Sony Bloggie Touch Camera, 4-Hour (Black)

Customer Ratings:

I've had this camera for about a week now and have been loving it ever since. I've used another "flip" camcorder and the Bloggie Touch puts it to shame.

Pros:

1. Love the quick on and record. Great for spontaneous videos of the little one.

2. The touch screen interface makes it both useful and fun to use the big screen.

3. The still pictures come out brilliant, when the lighting and focus is good.

4. The battery charges up super fast and stays with you for a whole day of shooting.

5. The image stabilization is good. You can take decent video while walking around and panning too. Note that it is not optical, but electronic SteadyShot stabilization.

6. The lens is very good quality and the pictures are crisp.

7. Really like the "snap picture while recording" feature. I find myself using that feature the most. The video doesn't stall while the picture (full 12M resolution) is being taken and since the focus and exposure are usually locked well while you're in the middle of the video, the pictures come out great.

Cons:

1. In low lighting, there is quite a bit of graininess and using the digital zoom makes it much worse.

2. While the lens is good quality, the auto-focus mechanism is really very slow. If you move around the camera too much before focus has locked on, the auto-focus will almost never lock.

3. What I really miss with this camera is a flash. Even a tiny one would help with low light pictures.

4. Minor annoyance: to preview a picture right after you take it, you have to go through at least two clicks. Sony could have designed it so that it always goes to the last picture taken by default, instead of the thumbnail list of all pictures/video on the device.

I decided to purchase this camera over a still camera that can do video because:

1. This one is dead simple. One button to turn on, one to take video and one to take stills. This makes it both easy and quick to use.

2. This one can do 1080p video and 720p at 60fps.

3. Its under $200 and is smaller than your phone.

4. Its got internal flash and USB connector no more SD cards or cables. 8GB is enough to get you through the day before you can come back to your laptop to dump the pictures.

I decided to purchase this camera over other ones in the same category because:

1. Its got a big display and the touch screen is fun to use.

2. Its got a better lens system than the others.

3. Its got (some) image stabilization.

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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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Pulsar N750 Digisight Riflescope

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $2,399.99
Sale Price: $1,599.97
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

OK, The unit is well constructed and light compared to some of the units I used in the Military. I bought the "Doubler adapter on ebay from "colmarlowe" Which works on the principal of the "Cantilever" is anchored at the top. The beam carries the load to the support where it fits nicely into he scope 's recessed housing in the front and is forced against it by cantilever force. Cantilever construction allows for structures without external bracing. (Think of the Golden Gate bridge) Then I added the Yukon doubler night vision scope lens. (Nothing made for a camera) to colmarlowes "doubler adapter" and SHAZAM! I also added a TNVC torch pro IR Illuminator on top of the unit (The doubler lens adapter from colmarlowe has a rail accessory on top of the cantilever) and I am looking at insects on big white flowers at 100 yards! (You have to adjust the focus knob on the scope, and the diopter on the eye piece and it is very very good. But here is the kicker. With the yukon doubler lens on "colmarlowe's doubler adapter I can screw the Yukon lens in or out to fine tune the focal length (And lock it with the locking ring) and I can now see insects on white magnolia flowers at night at 100 yards!!! (Colmarlowe is an engineering genius)He takes a good scope and makes it phenominal!!! I am watching deer out at around 300 yards and I clearly saw a does urine stream with amazing clarity!!! (With the TNVC Torch pro IR illuminator) If you are only going to use the onboard IR then unscrew the cap and remove the black honeycomb light diffusor from the onboard IR illuminator and that works "Good" on its own (If you are using colmarlowe's doubler adapter with the Yukon doubler lens)

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Yamaha RX-V575 7.2-Channel Network AV Receiver with Airplay

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $549.95
Sale Price: $449.95
Today's Bonus: 18% Off

Amazon did a great job with this product's description. They even included a product comparison to help you choose the right one for you, so I will keep it short. Good features and great sound at a good price! With the 7.1 you can either have 7 speakers in 1 room or 5 speakers in 1 room and 2 speakers in another (Zone B).

I chose the RX-V575 over the RX-V475 because of the multi-zone (Zone B) which I need for my patio speakers. If you do not need speakers in a separate room/area then you can save about $100 with the RX-V475. Furthermore, if you do not need the additional connectivity and network features such as: MHL, AirPLay, and music streaming, then you can save another $150 with the RX-V375 for a total savings of $250 from the RX-V575.

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Moultrie M-880 Low Glow Game Camera

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $159.99
Sale Price: $124.86
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

I own several game cameras: Bushnell Trophy 8MP HD, Primos Truth Cam 35, and now a Moultrie M-880. I have been operating the Moultrie for 10 days so far. I've used the Bushnell for about 6 months. I've used the Primos for almost one year. The Moultrie clearly beats the Bushnell in several characteristics. (The Primos does not rank against these two cameras.)

1. In the field, and I know there are lab results that claim differently, but in the field, the Moultrie triggers faster than the Bushnell. This was easily noticeable in the first set of pictures I downloaded. I have had both cameras in the same position monitoring the same section of my driveway (we have a long driveway). The Bushnell often catches the very end of the rear quarter panel as a car is exiting the field of view. The Moultrie catches the front quarter panel as a car enters the field of view. Wow! Then it catches pictures of the entire car as it passes by. I knew that was significant at first glance.

2. The imitation bark housing works surprisingly well. This camera completely dissolves into summer woodlands. Unless someone steps right up to it, they're not going to see it. The Bushnell, in brown, looks like just what it is: a game camera strapped to a tree. You can pick it out from 250 feet.

3. The Moultrie has motion freeze for night pictures. It is an improvement over the Bushnell's night shots, but that's about all can be said. The feature itself is nothing spectacular.

4. The Moultrie costs about $25.00 less.

5. In night photos, the Moultrie reaches further. Moultrie claims 100 feet. I think they're reaching that (see Update below). Bushnell claims 80 feet and I think that is true also.

6. The thumb latches on the Moultrie can be released with gloves on. This is not possible with the Bushnell. However, no other functions on either camera can be operated with gloves on, so this issue may be unimportant. (See Update below)

For the above reasons, the Moultrie I have beats the Bushnell I have.

Cons:

1. The Moultrie uses a double-ring locking hasp which makes it too wide. It requires a lock with a minimum shank length of one inch. This length is predominately available on big, honking padlocks that are overkill for the application, and since they are usually finished with bright zinc, they compromise the very effective bark camouflage. I wish the hasp was smaller. (See Update below)

Other comments:

Daytime picture quality is comparable between the two. No noticeable difference. (Wrong. See Update 9-23-2013 below.)

Given these differences and assuming there are no future reliability problems, my next camera will be definitely be another Moultrie.

UPDATE (9-8-2013):

1. The night distance illumination continues to impress me. I am using the "image freeze" feature for night shots, which is a faster shutter speed and consequently, less light, but my night time photos are well lit as far out as 90 feet (measured). It's probably better than that, but for my camera placements so far, 90 feet is as far as foliage will allow me to see anyway.

2. I really don't like the latches on the Bushnell. I have medium sized fingers, but it's always a struggle to pull the latches on the Bushnell. I have to use my limited fingernails and if the tree is big, which limits the space behind the latches, then it's a real struggle to get my fingers behind the latch.

3. In case anyone is interested, I came up with a solution to the wide double hasp on the Moultrie, which requires a lock with a minimum 1" long shank. I cut the loop end off of a 3/16" steel cable just behind the ferrule. I flattened the ferrule to make sure it could not pass through the hasp on the Moultrie, and I squeezed the cable loop with pliers to make it narrow enough that it will pass through the hasp. I drop the loop through the hasp till it sticks out the bottom (the ferrule stops against the hasp), and then I pass a small padlock through the exposed end of the cable loop and lock it. Done. (See two photos in Customer Images)

The more I use this Moultrie, the more I like it.

UPDATE (9-23-2013):

I swapped the cameras a few days ago. Now the Moultrie is strapped to the same exact location where the Bushnell was and vice versa.

1. The night illumination of the Moultrie is a whole lot better than I even realized. Now I can see that, at 90 feet, the Bushnell has reached its maximum distance and the field of illumination is a flashlight effect, roughly 15 feet wide and falling off rapidly after that. The Moultrie easily reaches 90 feet and floods an area at least 40 feet wide.

2. The daytime pictues of the Bushnell have a lot more image blur. When people pass the Bushnell, their legs are a complete blur, whereas on the Moultrie only their feet are completely blurred.

3. The Moultrie absolutely positively triggers faster. I was jogging past the cameras and the Moultrie caught me when I was about 1/4 of the way into the field of view. The Bushnell did not snap a photo until I was 1/2 way into the field of view. In each case I was passing perpendicular to each camera and the same distance away, give or take 5 feet.

***************************************************

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Motorola XT-910 DROID RAZR Unlocked GSM Smartphone with 8 MP

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $799.99
Sale Price: $262.99
Today's Bonus: 67% Off

I don't understand why Amazon is selling this phone as UNLOCKED when is NOT UNLOCKED, this phone is locked to Yoigo Spain, and unlock codes doesn't work because of some Yoigo problem.

If you live in South America this phone will not work, yo have been warned, and the worst thing is that Amazon won't help you in any way, I wrote them about the problem and they told me to comunicate to Motorola, I did that via Mail and Motorola never responded me, then I told Amazon that Motorola didn't respond me and they also didn't respond, so I was left alone to solve this problem any way I can when it should be Amazon's obligaton to give me a solution. I have been a very good Amazon customer and I am really disapointed that after buying so many things from them, I didn't get any help, a very good customer as I, should't be treated that way!

At first when I inserted my Sim card I got a message asking for a network code, but after trying many codes the message was gone and now I only get an Invalid Sim message, so now my only choice is to unlock it via software, so I have to pay an extra $35 to a store so my phone can be unlock via software, I just hope it works, otherwise I will have a very nice $500 mp3 player.

So to resume don't buy this phone because it is NOT UNLOCKED and Amazon won't give you any help!

At the end , there was no way to unlcok this phone, I tried everything and it wasn't posible!

Also the phone was bought directly from Amazon.com LLC, not from a reseller.

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Cavision Standard Shoulder Pad Package for DSLR/5D MII Cameras;

Customer Ratings:

I agonized over which shoulder mount to buy for my Canon 7D rig. In large part, I was agonizing over the prices some places like Redrock want. Ouch! Then I found this unit. Bought it, love it! This mount allows you to produce very stable shots. A minor issue for me is that I use a battery adaptor on the bottom of my camera. Apparently I must be the only video shooter in the world who does this because none of the accessory manufacturers seem to take the extra height into account! So, if you have a battery adaptor connected to the bottom of your camera you will not be able to use the nifty swing-away viewfinder that comes with this Cavision shoulder mount. No worries in my case, I have a Zacuto finder and wasn't sure I was going to use the Cavision finder anyway. I simply removed it. The results I've gotten with this shoulder mount are far superior to handholding the camera. Well worth the relatively small investment over the competing rigs. Paid for itself in one shoot!

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