't be using that either.

There are three ipods in my house so I could test that feature but I just don't care enough to do it. I can use my Droid over bluetooth if I want to play portable music.

Bottom line is that I am very happy with the Clarion considering it's price and would certainly buy again if I needed another head unit.

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Samsung Galaxy Camera with Android Jelly Bean v4.2 OS, 16.3MP

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $549.00
Today's Bonus: $0.99 Off

Picture quality is great when the pictures are not blurred. I feel like you always have to have this camera on a tripod. This is no longer my go to camera. The battery drains quickly as well. Features are great.

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Apple iPod nano 8 GB 5th Generation(Blue) (Discontinued

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $229.00
Sale Price: $169.00
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

When Steve Jobs announced the newest generation iPod nano, he suggested that with its new video capability the nano would easily compete with the Flip Video camcorder. While someday down the line this may be a serious contender in the pocket video camera market, it's not there yet. I took some comparison footage with the iPod nano and the standard definition Flip Mino to show why. My point in all this is not to suggest that you go buy a Flip instead of an iPod nano, but that you ask yourself what it is you really want. If you want to make videos you can upload to Youtube and you want them to look pretty decent, and you don't care much about music or you already have an mp3 player, I wouldn't buy this iPod just because now it has video. On the other hand, having some video capability might be enough to give this the edge over most other music players; if games are more important to you than video, though, you'd be better off with an iPod touch.

One thing you'll notice in the footage, where I shot the same things back to back with both camcorders, is that where the Flip really shines is in low light. I shot the hamster moments at night, in a room illuminated only by a lamp. Not only did the iPod nano take grainy video, it also didn't do any kind of white balancing and the indoor lightbulb added an orange tint to the clip; I'm not sure exactly how the Flip is designed to address this (whether it automatically adjusts white balance or just has a better average setting), but the footage shows that it captured light correctly both outdoors and indoors. If you compare the hamster shots with the Flip and with the nano, I think it's clear that for indoor and lowlight there's no comparison and the Flip has the nano beat hands down. The outdoor images are closer, but I think even this small video shows greater detail in the Flip video. When you blow the images up bigger there's no comparison -the Flip looks decent even on a big screen TV, the iPod nano footage looks like it was shot with, well, a toy camera. In all fairness, that's all it is at this point. (Note, by the way, that, like the Flip, the nano will only take video and doesn't take photos. You can manually add photos to the nano from your computer, but you can't use the onboard camera to capture stills.)

Another thing that bugs me a bit about the new iPod nano is the bizarre placement of the camera lens. It's nestled down in the corner of the backside below the screen -exactly where it is most natural to hold this thing if you are shooting with it. Even if you just grasp the thing at the corners, there's a tendency for some part of a finger to accidentally edge into the camera frame. In fact, I found that even after I was aware of this fact I kept doing it anyways -the way this thing fits in my hands just makes it likely I'll catch an edge of a finger in my shots unless I'm conscientious about avoiding it, and that detracts from the spontaneity this is designed to take advantage of. (I even noticed I'd done it on most of the iPod nano footage for this video comparison -and I thought about doing it over, but then decided to leave it in just to show how easily it can happen.)

So, to sum up: what you really get with the iPod nano is a toy camera, fun to have in the pocket and very cool to have just in case there's something you want to shoot, but not quite the quality we've come to expect from the handy pocket camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Creative Vado and the Kodak Zi8, that keep getting better and better. Video is a nice new feature on the Nano, but not really a radical innovation and not a game changer.

What makes the iPod Nano worth it is that in addition to video on the fly, you get to listen to music, you get an FM radio that works quite well and even tells you what song you are listening to, you get a voice recorder (a VERY nice feature, excellent for students who can listen to music on their way to class and then record a lecture), a decent quality mini speaker, a somewhat useful pedometer, decent game options for killing time. You don't get any of that with the Flip! Sure, the new iPod nano is a toy ... but it's a very cool toy.

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Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC IF Aspherical Zoom Lens for Nikon

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $399.99
Sale Price: $229.99
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

I bought this lens so that when I travel using my Nikon D100 I could have an all-in-one zoom that would spare me the inconvenience of constantly changing lenses. I have not regretted this purchase, as for most situations the resulting photos are quite satisfactory. However, potential buyers should be aware that any lens that is designed to "do it all" involves compromises.

The lens balances well on an SLR body, is remarkably compact, and is well-made. It's not as solid, however, as an expensive professional-level zoom, so don't drop it! The petal-type lens hood works well to prevent routine flare.

Photos I have taken have been sharp and clear, with only a bit of softness at maximum aperture and at the longest focal lengths. The lens has a few shortcomings, however. In some lighting situations the color cast of digital images seems to be a bit "tan," tending almost toward sepia tones. This can be corrected easily enough in Photoshop (or whatever post-exposure program one uses). Perhaps a bit more annoying is that there is noticeable light falloff in the corners, a phenomenon that is most prominent in photos that include large areas of sky. Again, this can be dealt with in post-processing (mainly through slight cropping), but potential buyers should be aware of this issue.

The best thing about the lens is that it provides adequate performance at focal lengths ranging from standard wide-angle (what would be the equivalent of around 27mm. in a 35mm. camera) to basic telephoto (187 mm. at 35mm.) This makes it quite useful for general, "walkaround" photography, especially when one is traveling. If you want the absolute best in optical performance, however, you might find the lens wanting in some situations.

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18650 3000mAh 3.7V Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery + Charger Combo

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $34.95
Sale Price: $7.79
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I purchased two sets of Ultrafire 18650 3000mAh batteries with charger. The included charger works well for travel needs but does not seem to have two independent charging channels, as there is only one charge status LED. It works well enough for casual use with inexpensive cells in my collection, but a higher quality charger such as the Pila IBC is a good investment if you get serious and want the most out of your more expensive 18650 batteries.

My only complaint is these batteries after being freshly charged cut out under a high load because of the protection circuit board which seems to be current limited to only around 2.5 Amps. For instance, when trying to drive a Ultrafire WF-502B or WF-501B flashlight with the 900 lumen Cree XML-T6 P60 LED drop-in on max power, it will only illuminate for a couple seconds and then cut off. Running it for a few minutes on medium power to partially drain the battery then allows it to run continuously on high power. The measured current draw on high power was 2.46 Amps. This suspicion was further confirmed when I cut open a cell and looked at the protection circuit card inside and found only one MOSFET driver IC, and two empty spots for additional MOSFET driver ICs. (Most other brands of 18650 batteries can sustain 5 to 7 Amps and contain two or three MOSFET drivers on the protection circuit card)

So if your needs are for long storage life with a moderate discharge rate, this is a great battery and a good deal.

Update to my original 07/16/2011 review above.

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After having used these batteries for over a month now, and having gone through several charge/discharge cycles, I downgraded this review from three to one star. I purchased two sets (four batteries) from HULATU LLC trading/CREE-Flashlight along with the included wall type travel chargers. What I found is the advertised capacity of 3000mAH for these Ultrafire 18650 batteries is a complete misrepresentation. The label on the battery says 3000mAH, however when I tested them I only observed 980mAH to 1070mAH discharge capacity for all four of the batteries I received. This discharge test was done using a Turnigy Accucell 8150 with a discharge rate of 600mAH, discharging the battery from 4.20VDC down to 3.00VDC. By comparison, I tested two inexpensive Tenergy 2600mAH 18650 batteries using the same setup and they came in at a reasonable 2460mAH and 2520mAH discharge capacity.

So unless your capacity needs are very light, don't waste your money on this brand of 18650 battery.

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ZMODO 8CH H.264 CCTV Security DVR System and 4 Sony CCD

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $379.99
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Arrived lastnight in the mail and had 3 cameras hooked up in a few hrs. You NEED the SVGA cable to view on tv/monitor. Picture is a bit grainy but will do the trick. Cameras viewing rage is about 100ft max. Time will only tell how the cameras will handle NY weather, ones getting wet right now. The dvr has tons of features. The instructions arnt as bad as some make them out to be.

Over all in the few hours that I have had the system up and running I'm happy with the way it works and the quality of the machine.

PS: the hard drive that these come with this is a WD blue. At least my 1TB is.

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Sony Alpha SLT-A99 Full Frame Digital SLR Camera Body & VG-C99

Customer Ratings:

First, I am an amateur photographer who got his start with a Minolta 101, then a maxxum 7000. When Sony took over the Minolta rights and technologies, it was natural for me to continue with their product line. My Alpha 100 was a decent camera and when I decided to take the plunge for a full frame the a99 caught my eye and has proven to be everything any of the other preceeding cameras weren't. Amazing in low light, Well thought out buttons and layout that make it easy to make the key adjustments on the fly. The electron view finder is great and was an area of concern before I bought. This is a great camera, maybe a little on the high side price wise, however this bundle included a vertical grip, a 64gb memory card and the hvl 60 flash adding almost 1000 of additional gear. I am more than pleased with this camera and looking forward to adding 2470 zeiss 2.8 at some point in the future. In the meantime I make due with my old Minolta maxxum lens a 28 -135 a 70 -300 and a 50 1.7. I highly recommend this camera it rocks.

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