Zwilling JA Henckels Twin Gourmet 15-Piece Block Set
Product Description
Zwilling JA Henckels Twin Gourmet 15-Piece Block Set,Wusthof Classic Gourmet 3 Piece Knife Set Product Description
If top-shelf Henckels knives will break your bank, you can still get high-quality performance and construction with the mid-range Henckels Gourmet line. This 15-piece set outfits you with the most used knives, including 8-inch chef, 8-inch bread, 5-inch serrated utility, and 4-inch paring blades. It also comes with a set of eight 4-1/2-inch steak knives, a 9-inch sharpening steel, pair of kitchen shears, and a handsome hardwood block with extra slots to help you grow your kitchen knife collection.
Each Gourmet knife is stamped from a single piece of high-carbon stainless steel, honed by hand, and hardened by the Friodur ice process, for maximum strength and stain-resistance. These knives boast a full tang, which is triple-riveted to a contoured handle made of Novadur polypropylene. This construction is impact-resistant, comfortable to hold, and durable. The set is safe for the dishwasher, but washing by hand is recommended. Henckels includes a lifetime warranty.
What's in the Box
15-piece set, including: 8-inch chef's knife, 8-inch bread knife, 5-inch serrated utility knife, 4-inch paring knife, eight 4-1/2-inch steak knives; 9-inch sharpening steel, kitchen shears, hardwood block with extra slots
This review is from: Zwilling JA Henckels Twin Gourmet 15-Piece Block Set (Kitchen)
This set is a cost-effective solution for making sure you always have a suitable decent-quality knife for the task on hand, but none of the included knives really qualifies as the kitchen knife of choice. For that, I would recommend a FORGED 8" chef's knife with a bolster (Henckels offers one for about $100 Zwillilng J.A. Henckels Twin Four Star 8-Inch High Carbon Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife), which would fit nicely into any of the few spare slots in the included block (none of which will fit a typical meat cleaver, incidentally).
The steak knives are a high point of the set. Note that they are serrated, which could lead to future sharpening difficulties. It goes without saying that the bread knife is also serrated.
There's nothing here that will impress an enthusiast, but for the rest of us, it's a reasonably-priced product that gets you 90% of the way toward a full suite of utilitarian cutlery.
Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 18-Piece Knife Block Set
Product Description
Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 18-Piece Knife Block Set, Chicagocutlery Fusi 18 Piece Set Including H Ey Maple Wood Block B Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 18-Piece Block Set with In Block Sharpener includes 1-each 3-inch Parer, 3.5-inch Parer, 5-inch Boning, 5.5-inch Utility, Shears, 7-inch Serrated Bread, 7-inch Santoku, 8-inch Slicer, 8-inch Chef, 17-slot block with In-Block Sharpener
This review is from: Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 18-Piece Knife Block Set with In-Block Knife Sharpener (Kitchen)
Last year my wife had given me a three piece Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 set for Christmas. Once I started using those knives, the rest the knives I owned never made it out of the drawer. I used to buy the typical department store brands (which shall remain unnamed) and pretty much had to replace them yearly. Once I found Chicago Cutlery, I never looked back.
When I saw this set on sale at Amazon, I simply had to get it. I still had an older 12-piece block set and wanted to finally make the upgrade to a full set of Chicago Cutlery Insignia2. That was definitely the best move I could have made.
Without going into too much detail, these knives are fantastic! They are super sharp and are tremendously comfortable to use, so no hand fatigue while prepping meals. Plus, with the in-block sharpener, you never have to worry about them getting dull. The knives themselves are quality made with the full tang and triple rivets. Unlike some lower end models that simply have the plastic overcoat which cracks off after regular use, these knives will last a lifetime.
Positives: Great quality, super comfortable to use, very sharp, in-block sharpener keeps your knives like new, and I don't know how I've lived without the Santoku for so long! The way it sits in your hand is prefect for chopping veggies.
Negatives: Only one complaint, which is the utility scissors that come with the set. It's a problem that is frustrating the first time you use them but you do get used to it. The scissors come apart for easy cleaning, which, don't get me wrong, is a fantastic idea. The problem is that they split apart after about a 35-40 degree opening. So as long as you don't open the scissors fully, you'll never have an issue.
Overall, I would recommend these knives to anyone at any level of cooking experience.
Chicago Cutlery 18-Piece Insignia Steel Knife Set
Product Description
Chicago Cutlery 18-Piece Insignia Steel Knife Set,Ja Henckels Internati Al Ged Premio 13 Piece Block Set Chicago cutlery insignia steel 18-piece block set with in block sharpener includes, 1-each 3-inch parer, 3-1/4-inch parer, 6-inch boning, 5-inch utility, shears, 8-inchserrated bread, 7-inch santoku, 8-inch slicer, 8-inchchef, 18-slot block within-block sharpner
This review is from: Chicago Cutlery 18-Piece Insignia Steel Knife Set with Block and In-Block Sharpener (Kitchen)
We had no idea how bad our knives were until we purchased this Chicago Cutlery set -- my husband promptly cut himself simply by handling a knife the way he was accustomed to. If you are someone who isn't willing to spend $1000 for a high end set but you still want decent knives, these are a great option. Prep is no longer a big chore and the scissors are the sharpest I've ever owned. Worth the money compared to other similarly priced sets and I expect to have them a long time due to the built in sharpener.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera
Product Description
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera ,S Y Cyber Shot Dsc Wx162 Mp Exmor R Cmos Digital Still Camera Style: 5D Mark II Body Manufacturer Description
Compact, lightweight with environmental protection, EOS 5D successor boasts a newly designed Canon CMOS sensor, with ISO sensitivity up to 25,600 for shooting in near dark conditions. The new DIGIC 4 processor combines with the improved CMOS sensor to deliver medium format territory image quality at 3.9 frames per second, for up to 310 frames. Triggered from Live View Mode, HD video capture allows users to shoot uninterrupted at full 1080 resolution at 30fps -- for amazing quality footage with outstanding levels of detail and realism. The integration of HD movie capability into a high-end 21.1-megapixel camera opens a multitude of new possibilities for photojournalists and news photographers. With its full-frame CMOS sensor and outstanding ISO performance, the EOS 5D Mark II will appeal to any photographer in search of the finest camera equipment available -- from studio and wedding to nature and travel photographers. Other improvements to the EOS 5D include:
- Addition of Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System, with a new Fluorine coating on the low-pass filter
- Larger 3.0-inch Clear View LCD with VGA resolution, a 170-degree angle of view and anti-reflective coatings
- Improved menu system including Quick Control Screen for more direct access to common settings
- Automatic peripheral illumination correction, utilizing detailed EF lens information to optimize JPEG images straight out of the camera
- Magnesium alloy construction with additional environmental protection
- UDMA memory card compatibility
EOS 5D Mark II Highlights New CMOS sensor The EOS 5D Mark II’s newly designed full-frame 21.1-megapixel CMOS sensor features ISO sensitivity from 100-6400, expandable to 50, 12,800 and 25,600. Large 6.4µm2 pixels have been redesigned to capture more light and yield a better signal to noise ratio to ensure lower noise images throughout the ISO range. The full frame sensor has the same dimensions as a frame of 35mm film. This means that wide-angle lenses stay wide, without the change in angle of view associated with smaller sensor cameras. As well as benefiting from finer control over depth of field, photographers moving up to the EOS 5D Mark II’s full frame format will find the newly designed wide, bright 98 percent coverage viewfinder on a joy to work with. New DIGIC 4 processor A new DIGIC 4 processor combined with 14-bit analogue to digital conversion provides smooth gradations in mono-tonal areas such as skies, and highly accurate color rendition. As well as HD movie shooting, DIGIC 4’s high speed provides for long uninterrupted continuous bursts of large JPEGs, near-instant start-up times and immediate and fast review after shooting. DIGIC 4 also provides for improved noise reduction algorithms, complementing the already low-noise images from the EOS 5D Mark II’s CMOS sensor. HD video capture The EOS 5D Mark II is Canon’s first DSLR to incorporate full HD 1920x1080 video capture. Once filming is started from Live View mode, photographers can fire off either single of continuous stills, with video capture continuing after the final frame is captured. See everything A new 3.0-inch VGA resolution LCD provides a wide 170 degree angle-of-view, providing plenty of clarity for accurate focus checks in playback. The screen brightness can automatically adjust to suit viewing conditions, extending battery life in low light and improving viewing in bright conditions. A new dedicated Live View button switches modes to display a real-time image on the LCD. This allows EOS 5D Mark II photographers to enjoy simplified shooting from awkward angles. Simple connection to a PC provides easy remote shooting. Precision focus and metering A 9-point auto focus system is supported by 6 additional invisible Assist AF points, located inside the spot-metering circle to optimise subject tracking performance in AI SERVO AF mode. For accurate exposure readings in tricky lighting conditions, the spot metering circle covers just 3.5 percent of the frame. Control The EOS 5D Mark II’s redesigned menu system includes a new Quick Control screen, for instant access to the most commonly changed settings. A new Creative Auto mode allows photographers to cede control of key settings to the camera, while retaining control over creative variables such background blur, drive mode and image brightness. Custom user settings allow photographers to switch between two completely different camera setups. This is ideal for changing quickly between two different environments, such as switching from working inside a church without flash to outdoors with fill-flash at a wedding. Optional Accessories Shooting flexibility is enhanced with a range of new accessories. Shooting capacity can be extended with either the high-capacity 1800mAh lithium-ion Battery Pack LP-E6, or Battery Grip BG-E6. A new optional Wireless File Transmitter The WFT-E4 offers external HDD and GPS compatibility along with ability to transmit images direct to computer or FTP server, or operate the camera wirelessly. Both the BG-E6 and WFT-E4 feature a vertical orientation shutter release and other key controls for comfortable portraiture work, with a substantial grip to help balance the camera when used with long lenses. What's in the Box
- EOS 5D Mark II Body
- Eyecup Eb
- Wide Neck Strap EW-EOS5DMKII
- Stereo Video Cable STV-250N
- USB Interface Cable IFC-200U
- Battery Charger LC-E6
- Battery Pack LP-E6
- EOS Digital Solution Disk
- Software Instruction Manual
This review is from: Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) (Camera)
Canon 5D Mark II
Never Ever: Rent, borrow or use the Canon 5D Mark II, if you do, you will have to own it. It's that good!
Pros:
Crazy high ISO performance
Fantastic amazing image quality you have to see to believe!
Great menus, sharper, brighter, easier to read then 40D
Video, did someone say video? I love it! You will need a tripod!
Fantastic rear LCD that you can check actual photo sharpness
Super low light high ISO photographic tool with 25,600 ISO!!!
Feels great in your hands, the grip texture is easy to hold and is well balanced
Low 50 ISO allows photos at F/1.2 aperture out in bright sunlight for shallow DOF
Cons:
No Built in popup Flash
A little slower shooting then the 40D
Very demanding of lenses, high end L lenses are a must have
Huge files: you will need larger memory cards and a larger hard drive
Ultra large bright sharp viewfinder makes my 40D finder seem dim and tiny
Hum... I'm thinking..
Intro:
I have had my Canon 5D Mark II for a little over two weeks now. And I'm having a hard time putting it down.
I tried switching back to my Canon 40D and the very first thing you notice is how small, dim and fuzzy the viewfinder on the 40D is compared to the 5D Mark II. Especially if you are older you will really appreciate being able to easy see and read information in the viewfinder not to mention you can actually manually focus with it. It reminds me of my switch from the Canon Rebel XTi to the 40D. It's that big a difference.
The Images are huge and quite simply stunning. Plus I find that I can get away with very low noise all the way up to 3200 ISO on the 5D Mark II where the 40D was very noisy. In fact I would not hesitate to say the 5D Mark II photos has less noise at 9,600 ISO then the 40D does at 1600 ISO.
Lenses:
I have never had the pleasure of owning a Camera that is this demanding of the lens you use. It's like an instant lens test. I haven't seen much in-depth lens as used on 5D Mark II information on the other reviews and decided this would be good to be included in my review.
All of these lenses are brighter in the viewfinder and focus much better on my 5D Mark II then on my 40D.
So, with that said after several hundred photos I can give you a rundown of my most used, most favorite, best performing and least used lenses that I have used on the 5D Mark II and a few un-expected surprises along the way.
1. Canon 200mm F/2 IS L lens. This lens is my new master of resolving power. Even wide open at F/2 it is sharper then any other lens I have ever used. I could go on and on but here's a few highlights: Lightening fast auto focus, F/2 speed at 200mm, unbelievable perfect 10 Images, public attention hog, otherworldly image stabilization, great build quality, weather sealed, fantastic perfect buttery smooth Bokeh and what a lens case! If you crave attention and demand the absolute best there is the do what ever it takes to get this lens on your Canon 5D Mark II. If you do not like public attention you may want to skip to number 2 in this list as I have never been asked so many questions about a lens as this one. But it's all worth it as the clarity, sharpness, Bokeh and colors are: otherworldly, insane, impossible, rare, perfect, out of sight, crazy!!
2. Canon 85mm F/1.2 II L lens. Without a doubt at F/4 (after the Canon 200mm F/2 of course) this lens delivers the clearest sharpest and most resolving power onto any photograph you care to take with the Canon 5D Mark II. The clarity has to be seen to be believed. At F/1.2 the Depth of Field (DOF) is scary thin and the edges are super soft which is great for female portraiture. The super soft creamy dreamy Bokeh at F/1.2 is much smoother on the 5D Mark II over my 40D. But stop this lens down to F/1.8 and it gets scary sharp and clear. Step it down to F/4.0 and it's at its sharpest and the only lens I have that gives you 100% pixel peeping razor blade edge to edge top to bottom perfect clarity in every single area of the photo. For some reason this lens is even sharper on my 5D Mark II then my 40D or Rebel, don't know why but it is. Guess it's getting the full resolving power to the 21 megapixel sensor.
Looking at a photo on my iMac taken with a 5D Mark II with this lens stopped down to F/4 is like standing there looking through an open window at the actual scene! You feel like you could actually open up the computer screen like opening a window and climb in!!!
The 85mm F/1.2 is your low light monster on the 5D Mark II, I don't have to harp too much on what an F/1.2 aperture and an ISO 25,600 can do for you at night. Let's just say you can go out into what appears to be a dark night and do hand held photos.
Not all is perfect as it's: expensive, heavy, and hard to focus wide open, focus lock does not work and it eats camera batteries at twice the rate of my other lenses. Also it doesn't focus as close on the 5D Mark II as it did on my 40D so you can't get head filling close ups. This isn't really a problem, as with 21 Mega Pixels I can crop no problem. However, all this is forgiven when I get back to my iMac and view the results. This is the very first lens I will reach for when using the 5D Mark II and the one that's on it 90% of the time. If I could have just one lens for a Canon 5D Mark II this would be the one! [...]
2. Tie! Canon 135mm F/2 L. It's small light and stealthy and has fastest and best auto-focus of any lens I have ever owned (after the Canon 200mm F/2 IS L). It even focuses pretty close on the 5D Mark II. This lens is amazing, the Bokeh looks like sweet candy and it's sharper wide open then the Canon 85mm F/1.2 II L lens is wide open and stop it down to F/2.2 and it's as sharp as any lens I have. It's not a zoom so it's not as versatile but it's a great waist up portrait lens out in public and in larger studios. It's one of my most used lens at outdoor public events along with the 85mm F/1.2 II L (renaissance festivals etc.) where I'm photographing people. For some reason this lens is a little sharper on my Canon Rebel and 40D I guess because I'm using the center of the lens and it's sharper on these cropped sensor cameras.
3. Canon 100-400 F/4.5 - F/5.6 IS L lens. This is the second most used lens in my 5D Mark II arsenal. This lens was my biggest surprise of the group. Its Ok wide open but it's a monster of clarity at F/7.1 like it never was on my Canon 40D. It also becomes useable on the 5D Mark II in wider shot situations where on the 40D it was only usable as a longer lens. Sporting the longest zoom range of any Canon zoom this lens has to be without doubt the finest Zoo lens ever made, [...] You can frame almost any animal in almost any exhibit perfectly. This is also my lens of choice for taking photos of people at events with the 5D Mark II and is the King of versatility on a full-framed sensor camera. This is my sharpest and clearest zoom lens by a long shot (no pun intended. It's as close to the you are there feeling of the 85mm F/1.2 lI lens as any zoom lens I have. It's only drawbacks are it's a little heavy, is slow aperture wise (that's Ok with the 5D Mark II high ISO capability) and it gets a huge amount of attention out in public. I don't care it's all worth it this is a must have lens with the 5D Mark II. Again, for some reason this lens is even sharper on my 5D Mark II then my 40D or Rebel, don't know why but it is.
5-26-2009 100-400 update: So I came back from the Riparian Bird Preserve yesterday where it was rather dusty and I noticed that my sensor and mirror box were full of dust. I decided to do a test on my 100-400 lens and sure enough it does pump dust into the camera body.
If you turn the zoom friction ring all the way loose and zoom in and out with the bottom end cap off there is no resistance. If you put the bottom end cap on tightly and zoom you can feel resistance. Then if you loosen the end cap just a little you can actually feel air being sucked in and out around the end cap as you zoom in and out.
Thank God for my FIrefly digital sensor cleaning system! And be forewarned if you own this lens.
4. Canon 17-40 F/4 L lens. This is my sleeper lens. A so so walk around lens on my 40D becomes a wide angle monster on my Canon 5D Mark II. This lens is soft wide open at F/4 but sharpens up noticeably at F/4.5 and becomes a super wide angle take it all in landscape and interior monster when stopped down to F/9 on a Canon 5D Mark II. This is a lens I always carry with me now since I never know when I might see a wide angle opportunity. Doesn't have the you are there feeling when viewing the photos on my iMac as much as the above three lenses but it's closer to perfection then you will ever see on a cropped sensor camera. I keep hoping that Canon will make a wide angle zoom that matches the performance of my Canon 100-400 IS L zoom lens. This lens has a similar sharpness on both the Canon 5D Mark II and cropped sensor cameras like my 40D.
5. Canon 70-200 F/2.8 L lens. This lens is actually about even with my Canon 100-400 IS L Lens in the zoom sharpness and clarity department but it's no where near as versatile on my 5D Mark II as the 100-400. Still it's a must have lens when shooting weddings when you need the super Bokeh background melting power of an F/2.8 aperture and lower light power of an F/2.8 aperture. The sharpness and clarity at F/2.8 that was Ok on the 40D is much improved for some strange reason on the 5D Mark II. And the Bokeh is much smoother creamier and richer on the 5D Mark II.
Just have to mention a great alternative lens the Canon 70-200 F/4 I/S L lens which I think is a sharper and better lens then the 70-200 F/2.8 as not only does it have a fluorite element but I did some back to back testing with my friends F/4 and my F/2.8 and the 70-200 F/4 was indeed better and at a great price. Additionally it's much lighter in weight and smaller physically. However keep in mind at F/4 it is a slower lens.
6. Canon 24-70 F/2.8 L lens. This is the lens I reach for when I'm shooting closer photos at a wedding and I need the versatility of a zoom. It's also the lens I reach for when shooting videos with the 5D Mark II. If I could shoot all day with the Canon 85mm F/1.2 II L I would. But at a wedding where you can't always zoom with your feet I reach for the Canon 24-70 F/2.8 L. Its good on the 5D Mark II but not as good as the 17-40 L but has better reach then the 17-40. But it does not have that uncanny you are there feel of the first three lenses on my list. The Canon 5D Mark II clearly out resolves this lens and that is very disappointing for an L lens that costs over a thousand dollars. Thank GOD for the auto peripheral as this lens is a Vignetting monster when shot wide open on a 5D Mark II, it was not on the 40D. With the Vignetting control built into Digital Photo Professional (DPP) and the on-board 5D Mark II auto control it's perfect and Vignetting is not a problem. This lens is also very fragile and has required sending back to Canon for recalibration but is a must have in my arsenal only because I do weddings. I'm hoping Canon will come out with an Image Stabilized improved version that has that you are there feel of the 100-400 zoom. Once again it seems like this lens may be losing it's calibration and I am starting to lose my patience. If you need this lens then get it just beware of possible maintenance problems.
7. Canon 50mm F/1.8 II lens. This lens which was pretty decent on the 40D and Rebel XTi comes completely apart on the 5D Mark II. No surprise since it's only $89. I guess the surprise was how well it had worked on a Canon 40D and Rebel XTi. If you own a 5D Mark II then don't bother. If you own a cropped sensor camera its a great little lens.
8. Canon 17-50mm F/2.8 EF-S L lens. Why am I mentioning this lens here? It's a shame this cropped sensor only lens can't be used on the 5D Mark II. It's one of my most used and sharpest lenses on my Canon 40D and Canon Rebel XTi. In fact it's my daughter's favorite lens on those two cameras. Because it's such a great sharp low light monster because of the Image Stabilization (IS) it would be fantastic on the 5D Mark II. Canon please make us a wide angle L lens with IS. It's been very reliable un-like my 24-70, I highly recommend if you have a cropped sensor camera!
9. Canon 15mm Fisheye! This lens is a hoot on the 5D Mark II. A full 180 degrees of wide angle fun! Put it on and shoot the inside of a small car, or airplane, or take it to your local baseball diamond or anywhere you would love to see a 180 degree shot. And the curved effect on a full frame camera makes everyone who sees one of these photos go oooohhhhhh yeah cool shot. I listed this lens last because its one of those lenses you don't want to over use but one that you just have to just have to have. It's pretty sharp wide open but gets sharper at F/4 and reaches maximum sharpness at F/8. It has the old style focus system that's a little noisy and slow but it really doesn't matter as there isn't much focus range anyway everything is close to infocus at 15mm.
Three old 5D complaints answered:
1. Vignetting or peripheral lighting issue
2. Dust on the sensor
3. The rear LCD
1. Vignetting:
You can either have the 5D Mark II auto-correct peripheral illumination on board for JPEGs or adjust images using Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software that came with your Mark II. I have noticed on the full framed 5D Mark II my Canon 24-70 F/2.8 L lens with the peripheral illumination correction turned OFF the 5D Mark II images will severely vignette or be dark in the corners when shot wide open (F/2.8). It's almost like looking through a dark tunnel. It's especially noticeable shot wide open with the sky as a background. Auto-correct to the rescue!! With the peripheral illumination correction turned ON it's almost magical the darkening in the corners is gone! If you want you can even shoot in Raw mode and adjust the amount of Vignetting or darkness in the corners for effects such as when shooting portraits and you want to emphasis the person in the middle of the photo. Just open the Raw photo in DPP and click on the NR/Lens / ALO tab and select Lens Aberration Correction Tune and adjust the peripheral illumination to suite by dragging the slider or entering and amount. Or select all the photos in a directory and you can correct all your photos at once.
2. Dust on the Sensor:
The old 5D was a dust hog, no-one ever said it was not. The new one though now as a new fluorite coating and ant-dust shake. I did get some dust on my sensor after going out and switching lens in the field shooting birds but un-like my 40D I successfully blew off all the dust using my Firefly Digital Dust sensor cleaner. This new fluorite coating must make it much harder for the dust to stick to the 5D Mark II sensor then the sensor on my 40D.
3. Rear LCD
This has to be seen to be believed. The rear LCD is so sharp and so bright its shocking. The one on the 40D is now just OK. And I could never be sure if I got the shot or not. On the 5D Mark II you can zoom in an check fine focus. The only thing you may want to turn off is the auto light level adjuster so when walking in and out of shaded areas the brightness level does not change when the ambient light levels change. Some people may like it some may hate it. I like it myself as I can now see the image out in the sunlight unlike on the 40D where it's totally washed out. Thing is Canon lets you decide and you can turn it on or off. When off it stays the same no matter the ambient light.
LOW ISO:
Holy cow 6400 ISO I can shoot at F/4.5 in a dark room!!!! Took some night shots in and outside of the house and downloaded. Booted up DPP and WOW!
Photos are great at 3200 ISO even in Raw mode with standard noise reduction. Once you apply the correct amount of noise reduction and converted to 17inch JPEG's the 3200 ISO photos are AWESOME!!! The night shots of my Christmas tree at 3200 ISO on my 40D are almost unusable. But with the 5D Mark II they are fantastic. But my 24inch iMac seems a little slower looking through the photos... In fact it seems to be crawling! I ended up having to upgrade to a Firewire 800 external hard drive to fix the problem.
Black Dots:
I finally got a single photo with black dots by shooting at 25,600 ISO at night around some Christmas lights. You have to zoom in to 200% and pixel peep to see them. That's one shot out of several hundred night shots! Still haven't found any dots in day time photos.
Memory Storage:
I'm going to have to buy larger Compact Flash Cards my 8GB card only holds about 267 shots when the 5D Mark II is set to Raw only. But it's worth it especially for high ISO shots. At times I'm hard pressed on-screen to tell 1600 ISO from the 5D Mark II to the 100 ISO out of my 40D. It's that GOOD!
Video:
I for one never thought I would be in this love for video. But this camera is awesome, low natural light great Bokeh low depth of field video. Just in time for the holidays. The only thing is after viewing the videos back on my iMac computer no matter how steady you hands are you will need a tripod. The tiniest movements when playing back on a computer or TV seem to be magnified no matter how steady I try and hand hold the camera.
40D to 5D Mark II transition:
Well, it looks a lot like my Canon 40D but the controls on the back are on the left instead of the bottom.
Has a similar feel and weight to me at least maybe just a touch bigger and heavier then a 40D. Focus is better in low light for sure. Looks great with a Canon 17-40 F/4 L lens mounted. Maybe a little more rubbery grip on the grip.
This will be a much easier transition coming from the Canon 40D to the Canon 5D Mark II then my transition from the Rebel XTi to the 40D as the control placement and use are very similar unlike when I switched from the Rebel to the 40D and everything was in a different location.
Setup:
Put the strap on while I'm waiting for the dead battery to charge.
Ok battery is charged now, put it in, turn it on and set the time and date.
Then plug into the Mac and set my preferences under the styles and choose my lenses under the peripheral illumination correction. Very nice and very easy.
Put in the owners Information and copyright info. Gotta love that it's automatically on every photo now!
Menus:
Menus are a little different, but hey they are much sharper, this LCD is really sharp and bright!!!
Who the heck put 10 images as the default for skipping on review!!! That's another one of the first changes to go!
Bottom line:
Bottom line is if you own a big L lens collection and do any shooting at all in the dark without flash and don't have a full framed camera the 5D Mark II is a must have addition!
1-11-2009 Update:
I installed firmware update 1.0.7 which is supposed to correct the black dot problem and now I can't get it to make a black dot photo at all. So hopefully this was the fix we were all seeking.
This full framed sensor camera continues to impress me and the sensor continues to be dust free!
4-1-2009 Update:
This full framed sensor camera continues to impress. Just got back from shooting the 2009 Arizona Renaissance festival where I shot both the 40D and 5D Mark II and looking at the photos the 5D Mark II just walks all over the 40D in image quality. So much so that I don't reach for the 40D much any more the 5D Mark II is that much better. Got one spec of dust from lens changing at the Renaissance but it was easily blow off with my FireFly sensor cleaner.
4-27-2009 I just got back from photographing the World Premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and once again the 5D Mark II was awesome. I ended up mainly using two lenses the Canon 24-70 F/2.8 L zoom and Canon 100-400 IS L zoom lens. When you have only one chance to get Hugh Jackman riding by on his Harley you want to make sure you have reliable quick focusing equipment.
6-25-2009
Still very in love with my Canon 5D Mark II. See photos and videos I have taken with this camera at http://www.flickr /photos/grantbrummett/sets/72157621665984915/
Nikon COOLPIX P300 12.2 CMOS Digital Camera
Product Description
Nikon COOLPIX P300 12.2 CMOS Digital Camera,Can Eos 7d 18 Mp Cmos Digital Slr Camera From the Manufacturer Create in any light. The fastest lens ever in a Nikon COOLPIX. 
The COOLPIX P300 camera does justice to your photographic talents with a 4.2x wide angle, f/1.8 maximum aperture NIKKOR glass lens. This is the fastest lens Nikon has ever designed into a COOLPIX camera—it offers a 24-100mm optical zoom range and impressive telephoto performance for razor-sharp images. Plus, its maximum aperture of f/1.8 assures exceptional low-light results and minimum depth of field. This outstanding lens will showcase your skills whether you're shooting portraits, panoramas, weddings, real estate, products, publicity stills or any other challenging compositions—and will do so with still images or Full HD (1080p) movies. Simply put, this high-performance lens catches detailed images while displaying Nikon's proud tradition of producing precision camera optics.
Advanced features for challenging conditions.
Its 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor provides superb image quality, high speed operation and exceptional low-light performance. The back-illuminated CMOS lets you shoot true-to-life pictures with remarkable detail and color clarity. The COOLPIX P300's four-way VR Image Stabilization is also a boon for handheld shooting. Custom optimized for this COOLPIX P300 model, Nikon's exclusive EXPEED C2 processing engine enhances professional quality images.
You'll also love Motion Detection's ability to identify moving objects in frame, adjust shutter speed and ISO, and freeze the subject to create stunningly sharp photos. When activated, Best Shot Selector automatically records up to ten shots with a single press of the shutter and then selects and saves only the best image. The camera's high ISO speed of up to 3200 with advanced noise reduction assures brilliant still images of dimly lit and fast moving photo subjects.
Manual control for the serious photographer.
The COOLPIX P300 allows photographers to stretch their creative limits with an impressive range of manual control. There's a Mode Dial for quick and convenient control over select settings, including shutter/aperture/programmed and manual exposure. Exposure Bracketing automatically brackets exposure for three shots. And the ISO can be set as high as 3200 at full resolution to control image quality in low-light conditions or when shooting fast moving subjects.
High-Contrast Monochrome
The COOLPIX P300 also features several new in-camera special effects, including High-Contrast Monochrome for sophisticated black and white shots. Nostalgic Sepia adds character and mood or creates shots with an antiqued look. In-camera editing functions such as active D-Lighting restore details and contrast. This camera comes with several filter effects like Painting, Fisheye, Miniature, and Cross Screen. You can also control images with a creative slider that adjusts brightness, intensity and hue.
Full HD movie recording at 1080p 
HD movies have become the standard for web posting, website design enhancement, publicity clips and real estate property tours—or simply for capturing action that delivers so much more impact in high quality video. With the COOLPIX P300, you can shoot Full HD (1080p) movies while recording full stereo sound. The One-Touch recording button allows instant moviemaking, while the optical zoom control creates a variety of cinematic effects. Slow and fast motion HD movie options for 15, 60 and 120 fps*. Viewing and sharing your movies is simple too, with an HDMI-CEC output that allows in-camera playback or convenient hookup to an HDTV or computer.
* reduced resolution
The COOLPIX P300 takes the guesswork out. 
Advanced Night Landscape mode
Every shooting environment comes with its own unique characteristics, and the COOLPIX P300 has intuitive features to help you master each one. It optimizes settings for up to 20 common scenes so you simply point and shoot. Turn on the Scene Auto Selector and the camera automatically recognizes the scene you're in and selects the best one from among seven choices. With Nikon's ingenious Easy Panorama Scene Mode, just pan in any direction and it will automatically detect the movement, then combine and assemble the various shots into one seamless 180-or 360-degree panoramic image.
Nikon knows that night and low-light shooting present tricky challenges. Advanced Night Landscape and the related Advanced Night Portrait are invaluable tools that eliminate the guesswork by shooting consecutive shots at fast shutter speed and composing them into sharp depictions of night scenes.
Convenient features
Photo ops often arrive without warning, but your COOLPIX P300 is always ready with invaluable features like ultra fast start-up and autofocus—plus automatic High Speed Shooting that can capture up to seven shots in a second at full resolution. You can compose your shot using the large, three-inch LCD Clear Color Display. This precision, 921,000-dot, ultra-high resolution screen produces rich detail and excellent contrast, and includes anti-glare coating for easy viewing of photos and HD movies.
921,000-dot, ultra-high resolution screen
Nikon's Smart Portrait System offers useful tools that refine every shot. Smile Timer automatically releases the shutter when your subject smiles, while Face-Priority AF detects and focuses up to 12 faces at once. When activated, Blink Warning alerts you when a subject may have blinked and suggests a retake. The innovative in-camera Red-Eye Fix‡ addresses the problem by correcting for red-eye while the camera is shooting. Uneven or ruddy complexions can also be corrected with Skin Softening, which smoothes skin tones at three different levels and can be applied while shooting or during playback. Your close up shots will also be enhanced by the COOLPIX P300's Macro Shooting capabilities, taking clear, sharp pictures as close as 1.2 inches. And feel free to click away, as this COOLPIX has a 240-still shot capacity and comes with an EN-EL12 Li-ion rechargeable battery.
Nikon knows that night and low-light shooting present tricky challenges. Advanced Night Landscape and the related Advanced Night Portrait are invaluable tools that eliminate the guesswork by shooting consecutive shots at fast shutter speed and composing them into sharp depictions of night scenes.
What's in the box
- COOLPIX P300 Digital Camera
- AN-CP19 Strap
- UC-E6 USB Cable
- EG-CP16 Audio/Video Cable
- EN-EL12 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
- EH-69P AC Adapter/Charger
- Nikon View NX 2 CD-Rom
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This review is from: Nikon COOLPIX P300 12.2 CMOS Digital Camera with 4.2x f/1.8 NIKKOR Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and Full HD 1080p Video (Black) (Camera)
"Should I buy this camera?" is like asking "Should I buy this car?" The answer to both questions is: It depends on what's most important to you. For me, I was looking for a point-and-shoot that takes good HD video as well as good still photos, and is reasonably small, light and affordable. I already have a DSLR, and wanted a camera to complement that -- one I could slip in a pocket and take to the beach or an evening out without having to worry about it.
I believe other commenters that there are P&S cameras out there that take better photos than the P300, but those models are either considerably larger and heavier, a good deal more expensive (one comment here compared a camera costing $500 with this one at slightly over $300), or the video quality is unacceptable. After a lot of research, the P300 turned out to be the camera that best met my needs.
I've only had this for a couple of days, but here's what I like so far:
* Nice ergonomics. I enjoy holding and using the camera, which isn't something I can say about my previous P&S.
* Large, bright, sharp LCD
* A good mix of manual controls for when I want them and auto settings for when I don't.
* Macro closeups are excellent
* Low-light performance is generally good for a P&S, especially with the fast 1.8 lens.
* I've been pleased so far with my outdoor shots, although I haven't really had a chance to do much with this outside yet because weather's been bad
* The flash only fires when you first pop it up, so it doesn't inadvertently ruin a shot
What I don't like so far:
* White balance in mixed indoor lighting seems worse than average
* As I read in another review, video can be jerky while panning
* Detail in distant objects doesn't look as crisp as in photos I've seen from competitors in its class
* (updated) You will hear motor noise when zooming in and out on video (at least I do)
* (updated) Focus in auto mode is limited to frame center
* (updated) Photos taken in portrait mode don't auto rotate
There are some interesting features such as in-camera HDR and one-shot panoramas I've yet to try. All in all, I'm looking forward to taking this with me when I'm going places where I don't want to take my considerably heavier and bulkier DSLR.
UPDATE: After reading the manual, now I know why I've been less than happy with some of my shots in Auto mode: Auto mode focuses on the center of your frame. If you don't always stick your subject dead center -- and most experienced photographers don't much of the time -- don't use Auto mode. If you have a P300 and are unhappy with its focus and metering, try using the program mode or auto scene selector instead, when you want to "point and shoot" instead of using the manual controls.
UPDATE 2: A few more tests and I'm a bit less happy with the camera. If I could drop this down to 3.5 stars, I would. I really like the ergonomics, the menus, the LCD. Using it is still fun. I've shot a number of comparisons with my old 8 MP Canon SD 850 and the results are mixed. Macros are way better, but that's not what I bought the camera for. I didn't bother comparing video since the P300 HD I'm sure will blow away the SD 850's SD. In other situations it was mixed, with the P300 not always better.
Like all point-and-shoots, this is a compromise and there is going to be a sacrifice in return for weight, size and affordability.
FINAL UPDATE: I took the P300 out for some serious shooting last weekend, including several hours with my friend and her new Canon S95. We tried shooting several of the same scenes (although P300 zooms out a bit wider and S95 has a bit more of a telephoto, so it often wasn't exact). I was happy with the vast majority of the P300 photos. There were some where the S95 versions were better, especially when it came to detail in the photos. But without comparing, I was pleased with the majority of photos I shot with the P300. The difference didn't seem all that massive except for a couple, and that might have been because I didn't select the best mode.
On the other hand, the P300 video was quite a bit better than the S95 video, if that matters to you. It does to me. I shot a video at an indoor party last night and was very happy with the way it came out. I didn't hear any motor noise when zooming in and out in what was a pretty loud room.
Ergonomics: I enjoyed using (and carrying) the P300 more than the S95. It's slightly lighter. I like the Nikon dials and menu setup more than Canon's -- that's just personal preference, but I've never particularly cared for the menu setup on my old Canon P&S either. I also found the mode selector dial somewhat hard to turn on the S95 compared with the P300.
Bottom line: I'm using this to post photos on the Web and occasionally make 4x6 prints, and also to shoot video from time to time. If I was looking for a primary camera to shoot serious still photos -- that is, if I didn't also have my DSLR -- I'd likely pay more and go with the S95. But as a casual supplement to a DSLR, I recommend the P300.
Canon PowerShot S100 12.1 MP Digital Camera
Product Description
Canon PowerShot S100 12.1 MP Digital Camera,Nik D7000 162mp Dx Mat Cmos Digital Slr Color: Black From the Manufacturer ELPH S100 Sleek and Serious The PowerShot S100 is a sophisticated pocket-friendly point-and-shoot digital camera that has the power advanced 
users and enthusiasts need to create standout images. As with other PowerShot cameras, the compact PowerShot S100 incorporates all of the advanced Canon technologies that make capturing superb photos and video as easy as pressing a button. As automatic or manual as you need it to be, the PowerShot S100 is a serious photographic tool, which incorporates the Canon HS SYSTEM, now featuring the new DIGIC 5 Image Processor. The fast f/2.0 lens helps you tackle unfavorable lighting and capture breathtaking portraits with beautiful, shallow depth-of-field. 12.1 Megapixels ensure crisp, richly detailed images, and a 5x Optical Zoom provides an excellent all-around range to shoot near or far. Experience the Power Canon DIGIC 5 Image Processor The latest-generation Canon DIGIC 5 Image Processor brings phenomenal increases in processing speed and power. Improved chip architecture and algorithms deliver greatly expanded functionality with further refinement in image quality. Improved noise reduction produces clearer images when shooting in low light at high ISO speeds. Enhanced i-Contrast performance adjusts differences between light and dark areas to achieve even more natural-looking results. The faster processing speed also results in faster continuous shooting capability while maintaining full image quality. The DIGIC 5 Image Processor also makes possible a new, highly advanced automatic white balance system. Whereas conventional white balance makes an overall adjustment based on a single type of light source, the new Canon Multi-Area White Balance analyzes several areas of the image to determine whether different adjustments are needed, for example, for the main subject and the background. Noise Reduction Conventional Image Processor White Balance With DIGIC 5 Image Processor 
Canon CMOS Sensor The PowerShot S100 digital camera employs a new Canon 12.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Inheriting much of the advanced technology developed for Canon EOS DSLR cameras, this sensor delivers state-of-the-art imaging performance and is optimized for use in compact cameras, such as the PowerShot S100. Utilizing a sophisticated light-capturing design, it provides high sensitivity for improved high ISO capture without increased noise. It is also a high-speed design, capable of rapidly capturing and moving image data to the processor, enabling faster continuous shooting and faster autofocus.
Canon HS SYSTEM
The Canon HS SYSTEM lets you take bright, clear photos in an even wider range of shooting situations. Beautiful low-light shots are possible with minimal noise and maximum detail in highlight and shadow areas. The system is the result of two technologies brought together in PowerShot cameras: a high-sensitivity imaging sensor, which is able to capture more light; and the DIGIC Image Processor, which actively reduces noise with high-speed image processing. The 12.1 Megapixel Canon CMOS sensor in the PowerShot S100 incorporates advanced light reception technology that enhances sensitivity. The new DIGIC 5 Image Processor provides a major boost in noise reduction, expanding the usable ISO range to an amazing high of ISO 6400. The Canon HS SYSTEM thus lets you use higher shutter speeds to capture clearer images with reduced noise and blur.
Memorable Moments in Spectacular FULL HD
In addition to the Canon HS SYSTEM, the combination of the advanced CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 Image Processor in the PowerShot S100 makes it possible to shoot crisp, clear high definition video. Imagine the fun and excitement of being able to shoot spectacular 1080p Full HD video with stereo sound that you can later watch on your HDTV or download to your computer to share with family and friends. In addition to being able to shoot Full HD 1080p video at 24* frames per second, the PowerShot S100 can also shoot 720p HD video at 30** frames per second.
HDTV Playback via HDMI with CEC Support
It's easy to enjoy and share the videos you shoot with the PowerShot S100. Simply connect its HDMI terminal to your HDTV using an HDMI cable. And because the PowerShot S100 supports HDMI-CEC technology, youíll be able to control the playback of your images and videos on any CEC-enabled HDTV using the TVís remote control. (CEC ñ Consumer Electronic Control ñ is part of the HDMI specification, enabling components in a system to communicate with one another.)
iFrame Movie Support
It’s easy to enjoy and share the videos you shoot with the PowerShot S100. Simply connect its HDMI terminal to your HDTV using an 
HDMI cable (included). And because the PowerShot S100 supports HDMI-CEC technology, you’ll be able to control the playback of your images and videos on any CEC-enabled HDTV using the TV’s remote control. (CEC – Consumer Electronic Control – is part of the HDMI specification, enabling components in a system to communicate with one another.)
Experience the Power
Full range of Shooting and Recording Modes Including RAW + JPEG
The PowerShot S100 lets you shoot in RAW mode, which captures images that are uncompressed and essentially unprocessed by the camera. Often the choice of advanced photographers, RAW images can be processed in your computer using Canon DPP (Digital Photo Professional) or other compatible third-party software. Creative control is completely in your hands as you adjust a wide range of variables to produce exactly the final image you want. The camera can also be set to allow the simultaneous recording of both RAW and JPEG images while shooting.
Control Ring Focus, Exposure, ISO, Step Zoom, or White Balance can now be adjusted more quickly and conveniently
with the PowerShot S100’s control ring. Located at the base of the lens barrel, the ring is more intuitive than other types of controls for many experienced photographers. The functions that can be assigned to the control ring vary with shooting mode, and you can set your preferences quickly using the dedicated ring function selector button. GPS Technology
The PowerShot S100 digital camera is equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS)* technology. Now 
you can travel the world and let the camera automatically record the locations and local times of your stills and videos. The camera can also use the GPS unit to automatically set the exact time. You can maximize the usefulness of the GPS feature by using the special bundled Map Utility software that makes it fun to share the memories of your world adventures. In addition to displaying all your photos’ locations on a world map, the camera’s GPS system can also track your route from photo to photo – a great way to visualize each trip! You can also create and share custom maps and personal mini-travel guides with friends and family members.
A Steady Image is a Beautiful Image Intelligent IS The latest advance in Canon Optical Image Stabilization technology, Intelligent IS analyzes camera movement and applies the best shake correction method for the shooting situation. For stills, the system automatically selects among Normal, Panning, Macro (Hybrid) and Tripod IS modes. When shooting video, the system automatically selects among Dynamic, Powered, Macro and Tripod IS modes. With Intelligent IS, you can concentrate on image capture, letting the camera make the most effective IS settings to assure the steadiest possible image. 
Normal Corrects for a wide range of camera movement when shooting stills. Panning Panning motion is detected so that IS does not interfere with desired camera movement. Hybrid Corrects for shift-type camera shake, which typically occurs in macro (close-up) shooting. Dynamic Effective for video shooting at wide-angle focal lengths, eliminating the unwanted shaking that typically occurs while walking. Powered Compensates for hand movement when shooting video at the telephoto end of the zoom range, where camera shake is magnified. Tripod When tripod use is detected, the Image Stabilizer is stopped because it is not needed. Shooting Modes/Special Scene Modes Custom Define and store your own settings to achieve the effects you prefer. Manual You have complete control of exposure, selecting both aperture and shutter speed manually. Aperture-Priority You set the aperture, controlling depth-of-field. The camera automatically selects the shutter speed. Shutter-Priority You select the shutter speed to stop or blur action, and the camera finds the appropriate aperture. With slow exposure times, Canon's noise reduction system activates to ensure low image noise. Program Access advanced exposure compensation features while shooting mostly automatically. Smart AUTO The camera automatically selects the best shooting settings for optimal quality based on subjects and environmental factors to provide point-and-shoot simplicity. Movie Digest Records a video clip before capturing a still image and then combines one day’s worth of clips into a video. Portrait The camera sets a large aperture, focusing the subject and artistically blurring the background to make your subject “pop.” Kids & Pets Reduced focusing time freezes fast-moving subjects, so you won't miss those special shots. Landscape Increases depth-of-field for sharp and sweeping landscape shots. Smart Shutter The camera automatically takes the photo when people smile, wink, or get into frame. High-Speed Burst HQ Capture fast-action shots at full sensor resolution, by shooting continuously when the shutter button is held down. Handheld Night Scene Take clear and steady pictures at night without the use of a tripod. Beach Beach Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces. Underwater Capture underwater images with reduced backscatter effect. Optional Underwater Case required. Foliage Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and blossoms. Snow Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects or an unnatural bluish tint. Fireworks Grab brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks. Stitch Assist Easy-to-use guidelines simplify the shooting of aligned multiple frames that can later be combined (using bundled software) to create panoramic photos. Creative Filters This setting provides easy access to special filter effects and scene modes, such as Toy Camera Effect, Poster Effect, Monochrome and more. High Dynamic Range The camera combines three different exposures to get one evenly lit image. Super Slow Motion Movie Record your clips in high speed (approx. 240 fps), and then watch your videos in slow motion. Program Access advanced exposure compensation features while shooting mostly automatically. Fisheye Effect Add a classic photo distortion without a fisheye lens. Nostalgic Create the look and feel of old photographs using sepia tones and black-and-white. Fisheye Effect Add a classic photo distortion without a fisheye lens. Miniature Effect for Movies & Stills Emphasizes perspectives for a miniature effect by blurring upper and bottom portions of the image. Toy Camera Effect Simulates photos taken with "toy" or pinhole cameras, darkening the image at the edges to create a vignette effect. Poster Effect Poster Effect combines several similar shades into one color, turning subtle gradations into eye-catching, scene-popping contrasts. Monochrome Choose from three single-tone effects: Black-and-White, Sepia, or Blue. Super Vivid Super Vivid intensifies existing hues, saturating the scene with bright colors. Color Accent Choose to retain a single color in your image while other colors turn monochrome. Color Swap Select a color and replace it with a color you specify for special effects. Movie The camera takes five photos in succession, and then chooses the best one out of the bunch. Super Slow Motion Movie Record your clips in high speed (approx. 240 fps), and then watch your videos in slow motion. iFrame Movie The Apple® movie format, iFrame, makes it easier and quicker to import and upload videos while retaining high image quality.
This review is from: Canon PowerShot S100 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) (Camera)
It's delightfully small and pocketable. It readily fits in a jeans pocket, without the protruding lens that is a problem for many small cameras. Image Quality is very good, and it is perhaps one stop better at high ISOs than the S95. But despite Canon's hype, it isn't magically better, and in poor lighting will be outperformed by most any SLR camera. That isn't the S100's fault, it goes with having a small sensor. I find ISO 2000 usable for most purposes, but it depends on your tolerance for image noise.
Key strengths are the ability to pick your most used menu functions and put them in a shortlist of favorites, an even faster way of accessing one key function by assigning it to a handy ring around the lens, good low light performance, and most of all the small, handy size.
No real weak points beyond those unavoidable in a small digicam, though I am not impressed with the battery life, claimed to be about 200 shots. I haven't rigorously checked that claim, but it is reasonable based on my experience so far. Not really a weak point, but note that the claimed fast f/2 is available only at the widest focal length. By the time you zoom out to 120mm, you are at f/5.9. Again, it is a physical limitation of having such a small camera.
Pricey, but worth it to have a super small camera with good image quality, and the ability to override the excellent automatic modes to control things yourself if desired.
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W530 14.1 MP Digital Still Camera
Product Description
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W530 14.1 MP Digital Still Camera,Can Eos 60d 18 Mp Cmos Digital Slr Camera Color: Black From the Manufacturer Sony DSC-W530 
Shoot more life with the Sony DSC-W530. Capture landscapes with one touch using Sweep Panorama, get that perfect portrait with Smile Shutter, snap wider scenes with the 26mm wide angle lens, get high quality photos with 14.1 megapixels, and automatically get clear shots with SteadyShot image stabilization and iAuto; all in a sleek little design. Sony DSC-W530 Feature Highlights 
14.1 Megapixel Super HAD CCD Image Sensor A powerful 14.1 megapixel ½.3-inch Super HAD CCD image sensor helps you capture gorgeous images with superb contrast and clarity down to the finest detail. With 14.1 megapixels, you can create stunning, photo-quality prints up to A3+ (13x19-inch) size, or crop your images and still come away with high resolution shots. 
2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD display (230k pixels) Generous 2.7-inch (230K pixels) Clear Photo LCD display features sharp, natural color that makes it easy to compose shots, read menus, and view photos, even in bright sunlight. 
Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens with 26mm equivalent wide 4x Optical Zoom The high-performance Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 4x optical zoom lens brings distant subjects closer for video recording as well as for outdoor, sports, and travel photos, and Close Focus shoots close-ups up to just under ½-inch from the subject. A wide angle of 26mm equivalent wide-angle lens allows you to take wider shots of the scene or group in crowded spaces. 
Sweep Panorama mode Reach beyond the traditional wide angle lens, and capture more breathtaking shots with Sweep Panorama Mode. Simply press the shutter button and sweep the camera in the desired direction and the camera continuously shoots at a high speed, then seamlessly stitches the images together with automatic position adjustment to create one stunning panoramic image. Available in wide and ultra-wide options, the camera can take panoramic shots of up to 268 degrees. Now capturing wide landscapes is as easy as press and sweep. 
SteadyShot image stabilization SteadyShot image stabilization compensates for camera shake and helps prevent blur through use of digital processing technologies. 
Intelligent Auto Mode Unlike traditional auto mode, Intelligent Auto (iAuto) mode thinks for you, recognizing scenes, lighting conditions, faces, and adjusts settings resulting clear images, faces with natural skin tone and less blur. Take advantage of all the technology without leaving Auto mode. Kids on the playground, landscape shots, a beautiful flower or an indoor birthday party; all result in clear images without leaving auto mode. 
Face Detection technology Face Detection technology detects up to eight individual faces and adjusts focus, exposure, and white balance to help deliver crisp, properly lit images of family and friends. 
Smile Shutter technology Smile Shutter technology captures a smile the moment it happens. Simply press the Smile Shutter button and the camera does the rest. You can also select adult and child priority and indicate the degree of Smile Detection Sensitivity. Intelligent Scene Recognition can now be used together with Smile Shutter mode when the Intelligent Auto mode is on. This means that beautiful smiles can be captured with settings optimized for the particular scene, even in difficult conditions such as twilight and backlighting. 480p AVI VGA Movie Mode4 In 480p AVI movie mode the camera shoots 640 x 480 movies at 30 fps, which is the format when working with a PC. Users will create movies in files small enough to transfer to compatible PC or Mac. Once transferred to your computer effortlessly upload media to popular photo and video-sharing websites such as Photobucket and YouTube. (Compatible computer with internet capability required) Soft Skin mode Portrait subjects will love the results. Soft Skin mode recognizes skin tones and reduces the appearance of blemishes and wrinkles without affecting the rest of the shot. Natural Flash Conventional point-and-shoot camera flash shots just don't capture colors the way the eye sees them. Natural Flash mode takes a reference shot without flash and then uses that reference to correct the color, for far more lifelike images. Self-Portrait Timer Self-Portrait Timer helps take the guesswork out of self portraits by utilizing Face Detection technology to recognize when your face enters the frame. Once the camera detects your face, it triggers a 2-second timer, and then snaps a picture. Anti-blink Function It’s frustrating to capture the perfect shot, only to review it later and discover subjects blinked during the photo. The Anti-blink function works to help counter blinking and squinting. When the camera is set to Soft Snap, the Anti-blink function captures two images, recording only the photo with less squinting. If a blink is detected in other shooting modes, a warning will be displayed after you take the shot. Dynamic Range Optimizer Standard and Plus Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) Standard and Plus uses a sophisticated algorithm to help recover shadows and highlights. The result is more natural images with clearer details that more closely match what your naked eye sees. DRO is particularly effective when shooting backlit portraits or any scene with a dramatic contrast between background and foreground lighting. DRO Plus allows for even greater optimization by analyzing each region of an image and performing additional image processing. 
Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN) Mode Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN) Mode automatically detects eight different types of scenes and, within just 1/30th of a second, selects the appropriate camera settings: Backlight, Backlight Portrait, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Twilight using a tripod, Portrait, Landscape and macro. iSCN has two modes: Auto and Advanced. In Auto Mode, the camera takes a single shot using the optimal settings. In Advanced Mode, the camera takes a photo with the optimal settings and, if in difficult lighting (low light or back light) immediately takes a second photo with another optimized setting so you can choose which to keep. 
High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 3200) High ISO allows for faster shutter speed, so you can take photos indoors or in low light without the need for a flash. In addition to High Sensitivity Mode (ISO), you can select up to seven ISO settings (Auto, 125, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200) when shooting in Program Auto Mode to adjust sensitivity to your shooting conditions. Easy Shooting Mode With Easy Shooting Mode, even beginners can take great photos. In Easy Shooting Mode, easy-to-understand basic instructions are displayed on the LCD screen and the camera switches to all automatic settings, removing several function choices and allowing you to focus on just your subject. Since this mode works together with Intelligent Scene Recognition, the camera selects the optimum setting for each scene. In addition the easy mode simplifies preview mode. Includes Sony PMB (Picture Motion Browser) Software ver. 5.31 Sony Picture Motion Browser software offers a simple, intuitive way to transfer, sort, and view your video and still images on your compatible PC. In addition, multiple output options let you burn your memories to DVD (sold separately), as well as take advantage of one click upload to a number of popular video and photo sharing sites3. 
Includes Sony PMBP (Picture Motion Browser Portable) software2 With the pre-installed Picture Motion Browser (PMB) Portable software2 the DSC-W530 makes it easy to pre-select videos and images in the camera and conveniently upload them from the camera to a compatible PC and popular Internet sharing site3 without the need for any additional software or install.
This review is from: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W530 14.1 MP Digital Still Camera with Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 4x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 2.7-inch LCD (Silver) (Camera)
I was able to get this model a little early, and was excited to try it out in - what better city to test a camera? - Paris. The last Sony snapshot camera I used was on a trip in 2007, and I was so dissatisfied with that camera that I sold it immediately after returning home. I was eager to see if Sony had improved their entry level cameras, especially the picture quality. I shall post some pictures to offer examples up in the product details, but these will be reduced in size for posting.
Photo quality: My initial day out indicated that they have made dramatic improvements in both quality and speed. Photos in daylight were crisp and clear in just about every shot, and any that weren't were only because I was shooting poorly on purpose to test the photos. I was also quite happy with the quality of shots in low light and indoors, which is where I noticed the most improvement over past Sony low-end offerings. There was some blurring in darker situations, of course, but for the most part the software was able to produce images that are well balanced and low grain. The 14 megapixel feature is great - there are many photos I've been able to crop and retain quality, and photos of, say, a stone sarcophagus can be zoomed in upon when viewing images later to see very good detail.
I must also mention that the camera is very good at balancing photos. It almost always produces a picture with an appropriate contrast, and only in the worst cases did the image wash out in an area. For example, a shot of Joan of Arc (the statue, not the person) in Notre Dame came out very well even with a stained glass window in the background. The stained glass was bright but distinguishable, and the detail of the stone statue was clear and well balanced. Only in extreme cases - such as a shot of a black sculpture in the Louvre with a window behind it with blaring sunlight - did the camera fail to balance the image, but these are the kind of bad photography shots one would never expect a camera to take well.
Types of Photos: Like most all snapshot photos, this camera will perform best shooting still subjects with plenty of light. Moving objects didn't tend to blur, a problem I'd had with other cheap snapshot cameras, but the response time can make getting these shots difficult. Trying to capture a motorcycle passing an old church, my 7-10 attempts were mostly good photos, but getting the moving bike in the exact spot I wanted was nearly impossible.
Features: Overall, this camera lacks in features, although for most uses I found it sufficient, and at the price I didn't expect a lot of extras. The 4x zoom is relatively fast and easy to use, and about right for this type of camera. I was surprised there was no optical zoom given the high megapixels, but I can live with cropping on the computer. The panorama mode is nifty but not that useful - it works quite well in creating a long image, which of course will cause distortion in most cases. To use this feature, you set the mode and clich the shutter. The camera will prompt you to move it from left to right, and then it will generate the image (which is always impossible to see on the display owing to its shape.) Here I would have liked some add'l features - there is just 'one size' for panorama shots - you must sweep all the way across or the image will fail. This creates many shots that will need to be messed with on the computer later, which is okay but annoying. I was also disappointed panorama doesn't work in an up and down orientation - you always have to sweep the camera in the same manner. You can, of course, hold it sideways to create a vertical panorama, but I really wanted some vertical shots tqking advantage of a larger width. Still, panoramas of the Tour Eiffel allowed me to create some fun, unique shots of the full height of the structure. There are not many other features - just some rudimentary quality settings, face detection, etc. Some might want to move up to a camera with more features, but I actually appreciated this in a point and shoot camera.
Battery life: Here the camera could use some help. Perhaps I'm spoiled by my Apple products, but digital cameras have more or less remained stuck in 2002 concerning batteries. It's annoying to have a separate charger, and battery life isn't great. Three hours of shooting...granted, constant shooting...at St Denis drained it. Given how light and small it is, I'd fully support doubling the battery size to get twice the life. I'd also love for camera makers to start to move toward USB charging options.
I'd also love it if cameras would start incorporating some onboard space. It feels like the dark ages to have to buy a card. 2 - 4 gig of onboard memory with a card slot for expansion would be nice.
Overall, a great, small, fun camera that's easy to grab and go. I wish Sony would re-imagine some of the ways digital cameras work, perhaps taking some cues from iPods, especially regarding batteries, but for the price this nifty unit is great.
Pros: Excellent pics for camera in this price range, good color balance, good in darker spaces, a few fun features
Cons: Battery life could be better, charging options, not many features or in-camera editing options
Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging
Product Description
Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging, Nik Coolpix L120 141 Mp Digital Camera Style: Body + 18-135mm lens From the Manufacturer High Resolution Still Capture 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor and DIGIC 4 Image Processor for high image quality and speed.
The EOS Rebel T3i has an 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor that captures images with exceptional clarity and tonal range and offers more than enough resolution for big enlargements or crops. This first-class sensor features many of the same new technologies as used by professional Canon cameras to maximize each pixel’s light-gathering efficiency. Its APS-C size sensor creates an effective 1.6x field of view (compared to 35mm format).
DIGIC 4 Image Processor The Canon DIGIC 4 Image Processor dramatically speeds up the entire EOS Rebel T3i DSLR’s camera operations for intuitive operation and offers improvements in both fine detail and natural color reproduction. It works in concert with the EOS Rebel T3i DSLR’s CMOS Image Sensor to achieve phenomenal levels of performance in nearly any situation.
Amazing Results, No Matter the Light. ISO 100 – 6400 (expandable to 12800) for shooting from bright to dim light.
The EOS Rebel T3i features an expanded ISO range that makes shooting possible in situations previously unthinkable without flash. With an ISO rating up to 6400 (expandable to ISO 12800), along with the DIGIC 4 Image Processor's improved noise-reduction technology, creative possibilities abound. Combine the EOS Rebel T3i with one of Canon's EF or EF-S lenses with Optical Image Stabilizer and the shooting possibilities for both movies and stills expand even further.
HD Dreams Come True. Improved EOS Full HD Movie mode with manual exposure control, expanded recording [1920 x 1080 Full HD video at frame rates of 30 (29.97), 24 (23.976) and 25.0 frames per second] with new Movie Digital zoom and Video Snapshot features for enhanced video shooting options.
The EOS Rebel T3i does not just shoot video clips, it offers the enhanced ease-of-use, image quality, smooth frame rates and adaptive exposure compensation necessary in a professional video-making tool by boasting the most advanced EOS video capturing features to date: When Full HD (1920 x 1080) is set, you can use Movie Digital Zoom to magnify the center of the image by 3–10x while at the same time maintaining gorgeous Canon Full HD image quality. With the Video Snapshot feature, the EOS Rebel T3i DSLR will capture short video clips (of 2, 4 or 8 seconds) then combine them automatically into one video file as a snapshot or highlights “album.” With no editing needed after shooting, the compiled video is perfect for sharing online or displaying directly on an HDTV via the camera’s HDMI port.
In addition to a number of different recording size and frame rate modes, the EOS Rebel T3i enables easy manual control of exposure, focus and Live View features and even allows for in-camera editing. The large CMOS sensor and compatibility with over 60 lenses provide a wealth of depth-of-field options. And it’s all as easy as the press of a button — the EOS Rebel T3i has a dedicated Live View/Movie Recording start/stop button that gets the shooting started fast.
Three Recording Sizes Full HD Video is captured at 1920 x 1080 resolution at 30p (29.97), 24p (23.976) or 25p frames per second, for up to 4GB per clip. Video are saved as .MOV files and can be viewed in Full HD with HDMI output. Other recording sizes include HD at 1280 x 720 (50p/60p (59.94) fps) or SD/VGA at 640 x 480 (30p (29.97) and 25p fps).
Low Angles or High, a Big Vari-angle LCD Captures All the Details. Vari-angle 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor (3:2) for shooting at high or low angles and 1,040,000-dot VGA with reflection reduction using multi coating and high-transparency materials for bright and clear viewing.
The EOS Rebel T3i features a bright, high resolution, flip-out Vari-angle 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor for shooting at a variety of angles. By simply rotating the monitor, you can hold the camera directly overhead for above-the-crowd shots at concerts, or hold the camera at a low angle for kids and pets. By rotating the LCD monitor fully, the EOS Rebel T3i becomes the ideal camera for self-portraits. The EOS Rebel T3i freely enables easy angle adjustments even if the camera is mounted on a tripod or has a battery grip attached.
Model used is not EOS Rebel T3i and is used to illustrate vari-angle feature only.
With 1,040,000 (dots/VGA) pixels for spectacular detail, the advanced, smudge-resistant monitor includes high transparency materials plus anti-reflective and water-repellant coatings to provide clear and bright viewing. Superb for reviewing, editing and deleting photos or composing new images in Live View function, the Vari-angle Clear View LCD monitor is also the perfect means for accessing camera settings like ISO, metering modes, AF Point selection, the horizontal Electronic Level and flash options.
Automatic Scene Analysis for Standout Color. New Scene Intelligent Auto mode and Picture Style Auto incorporating the new EOS Scene Detection System to capture beautiful scenes with ease.
The EOS Rebel T3i DSLR’s new Scene Intelligent Auto mode unites five Canon digital camera technologies – the new Picture Style Auto, plus Automatic Lighting Optimizer, Automatic White Balance, Autofocus, and Automatic Exposure –into a powerful new feature for photographers. Using the advanced EOS Scene Detection System, the camera automatically analyzes the image, taking into account faces, colors, brightness, movement and contrast. Scene Intelligent Auto then chooses the enhancing features to deliver maximum impact. Blues and greens are more vivid, “hot” colors are more fiery, and skin tones are smooth and truer to life.
Intelligent Scene Analysis for Superb Exposure. Enhanced metering with a 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system for accurate metering between exposures, and 9-point AF system utilizing a high precision, f/2.8 cross-type center point.
The EOS Rebel T3i features a sophisticated, 63-zone Dual-layer sensor designed to complement the 9-point AF system. By taking into account the color and luminosity surrounding chosen AF points, this system delivers an advanced level of accuracy for better results even in difficult lighting situations. Since the metering sensor has a color measurement function, exposure errors and focus errors caused by different light sources are minimized; the EOS Rebel T3i gives stable exposure from shot to shot in situations where light changes, such as in a theater or concert hall. This makes the EOS Rebel T3i ideal for scenes with extreme difference in brightness such as brightly lit scenes or backlit scenes; the camera balances exposure of the main subject at the background, and exposures are not overly influenced by bright areas in the shot. Since the EOS Rebel T3i provides high-speed X-sync (“X-sync” means the fastest shutter speed that can synchronize with a flash burst at the moment the shutter is fully released) up to 1/200 sec., the range of photographic expression is dramatically increased, allowing the EOS Rebel T3i to be used with confidence in bright scenes or dim.
63-zone Metering System
Make Your Images As You See Them. Express your creativity with advanced imaging features like Basic+ function, Multi-Aspect function and Creative Filters.
Basic+ is a new creative imaging feature that makes it easy to create the image effects you want. It can be set with the Quick Control screen in Basic Zone modes. Basic+ provides two options:
Shoot by ambience selection Based on the Picture Style and its parameters (sharpness, contrast, saturation, and color tone), the exposure compensation and white balance correction are adjusted to attain the selected ambience. You can also can also select the strength of the ambience effect.
Shoot by lighting or scene type Although the actual parameter set is the white balance, the settings are expressed in more understandable terms.
The Multi-Aspect Function of the EOS Rebel T3i lets you express an image in one of three ways by matching the aspect ratio to each scene. In addition to the camera’s standard 3:2 ration, the Multi-Aspect Function includes a 1:1 ratio that creates the sensation that the viewer's gaze is focusing upon the center of the image. At the 4:3 ratio, you get nearly the same aspect ratio as a regular TV or a 4:3 computer display. The 16:9 aspect ratio provides a wide look, much the same as HDTV.
The EOS Rebel T3i incorporates five in-camera Creative Filters so you can artistically manipulate scenes without the aid of an outside computer. Soft Focus lends a dreamy, romantic aspect, while Grainy Black and White gives a dramatically gritty, hard-bitten look. Miniature Effect creates an illusion in which expansive subjects are seemingly reduced to doll-house-like proportions, and Toy Camera Effect recreates the colors and softness rendered by cameras with a plastic lens, an effect often sought after by art photographers. Fish Eye Effect mimics the “Fisheye” lenses that are favorites of professional photographers for their quirky, convex perspective.
Never Miss a Moment. 3.7 fps continuous shooting up to approximately 34 JPEGs or approximately 6 RAW.
The EOS Rebel T3i can shoot up to 3.7 frames per second (fps) for up to approximately 6 consecutive RAW files or approximately 34 full-resolution JPEGs. Shooting at speeds of up to 1/4000 sec., the EOS Rebel T3i can capture even rapidly-unfolding scenes with ease.
Photography Made Truly Easy. New Feature Guide offers short descriptions of each function and Quick Control screen for easy operation.
The Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR demystifies great photography by including an in-camera Feature Guide. Appearing on the camera’s LCD, the Feature Guide displays a simple description or advice for the respective function. It is displayed in each shooting mode, during Mode Dial operations, and for Quick Control screen functions (during normal shooting, Live View shooting, movie shooting, and playback). The Feature Guide appears automatically during Mode Dial operations and when a function is selected on the Quick Control screen.
Flexible Storage with Memory Cards. Compatibility with SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards.
The EOS Rebel T3i uses popular SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards. Compact, inexpensive and available in increasingly large capacities, SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards are a perfect complement to the EOS Rebel T3i DSLR’s compact and lightweight body design.
Additionally, the EOS Rebel T3i is compatible with Eye-Fi* SD cards, which are outfitted with a Wi-Fi transmitter (IEEE 802.11b/g) and an internal antenna for wireless, high-speed transfer of images. With an Eye-Fi card installed, the EOS Rebel EOS Rebel T3i can display the Eye-Fi’s connection status and error notes with ease, for fully functional wireless uploading of images directly from the camera.
*Canon cameras are not guaranteed to support Eye-Fi card functions, including wireless transfer. In case of an issue with the Eye-Fi card, please consult with the card manufacturer. The use of Eye-Fi cards may not be available outside the United States and Canada; please contact the card manufacturer for territory availability.
The Best Optics for the Best Images. Compatible with the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses.
EF Lenses The EOS Rebel T3i is compatible with all Canon lenses in the EF lineup, including compact and lightweight EF-S lenses, ranging from ultra-wide angle to super telephoto lenses. Canon lenses employ advanced optical expertise and micron-precision engineering to deliver outstanding performance and deliver beautiful results. Special technologies like the Canon Image Stabilizer technology in select lenses helps to minimize the effect of camera shake, effectively adding up to four stops of light. With a dizzying array of lenses perfect for travel, sports, still life and everything in between, photographers can truly maximize the quality and performance of their EOS Rebel T3i with superlative Canon optics.
Flash Photography With a flash sync speed of 1/200 of a second, the EOS Rebel T3i also features the acclaimed E-TTL II flash metering system. With any of the flashes in the EX Speedlite line, E-TTL II provides reliable flash output whether shooting fill-in flash pictures in sunlight, or using flash in total darkness. With E-TTL II, the exact same 35-zone metering sensor used for measuring ambient light is also used for flash metering — giving even finer metering command of the image area. If you prefer a broader area for flash metering, there’s a menu setting to change to “Average” flash metering — where the entire 35-zone area is measured evenly for flash exposure. Additionally, the EOS Rebel T3i has a Speedlite transmitter built-in for convenient, full-featured wireless control of EX-series Speedlite flashes set as slave units.
The Canon Speedlite 430EX II is the ideal step-up accessory for powerful flash shooting with the EOS Rebel T3i. It has excellent flash power (maximum guide number of 141 ft./43m at ISO 100), and is the perfect way to get great flash pictures when you can't get right up to the subject. The 430EX II is also great for bounce flash, with its tilting and swiveling flash head. It automatically zooms the flash head to cover lenses ranging from 16mm up to 105mm or longer with the EOS Rebel T3i. Of course, it works with the camera to provide full E-TTL II automatic flash exposure. And the 430EX II has a powerful AF-assist beam, which allows the camera to autofocus even in total darkness on subjects as far as 32 ft. from the camera.
Speedlite 430EX II
This review is from: Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging (Body Only) (Camera)
I researched several SLR's before deciding on the Canon T3i. I'm happy with my choice so far, having purchased the camera first of all to take high quality photos of fairly small works of sculpture art, using the Canon 60mm macro lens. For that use, the camera and lens seem to work very well. I find the ergonomic arrangement of controls on the camera to very very intuitive and pleasant to use. The camera feels solid and is easy to hold with the very adequate right hand grip that has a rubberized cover allowing the user to maintain a firm grip. The menu system for adjusting camera settings is also well designed and easy to use. The adjustment wheel just behind the shutter button makes changing settings very simple when in manual mode. I especially like the articulated LCD screen on the back of the camera that allows it to be positioned so that otherwise very awkward camera positions (ie, overhead, or low to the ground) are easily possible. The view finder is very clear and has all basic settings info on the bottom border. The camera comes with a comfortable, good quality neck strap and is quite light and small compared to other SLRs. Battery life seems to be very good - longer than I expected. The included corded battery charger will appeal to some, but not to those who prefer the travel type charger with a swing-out plug. This is not a professional level SLR, but it performs very well as a small, light APS-C camera.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V 16.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Still Camera
Product Description
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V 16.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Still Camera,Can Sx30is 141mp Digital Camera From the Manufacturer Sony DSC-H70 
With 16x optical zoom, incredible low light performance, full 1080x60p HD movie capabilities, and innovative features like, high speed linear auto focus, 3D image capabilities, and backlight correction to catch even the smallest details in high contrast shots, the Sony DSC-HX9V will renew your passion for photography. Sony DSC-HX9V Feature Highlights 
16.1 Megapixel Back-illuminated “Exmor R” CMOS Image Sensor The DSC-HX9V features a 16.2 megapixel “Exmor R” CMOS image sensor that brings out the full resolving power of the camera’s Sony G lens to deliver extremely fast speed, high resolution, and stunning low-light sensitivity with improved image clarity and drastically reduced grain. In addition, the combined “Exmor R” CMOS sensor and BIONZ image processor delivers extremely fast up to 10fps, Anti Motion Blur, Hand-held Twilight and 1080p movie modes.4 
3.0-inch XtraFine LCD display 3.0-inch XtraFine LCD display with TruBlack technology (921K dots) gives you deeper blacks and more color in your display, all while being thinner than most LCDs. Compact camera with 16x optical zoom The Sony 16x optical zoom G lens brings distant subjects super close for great outdoors, sports, and travel photos. The compact size makes it easy to take along in a pocket, purse, or backpack. 
Full HD 1080/60p Record crystal clear movies at the highest resolution available with capabilities for 60p in 1080 Full HD. This provides stunning, fast motion video with less distortion for playback on your Blu-ray Disc players, Sony PlayStation 3 systems and compatible PCs and HDTVs. Backlight Correction HDR Don’t miss a single detail in high contrast shots. The built in backlight correction analyzes the image and automatically adjusts accordingly to give you a perfectly lit shot. Backlight Correction HDR helps correct for this by taking three pictures at different exposure settings and processing the best elements of each into a single image for more natural looking shots. 3D still image and 3D panorama Produce awe-inspiring images with 3D still image and 3D Sweep Panorama capabilities.4 Photos will take on a new dimension of creative capabilities for viewing the world in a whole new way. High resolution iSweep Panorama mode With high resolution iSweep Panorama mode just press the shutter, pan the landscape and let the camera do the rest. It automatically links together each frame to produce a high resolution panoramic image providing the ability to zoom in on small details. This model even detects faces and moving subjects to stitch intelligently different widths to help avoid subject distortion. Hi-speed Linear Focus Life moves fast, your camera’s focus needs to move just as fast. The Hi-speed linear focus achieves dramatically clearer images with an auto focus that moves just as fast as your life. Background Defocus DSLR photographs are often beautiful because they blur the background, putting the emphasis on the subject. Now our point-and-shoot cameras can deliver this signature DSLR benefit. The system takes two shots, identifies the background and applies a defocused background keeping the subject crisp and clear. 
Superior Auto Mode Get cleaner, more dynamic pictures and fewer missed shots. The camera automatically recognizes the correct scene mode, then quickly shoots and combines up to six shots to produce images with greater clarity, optimum dynamic range using backlight correction HDR technology and lower image noise using 6 shots layering technology. Superior Auto intelligently detects 33 scenes for still images and 44 scenes for movies, making it easy to get the best shot. Digital Zoom Capturing the right shot at the right moment has never been so easy. Digital zoom brings the action up close to get that perfect shot, every time. 
Optical SteadyShot image stabilization Optical SteadyShot image stabilization uses a built-in gyro sensor to detect camera shake and automatically shifts the lens to help prevent blur without sacrificing image quality. Soft Skin Mode Portrait subjects will love the results. Soft Skin mode recognizes skin tones and reduces the appearance of blemishes and wrinkles without affecting the rest of the shot. Natural Flash Conventional point-and-shoot camera flash shots just don't capture colors the way the eye sees them. Natural Flash mode takes a reference shot without flash and then uses that reference to correct the color, for far more lifelike images. 
HDMI output The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a compact audio/video connector interface for transmitting uncompressed digital streams. HDMI connects digital audio/video sources such as a compatible camcorder, Blu-ray Disc player, a personal computer, a video game console, or an AV receiver to a compatible digital audio device and/or video monitor such as a digital television (DTV). Easily connect your Cyber-shot camera via HDMI cable (sold separately) to any compatible HDMI device to easily enjoy and upload content.6 Smile Shutter technology Smile Shutter technology captures a smile the moment it happens. Simply press the Smile Shutter button and the camera does the rest. You can also select adult and child priority and indicate the degree of Smile Detection sensitivity. Intelligent Scene Recognition can be used together with Smile Shutter mode. This means that beautiful smiles can be captured with settings optimized for the particular scene, even in difficult conditions such as twilight and backlighting. Face Detection technology Sony’s Face Detection technology can automatically distinguish between children and adults. Face Detection technology detects up to eight individual faces and adjusts flash, focus, exposure, and white balance to help deliver crisp, properly lit images of family and friends. Motion Detection Motion Detection, along with Face Motion Detection adjusts ISO sensitivity and increases the shutter speed when movement is detected, reducing blur in moving subjects and faces. Anti-blink Function It’s frustrating to capture the perfect shot, only to review it later and discover subjects blinked during the photo. When the camera is set to Soft Snap, the Anti-blink function captures two images, recording only the photo with less squinting or blinking. If a blink is detected in other shooting modes, a warning will be displayed after you take the shot. 
Compatible with PC and Mac Systems The Full HD video captured with the DSC-HX9V can be used with the provided Picture Motion Browser software for PC and iMovie (sold separately) for Mac systems.1 Includes Sony PMB (Picture Motion Browser) Software ver. 5.5 Sony Picture Motion Browser software offers a simple, intuitive way to transfer, sort, and view your video and still images on your compatible PC. In addition, multiple output options let you burn your memories to DVD using an external DVD burning device (sold separately), as well as take advantage of one click upload to a number of popular video and photo sharing sites (such as Facebook and Sony’s Personal Space site). Includes Sony PMB Portable software With the pre-installed Picture Motion Browser (PMB) Portable the DSC-HX9V makes it easy to pre-select videos and images in the camera and conveniently upload them from the camera to a compatible PC and popular Internet sharing sites without the need for any additional software to install.2
This review is from: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V 16.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Still Camera with 16x Optical Zoom G Lens, 3D Sweep Panorama and Full HD 1080/60p Video (Camera)
This camera in my opinion is the best high zoom compact camera in the market. I've owned Panasonic ZS3 and ZS7 and loved them. Then, no other camera came close to having all the features in a small comapct camera, as in very good image quality, high zoom and very good HD video recording with zoom and sound. My first choice would have been Canon S95 but it lacked good HD video recording and had lower zoom range. I was tempted to buy Panasonic LX5 but It was not as pockatable as HX9V and a lower zoom range. I decided to stay with panasonic and got ZS10 but I was disappointed to see inferior image quality than ZS7. I returned the ZS10 and opted for Sony HX9V based on the owner's reviews and bought mine last month. After using it for about a month here is my 2 cents:
Pros:
- Very good image quality in all lighting conditions
- Super fast focus in both still and movie modes
- Excellent HD video quality
- 16x zoom even during video recoding with sound
- Very good stabilization
- Fantastic LCD display (very sharp and visible in bright daylight)
- Beautiful panorama picture
- High build quality
- Good battery life
Cons:
- No dedicated battery charger, although I bought a genuine Sony charger from ebay for $15 (retail $49)
- Need to get used to the pop up flash
I highly recommend this camera to anyone.
This camera not only takes beautiful pictures it also is an amazing HD video recorder.
Sony did an outstanding job with this camera and pushed all the right buttons.
Canon G12 10 MP Digital Camera
Product Description
Canon G12 10 MP Digital Camera,Panas Ic Dmc Zs141mp Digital Camera From the Manufacturer
Feast your eyes on an updated G Series digital camera: The G12. It's ready to impress the advanced amateurs who have always celebrated the G Series. The G12 is still loaded with powerful technologies that has made the G Series cameras so renowned, like the Canon HS SYSTEM, 2.8-inch Vari-angle PureColor System LCD, and RAW + JPEG image modes. Now, this flagship camera paves the way with these new upgrades like 720p HD Video with stereo sound to get crystal clear footage, multiple aspect ratios, High Dynamic Range, Electronic Level, Tracking AF, a Front Dial and much more to give you even more creative control than before! 
Canon PowerShot G12 Highlights 10.0 Megapixel sensor combined with the DIGIC 4 Image Processor creates Canon's HS SYSTEM The PowerShot G12 employs the HS SYSTEM by combining a powerful 10.0 Megapixel CCD sensor and Canon's DIGIC 4 Image Processor. Thanks to this technological advancement, the G12 is dramatically more sensitive than cameras with identical megapixel counts, and delivers spectacular images with minimal noise. Increased sensitivity demands a higher ISO speed, and the PowerShot G12 delivers with a new maximum setting of ISO 3200. Blur and camera shake are notably reduced for the ultimate in sharpness and clarity. 
In addition, a new Low Light mode lets you capture images in an astonishing range of conditions. The camera automatically adjusts the ISO speed from ISO 320 to ISO 12800 in relation to ambient brightness, subject movement and camera shake. Shoot 720p HD video in stereo sound and play back on an HDTV via the HDMI output 
The PowerShot G12 lets you record video in beautiful high definition (1280 x 720 pixels). The camera also makes it easy to enjoy HD videos (and still photos) on your HDTV with a mini-HDMI connector for direct connection to a high-definition TV monitor. You'll enjoy the HD experience with no degradation of image or audio in the signal, plus the ability to display up to 130 still images at once. The PowerShot G12 also includes spectacular video functionality. When shooting video, you can get up close with the 5x Optical Zoom for riveting detail and realism, from the overall appearance to facial expressions! And the camera's Smart AUTO technology that helps ensure the perfect still image works to bring that same quality to your video. Shooting and recording modes including RAW + JPEG The PowerShot G12's RAW mode lets you shoot images without JPEG compression. It gives you clearer images and complete creative control in editing. RAW images are transferred directly to the computer where they can then be edited using image adjustment software or a processing application to adjust your images as you please. The camera can also be set to allow the simultaneous recording of both RAW and JPEG images while shooting. Canon's Hybrid IS compensates for angular and shift camera shake during close-up shooting The PowerShot G12 is equipped with Canon's highly advanced Hybrid IS function, which corrects camera shake from two sources to deliver sharp, blur-free images even when you zoom in close to your subject. 
Hybrid IS employs both an angular sensor and an accelerometer, enabling it to suppress both the blur caused by the angle of the camera and the "shift blur" that happens when your subject moves parallel to the camera, a problem that is especially noticeable at large zoom factors. With the ability to produce clear, steady images in all situations and at any zoom length, the PowerShot G12 is the camera you'll want to take everywhere. 2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD with 461,000 dots plus an optical viewfinder The PowerShot G12 gives you a large 2.8-inch PureColor System LCD screen for excellent control when framing your shots. But size is only part of the story. Canon's PureColor System LCD offers spectacular color, resolution and contrast even at an angle. The screen is durable and easy to see. It is a perfect feature for gathering friends and family around to see your images. 
5x Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer, plus a 28mm Wide-Angle Lens The camera is equipped with a long, 5x Optical Zoom, and Canon's own Optical Image Stabilizer Technology keeps images steady and blur-free all through the zoom range--even in low light--by detecting motion and generating a corrective signal. Because it is an optical system, more corrective movement is allowed and there is no degradation of image quality. 
The G12 is a highly versatile camera with a wide-angle zoom lens that reaches all the way from 28mm at the wide end to 140mm at the telephoto end (35mm format equivalent). You'll capture more image in every shot, and add greater depth to your overall photography. Optional accessories including Speedlite flashes, underwater housing and Tele-Converter Lens are available The PowerShot G12 is compatible with the Speedlite flash series intended for all EOS series SLR cameras. Attach a Speedlite flash to the hot shoe, then you can set and control the flash on the "Flash Control" menu in the camera. With a Speedlight, the G12 is given extra functions such as autoflash metering, FE lock and Flash exposure compensation; continuous shooting with external flash. Also Canon's Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 enables you to have multiple slave flashes and wireless control. A Tele-Converter lens designed for the G12, Filter Adapter FA-DC58B and WP-DC34 Waterproof Case is also available. 
High Dynamic Range scene mode combines multiple shots into one picture Shooting in high contrast environments can often result in photos with overexposed and underexposed sections. So to tackle this problem, Canon developed the High Dynamic Range shooting mode to make select PowerShot cameras even more intuitive. Under High Dynamic Range* the camera will shoot three different exposures in a succession (underexposed, overexposed and normal) and then merge them into a single image. Underexposed areas are combined with the overexposed and vice versa, resulting in an evenly detailed image with flattering shadows and highlights. *Tripod is required. What's in the Box
- PowerShot G12 Camera body
- Lithium-ion Battery Pack NB-7L
- Battery Charger CB-2LZ
- Neck Strap NS-DC9
- AV Cable AVC-DC400ST
- USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU
- Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM
This review is from: Canon G12 10 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.8 Inch Vari-Angle LCD (Camera)
First let me comment on the "One Star" reviews. These people need to wake up to reality. This is the best compact digital camera in this price range.... PERIOD.
I have the Canon XTI, the 40D, the 5D Mark II, the G-11 and a $2,500 Panasonic Vid Cam. I'm a retired professional photographer. What camera do I always have with me? The G-12. For anything up to 11x14 prints they all fit the bill nicely.
Of course for high end work, it's the 5D Mark II or the Panasonic. I just tested the G-12 against the Panasonic for video capability. The Panasonic has two distinct advantages. Power zoom while shooting and the ability to use an external microphone with wind screen (Dead Cat). But we are talking apples and pears. You don't carry a large vid-cam on your belt.
I spent a few hours on the Virginia & Truckee Railway out of Carson City, NV. (Side note-- a great steam train ride) I shot with the G-12 and the Panasonic Professional AG-HMC40 AVCHD Camcorder with 10.6MP Still and 12x Optical Zoom. I planned to use the video to create a DVD of the ride. On the finished DVD if is not possible to tell the difference in the video shot with which camera. However, there is objectionable wind noise with the G-12 when shooting into the wind. But that's a given that any videographer already knows will happen with an unprotected microphone.
Five stars for the G-12. It does a great job for stills and video. Lots of great usable features.
The one star folks need to spend the $$$ if they want a "does everything any time any where features" and stop crying.