As long as you use a remote or even a cable to click the shutter you are in luck. It's like having a telescope on your camera.
Great price on a really good product.
Great price on a really good product.
Casio High Speed Exilim Ex-zr200 Digital Camera Black Ex-zr200bk
I bought this camera because it had the ability to take slow motion video at a price point that I could afford. If slow motion video is a need of yours (sports, science experiments, etc.) but your pocket book can't handle the price point of more pro-consumer products this camera deserves a very, very hard look. I have mentioned in replies to an earlier reviewer that I was disappointed this camera is still not available via a USA vendor. Because of unique circumstances, I couldn't wait any longer for a US merchant to offer this camera so I bought it through from Asuka, Inc. through Amazon. OMG! I have NEVER received a product so meticulously packed...and I do my fair share of online shopping. I bought two of these cameras from Asuka and the packing of the contents was closer to a Work of Art than a way to deliver products in the mail. I even received a hand written, in English!, note from a representative of the company thanking me for my business and to contact him if I had any questions. There was also very clear directions provided to change the language setting in the camera from Japanese to English. The contents arrived in pristine condition and I will never again have reservations in buying products delayed to the US market if they are offered by Asuka. I am sorry about going on and on about the seller. But, if others are like me, there is reluctance at buying a product like this (again, really 2) from a non-USA vendor without a USA warrantee. Buying from Asuka through Amazon has completely changed my mind in this regard.
Canon EOS Rebel T3i Digital Camera Battery Lithium-Ion 1500mAh
Generics in general are the best way to go. This battery performs similar to the stock battery from Canon. I have no complaints and would suggest everyone buy the (potentially crappy battery in the long-term), because buying several of these is still less than the proprietary battery. Battery is still going strong after about 4 months and frequent use on our 2 week vacation.
Toshiba 24SL410U 24-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LED-LCD HDTV, Black (2011
THE TV.
I completely agree with the review left by Steve P. Moss. I love the picture. Very sharp and vibrant. I haven't given it a 1080p test but I'm not sure how important it is on a 24". I love the thinness and the overall look of the set. along with a digital out it has an analog out (red and white) which I guess is hard to come by these days.
THE SOUND.
I thought something was wrong when I first turned it on. It seems that the new and thinner sets are going lack quality. I guess there isn't room to add quality speakers (so they say). And no headphone jack is a bummer. Seems like a bedroom TV so why not add it. I'm still going to give this TV a shot but if I can't fix the sound, I'll return it also. If you want to read my current audio fix read below.
MOUNTING.
I also purchased a Cheetah mount and there was another issue there. The corner of the plate that attaches to the TV covered up both HDMI ports. If you decide to mount it, you may want to look at the smaller version or another brand.
SOUND FIX.
I am still trying to work out this sound situation after a week of internet searching. I have a pair of cheap Altec Lansing PC speakers that I purchased and are powered by the TV's USB and using a Y adapter from the RCA jacks to the 3.5mm. Unfortunate issue is the TV cannot control the volume. I need to adjust it by the speaker's volume. This may be fine for movies, but for regular TV watching may be a pain with channel surfing and loud commercials. If the TV had a headphone jack this would not be an issue.
UPDATE: Sent this TV back and picked up the Toshiba 26C100U. After I set it up and turned up the volume, all I could say was "Finally. I can hear it". Without jumping through hoops.
I completely agree with the review left by Steve P. Moss. I love the picture. Very sharp and vibrant. I haven't given it a 1080p test but I'm not sure how important it is on a 24". I love the thinness and the overall look of the set. along with a digital out it has an analog out (red and white) which I guess is hard to come by these days.
THE SOUND.
I thought something was wrong when I first turned it on. It seems that the new and thinner sets are going lack quality. I guess there isn't room to add quality speakers (so they say). And no headphone jack is a bummer. Seems like a bedroom TV so why not add it. I'm still going to give this TV a shot but if I can't fix the sound, I'll return it also. If you want to read my current audio fix read below.
MOUNTING.
I also purchased a Cheetah mount and there was another issue there. The corner of the plate that attaches to the TV covered up both HDMI ports. If you decide to mount it, you may want to look at the smaller version or another brand.
SOUND FIX.
I am still trying to work out this sound situation after a week of internet searching. I have a pair of cheap Altec Lansing PC speakers that I purchased and are powered by the TV's USB and using a Y adapter from the RCA jacks to the 3.5mm. Unfortunate issue is the TV cannot control the volume. I need to adjust it by the speaker's volume. This may be fine for movies, but for regular TV watching may be a pain with channel surfing and loud commercials. If the TV had a headphone jack this would not be an issue.
UPDATE: Sent this TV back and picked up the Toshiba 26C100U. After I set it up and turned up the volume, all I could say was "Finally. I can hear it". Without jumping through hoops.
Sony Alpha NEX-C3 16 MP Compact Interchangeable Lens Digital
I've had many different digital cameras, but this one has rapidly become my favorite in most respects.
Camara Body and Feel
It is very small and comfortable to hold. It feels sturdy and well-built. All of the buttons are solid to the touch. Changing lenses is simple and fast, and it comes with an attachable flash.
The Menus/Interface
The interface is mostly easy to use and understand. It will take a little time to get used to, but it shouldn't be too much of a hindrance. There are only a couple of buttons on the camera that specifically do one function. Most of the buttons are assignable, so you can quickly get at the options you use most.
Image Quality
Stunning. Unless you're a professional who is used to cameras that cost several times as much as this, you will be impressed at the image quality. The large sensor allows for a lot of fine detail and really helps when there's not much light. The low-light capabilities of this camera are absolutely amazing. I can take clear photos in situations where all of my other cameras would require a flash or tripod to prevent blur. I'm a big fan of unique lighting, so this is very important to me.
Lenses
I bought the one with the fixed 16mm lens, however I've also tried the 18-55mm zoom lens. The 16mm lens is surprisingly wide for the only included lens. Its very small, and I'll use it primarily for its portability and situations where I'll be focusing on something other than photography. The 16mm lens doesn't have SteadyShot.
I fully intend on buying the 18-55mm lens. I borrowed one and immediately fell in love with it. Its substantially more bulky, but its much more versatile. Full zoom on close subjects allows for a very good macro as well. I'm anxious to see how the upcoming macro lens will improve on this. This lens does have SteadyShot.
Improvements Over Older Models
If you own the NEX-3 or NEX-5 you probably won't need to get this new one. The C3 has a small edge in several areas including resolution, low light capabilities, battery life, weight, size, color depth, and general image quality. Yes, that's a long list, but they are all minor improvements. The only real advantage of the older NEX-5 is that it takes 1080p video rather than 720p.
This is an amazingly functional little camera which takes surprisingly high quality photographs. Its lightning fast and extremely good at what it does. I would recommend this camera without hesitation to anyone looking for a prosumer/mid-range camera.
Camara Body and Feel
It is very small and comfortable to hold. It feels sturdy and well-built. All of the buttons are solid to the touch. Changing lenses is simple and fast, and it comes with an attachable flash.
The Menus/Interface
The interface is mostly easy to use and understand. It will take a little time to get used to, but it shouldn't be too much of a hindrance. There are only a couple of buttons on the camera that specifically do one function. Most of the buttons are assignable, so you can quickly get at the options you use most.
Image Quality
Stunning. Unless you're a professional who is used to cameras that cost several times as much as this, you will be impressed at the image quality. The large sensor allows for a lot of fine detail and really helps when there's not much light. The low-light capabilities of this camera are absolutely amazing. I can take clear photos in situations where all of my other cameras would require a flash or tripod to prevent blur. I'm a big fan of unique lighting, so this is very important to me.
Lenses
I bought the one with the fixed 16mm lens, however I've also tried the 18-55mm zoom lens. The 16mm lens is surprisingly wide for the only included lens. Its very small, and I'll use it primarily for its portability and situations where I'll be focusing on something other than photography. The 16mm lens doesn't have SteadyShot.
I fully intend on buying the 18-55mm lens. I borrowed one and immediately fell in love with it. Its substantially more bulky, but its much more versatile. Full zoom on close subjects allows for a very good macro as well. I'm anxious to see how the upcoming macro lens will improve on this. This lens does have SteadyShot.
Improvements Over Older Models
If you own the NEX-3 or NEX-5 you probably won't need to get this new one. The C3 has a small edge in several areas including resolution, low light capabilities, battery life, weight, size, color depth, and general image quality. Yes, that's a long list, but they are all minor improvements. The only real advantage of the older NEX-5 is that it takes 1080p video rather than 720p.
This is an amazingly functional little camera which takes surprisingly high quality photographs. Its lightning fast and extremely good at what it does. I would recommend this camera without hesitation to anyone looking for a prosumer/mid-range camera.
Sony BDVN890W/Z Blu-ray Home Theater Systems
I'm replacing a 420 watt Sony 5.1 system with this 1000 watt Sony 5.1 system. I'm not an audiophile and I can't detect the difference between the crazy highs and crazy lows.
But I can say that this does sound good to my ears. The sounds is clear with minimal hiss. It plays well with my Sony tv (kdl55nx810). I really like the fact that it tells my tv to turn off its crappy speakers as the systems speakers are starting.
Pro's
1. Using my Directv remote, I can do a turn all off and it will turn of the dtv receiver, the television and the audio receiver.
2. Great clear sound for the money
3. Easy set up and installation. Sony has taken some of the "guess work" out of the process and it was easy to do. I took my sweet time, but you could easily be up and running in a matter of 15 minutes. I actually enjoyed the testing of the speakers using the provided microphone. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was cool, but it was neat.
4. Excellent picture quality for the blu-rays. I already own a Sony blu-ray player and the audio system is on par in regards to picture quality.
5. Sufficient imputs. Not needing to connect a blu-ray player basically opens up one hdmi imput. I can, though I don't, run the directv receiver through the audio receiver and a ps3 or xbox 360. So it isn't a ton of inputs, but it is more than I need.
6. Works well with optical cable out from the tv. I run all of my devices to my tv and then the audio out to the audio receiver. It works fine and there isn't any lag.
7. Wireless speakers were easy to install and I actually like their setup. I have a multitude of wifi or 3g/4g devices (2 mobile phones, 1 tablet, 2 laptops, etc.) near the speakers and I haven't heard any interference or feedback. Also, I'm not having to charge or replace batteries which is a plus.
8. The bonus Homeshare wireless speaker is nice, not great, but you can listen to streamed music off of the network in multiple rooms and including outdoors. It too isn't truly wireless as it has to be plugged in. It was easy to connect to the network and I'm happy enough to listen to the radio over it. I have a reasonably sized house and it worked upstairs as well as on the same level as my wireless router.
9. Setting the radio presets was easy.
10. The usb ports play video files well. It's easy and simple enough.
11. The user interface is VERY familiar from owning a ps3 and a Sony tv. It is simple and intuitive.
12. Setting the DLNA with my computer was easy enough.
13. The remote is good enough. It would be nice if it were rf or had a keypad or something, but that isn't really too necessary.
Con's:
1. The system takes about 8 seconds (give or take) to load. Usually my tv is on by that time and I'm waiting patiently for it to engage so I can actually watch my program.
2. It could always be louder. But at its max audio, it does shake the house a little.
3. I plugged in a crappy (play toy) karaoke machine via composite cables into the audio receiver and there was a substantial lag. I then plugged the composite cables into the tv and ran that same audio feed back to the receiver via optical cable and there was still a lag, but it wasn't nearly as bad.
4. Wireless speakers aren't truly wireless. They have a signal receiver which plugs into the wall and the speakers are wired into that. It's not bad... but it isn't truly wireless.
5. The homeshare bonus speaker doesn't work with Pandora or other internet radio options. It also doesn't seem to work with just the simple television mode. If I were to buy the speaker, the limitations would annoy me, but since it was basically free, I think it is a very nice bonus. This speaker also isn't entirely wireless considering it has to be plugged in. It would be nice if it were battery operated, but no.
6. They give you 20 radio preset slots, but where I live only 7 or 8 stations really come in well. There doesn't seem to be a way to simply opt out of a preset, so cycling through them either means repeating stations, or quickly moving through non-stations.
7. Strangely enough, my Sony tv remote doesn't seem to be able to control the audio system. And my directv remote doesn't have full control... but I think that is because I have to choose a different program code. I'll play with it to get it to work.
Revision 9/29/12:
Under 7 Con I was able to figure out which preset program mode for my DirecTv remote. So I have full functionality pause, play, stop, etc. Also, the manual says that there is an app for your Iphone which allows you to control the blu-ray player. The manual appears to be a bit outdated because there is an app for Android as well, and it is pretty cool. You can use your phone's touch screen like a mousepad and you can go to a website and then send it to the tv via the blu-ray player. So you can show sites and pictures with ease. I really like what they did with it. While you can't send youtube videos directly to your tv, you can use the youtube program and then use the phone to type which show you are trying to watch. It is a really nice function.
But I can say that this does sound good to my ears. The sounds is clear with minimal hiss. It plays well with my Sony tv (kdl55nx810). I really like the fact that it tells my tv to turn off its crappy speakers as the systems speakers are starting.
Pro's
1. Using my Directv remote, I can do a turn all off and it will turn of the dtv receiver, the television and the audio receiver.
2. Great clear sound for the money
3. Easy set up and installation. Sony has taken some of the "guess work" out of the process and it was easy to do. I took my sweet time, but you could easily be up and running in a matter of 15 minutes. I actually enjoyed the testing of the speakers using the provided microphone. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was cool, but it was neat.
4. Excellent picture quality for the blu-rays. I already own a Sony blu-ray player and the audio system is on par in regards to picture quality.
5. Sufficient imputs. Not needing to connect a blu-ray player basically opens up one hdmi imput. I can, though I don't, run the directv receiver through the audio receiver and a ps3 or xbox 360. So it isn't a ton of inputs, but it is more than I need.
6. Works well with optical cable out from the tv. I run all of my devices to my tv and then the audio out to the audio receiver. It works fine and there isn't any lag.
7. Wireless speakers were easy to install and I actually like their setup. I have a multitude of wifi or 3g/4g devices (2 mobile phones, 1 tablet, 2 laptops, etc.) near the speakers and I haven't heard any interference or feedback. Also, I'm not having to charge or replace batteries which is a plus.
8. The bonus Homeshare wireless speaker is nice, not great, but you can listen to streamed music off of the network in multiple rooms and including outdoors. It too isn't truly wireless as it has to be plugged in. It was easy to connect to the network and I'm happy enough to listen to the radio over it. I have a reasonably sized house and it worked upstairs as well as on the same level as my wireless router.
9. Setting the radio presets was easy.
10. The usb ports play video files well. It's easy and simple enough.
11. The user interface is VERY familiar from owning a ps3 and a Sony tv. It is simple and intuitive.
12. Setting the DLNA with my computer was easy enough.
13. The remote is good enough. It would be nice if it were rf or had a keypad or something, but that isn't really too necessary.
Con's:
1. The system takes about 8 seconds (give or take) to load. Usually my tv is on by that time and I'm waiting patiently for it to engage so I can actually watch my program.
2. It could always be louder. But at its max audio, it does shake the house a little.
3. I plugged in a crappy (play toy) karaoke machine via composite cables into the audio receiver and there was a substantial lag. I then plugged the composite cables into the tv and ran that same audio feed back to the receiver via optical cable and there was still a lag, but it wasn't nearly as bad.
4. Wireless speakers aren't truly wireless. They have a signal receiver which plugs into the wall and the speakers are wired into that. It's not bad... but it isn't truly wireless.
5. The homeshare bonus speaker doesn't work with Pandora or other internet radio options. It also doesn't seem to work with just the simple television mode. If I were to buy the speaker, the limitations would annoy me, but since it was basically free, I think it is a very nice bonus. This speaker also isn't entirely wireless considering it has to be plugged in. It would be nice if it were battery operated, but no.
6. They give you 20 radio preset slots, but where I live only 7 or 8 stations really come in well. There doesn't seem to be a way to simply opt out of a preset, so cycling through them either means repeating stations, or quickly moving through non-stations.
7. Strangely enough, my Sony tv remote doesn't seem to be able to control the audio system. And my directv remote doesn't have full control... but I think that is because I have to choose a different program code. I'll play with it to get it to work.
Revision 9/29/12:
Under 7 Con I was able to figure out which preset program mode for my DirecTv remote. So I have full functionality pause, play, stop, etc. Also, the manual says that there is an app for your Iphone which allows you to control the blu-ray player. The manual appears to be a bit outdated because there is an app for Android as well, and it is pretty cool. You can use your phone's touch screen like a mousepad and you can go to a website and then send it to the tv via the blu-ray player. So you can show sites and pictures with ease. I really like what they did with it. While you can't send youtube videos directly to your tv, you can use the youtube program and then use the phone to type which show you are trying to watch. It is a really nice function.
Heliopan 77mm Digital Filter
List Price: $435.99
Sale Price: $301.99
Today's Bonus: 31% Off
i mounted this on a Sony 135 1.8 lens with a Sony A99 full frame. Tested setup on a tripod at an eye chart. Locked the gear and fired at several with or without filter combinations. Under studio lighting, I actually got better contrast with the same pixel level resolution when the Heliopan digital filter was on. I tried using my old favorite the B+W nano clear line filters and the contrast was not as good there. The resolution at pixel level was also off versus the Heliopan and versus the naked lens. So to sum it, the Heliopan gave better contrast than the lens under indoor lighting keeping the same sharpness. The B+W was a tad less sharp versus the lens.