Never Buy A Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder Review

If there ever was a product that failed to live up to it's potential, the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder was that product. Small, easy to use, YouTube friendly, and everyone is doing the video thing these days. The Flip Video got all kinds of media love from USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and even Oprah used a Flip Video on her show. It's truly a great idea whose time has come, and people are buying them up, in spite of all their problems. Speaking of their problems, lets have a look shall we.

Shooting videos with the Flip Video, and viewing them on the camera seems to work fine. The problem comes once you attach the the video camera to your PC or MAC. Problems include intermittent uploading of videos. Meaning, sometimes videos upload and sometimes they don't . Sometimes only a few will upload, and sometimes none. In addition uploads can be painfully slow. Some consumers have reported complete computer crashes while attempting to load their videos. Even MAC users have seen their virtually bullet proof systems crash when hooked up to a Flip Video. Pure Digital, the company behind the camcorder has been madly releasing software, and firmware updates for Flip Video. Some of the patches do seem to be helping.

The other thing to consider is the quality of the video you plan on creating. The Flip Video, probably creates quality slightly better videos than most cell phones, but not as good as the videos from a decent digital still camera. It seems to be geared to the YouTube crowd, as that's about where the quality of the videos seem to fit. If your looking to shoot family and friends videos you want as keepsakes, it's probably better to go with a dedicated camcorder. If your only a casual video shooter, than maybe you should spend a few extra bucks on your digital still camera, and make sure it's got good video features.

I don't mean to pick on the Flip Video too much, but there are a few other smaller problems as well:

- Small size of unit can be cumbersome for people with larger adult size hands.

- Interface is not as simple to use as it should be.

- Customer service unable to keep up due to the popularity of the camera, and numerous software problems.

- Lens quality and placement make it prone to scratching.

Canon Rebel XS Digital SLR Camera Review - A Great Low-End SLR Camera

When you're ready to graduate to a Single-Lens-Reflex camera, the Canon Rebel XS 10.1Mp Digital SLR camera might be what you're looking for. When you're looking at the DSLR lines, it's a good entry level to this line.

All of the cameras at this price level are incredible, of course. They'll give you distinct huge photographs that rival anything that a professional might shoot.

However, this Canon is very affordable, being only a little above the price of the high-end point-and-shoot cameras. If people are afraid to pay those big bucks for the big SLR cameras, this might be a good choice.

Here are some of the features of the Canon Rebel XS:

1. When the LCD screen gets up to this camera's 2.5 inch size, that helps keep the camera compact, yet allow the user to have a good view of what they're going to be taking a photo of. The menus of these cameras are very important, because they're how you'll be navigating when you're looking to turn on the special features.

2. Since you can purchase the body separate from the lens, this is good because it's so low priced that you can get a better quality lens to go with it, yet end up with a very reasonable camera for the price.

There are so many features, it will take you weeks before you're completely knowledgeable about the unit, but most people won't use all those features. Being a successor to the XSI, it's quality and overall design is very similar.

Here are some more of the features of the Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera:

1. Ten megapixel is about as much as you want to go when you're going to manipulate the photos on a computer. Anything above that will have unreasonably large load times when they're brought into Photoshop. Since the DigicIII sensor in the camera allows the image quality to be better than normal, that ten megapixel will definitely be an advantage.

2. Although, the camera comes with its own software, most people are going to just use Photoshop, if they're at this level of expertise.

3. One really important feature that the camera offers, which few SLRs offer, is Live View. Some Olympus SLRs offer this. It means that you can see what's coming through the lens can be seen on the LCD display.

In all fairness, I must mention the cons of the Canon Rebel XS:

1. The Live View takes some getting used to with a digital camera. It means that you're seeing what's coming through the lens, not what's coming through the CCD. That's a very distinct difference which has to be experienced to understand. The CCD is the integrated circuit which grabs the image. The CCD image might be drastically different than what's coming through the lens, particularly if you're shooting into the sun. Many can't get used to that huge leap of difference, and others love the feature.

2. Also, because there is no spot metering while in live view, that greatly impedes its function.

3. The plastic case makes it look poorer quality than some other cameras of its price range. However, you might appreciate that plastic case; it greatly reduces the camera's weight. That might be a disadvantage, though, because having less momentum, the camera will shake more.

All-in-all, despite its flaws, the Canon Rebel XS 10.1Mp Digital SLR Camera is a great low-end SLR camera.

What to Look for in Digital Camera Reviews

Digital cameras have almost replaced the non-digital ones today. They contain a lot more features than their non-digital counterparts. When one is looking for a camera, he generally prefers on with a variety of features and one that is within our budget. There are also cameras that are low-priced and can take good quality pictures. However, one of hr best way to select your camera is by reading a number of digital camera reviews on it. There are a lot of sites that offer digital camera reviews for those who are trying to choose the right camera but are confused.

The following are some of the points that you should take note of while looking up digital camera reviews to help you select the best camera to suit your need:

Picture quality: The picture quality of a camera matters more than anything else to most people. There are cameras that come with a range of mega pixels up to twelve. However, it is sometimes better to go for a five or six mega pixel camera as they take quite good pictures. If you are looking for a camera to click pictures for posters or charts, then you should go for a 12 mega pixel camera instead.
Features: One should look for the features contained in a camera. There are numerous shooting modes, resolutions, flash or no flash, zoom, focusing, and motion pictures. These are just a few of the features offered in cameras and mentioned by digital camera reviews. The various shooting modes include automatic, portrait, landscape, indoor, night, under-water. You need to buy a camera that has just enough modes and features to fulfill your needs.
Memory: The memory of a camera is another dominating point. This choice varies from person to person, based on the number of pictures that you would generally click. You need to read up numerous digital camera reviews to see that the memory is sufficient enough so that you don't run out of memory at some important time or important occasion.
Price: The camera you select should be within your budget. There are also many discounts and an offer provided by shops and sites that you can avail in case the camera you liked was out of your budget. You should read up many digital camera reviews and also browse the internet to look up the offers that you can take up.

GE Digital Camera Reviews, Rants & Raves

Before buying any GE camera, you should look at the GE digital camera reviews. The reviews look impressive when the cameras first comes out, but after they are bought and used is when you will have a better idea about how the camera compares to other cameras and what the camera can do. The cheapest camera you will find from GE is the A730 for under one hundred dollars. This camera does not have a favorable review from users who thought the 7 megapixel, three times optical zoom would be a great camera for the price. The picture image is not always clear.

The GE digital camera reviews for the GE E1040 are somewhat favorable for a camera just under two hundred dollars. This camera is still to new for user reviews, but it does have 10 megapixels with four times optical zoom. The E1030 is about twenty dollars cheaper than the E1040 and has 10 megapixels with three times optical zoom. The GE E850 has 8 megapixels with five times optical zoom. It seems if you want more zoom, this camera is the one you would want, except the megapixels are lower. The reviews are very useful for deciding on which camera to buy.

The GE digital camera reviews are designed to give the consumer more information about the camera, but some reviews are not favorable for all cameras. You need to read the reviews and decide if the problems with the camera are user error or manufacturer flaws. You can use the reviews to choose between different makes and models. You are able to compare, features, functions, options and accessories for the price of the camera. Reviews are helpful for anyone who needs a good digital camera. You just have to read between the lines before selecting the right camera.

Nikon D7000 Review - Why Does This Camera Stand Above All Others?

I'm here to tell you all about the Nikon D7000 review. The awesome new D7000 is an upgrade from their D90 or their D5000. I have the Nikon D7000 and I must say it's the best camera I have ever owned! You can feel the difference just by holding it in your hand. It's smaller and lighter than those other two cameras and using it is just a dream.

I live next to beach and somehow I was always getting sand inside my cameras. No matter how hard I tried not to, the sand always seemed to find its way in there. Now, with the awesome Nikon D7000 with its super seal, sand NEVER gets inside my camera anymore! I can now run down to the beach and take awesome photos and never have to worry about the sand.

If you love taking actions shots but are frustrated with your camera because it lags, then you should look into getting the Nikon D7000. It can take 6 shots per second and it can take up to 100 at a time. This is so sweet! Now you can get those action shots you only dreamed of capturing before.

You never have to worry about running out of memory either. You just pop in 2 large memory cards into the double slots of the Nikon D7000 and you're set to shoot all day long. This is the only camera I know of that takes 2 memory cards at one time.

You are also going to love the built in video camera in the Nikon D7000. It records in high quality HD and the videos come out great. You no longer have to lug around a camera and a video camera. You now have everything you need all in the Nikon D7000.

Kodak Zi8 Playsport Pocket Video Camera Review

The Kodak Zi8 Pocket video camera from Kodak is one of the best selling compact digital cameras available to capture your memories for the summer of 2010.

The main purpose of the Kodak Zi8 Video Camera is to record high definition or HD video as it is sometimes known, the the small compact video camcorder from Kodak offers full high resolution HD video recording at full 1080p resolution in a package that is small enough to fit in your hand.

Using the included USB cable and usb port on the Kodak Zi8, not only will you be able to easily shoot high resolution video but sharing with your friends on popular video sharing sites such as YouTube and Facebook is just a few clicks away with your mouse.

It is so easy to share videos online using the included software from Kodak

Unlike other high definition video camcorders with limited or static built in memory, the memory options are unlimited on the Kodak Zi8 and you will be able to shoot video up to 32gb using the SD/SDHC expandable memory card. You will never have to put away the video recorder or stop having fun when shooting with the Kodak Zi8. If you need to shoot more than what 32gb of video at once, just eject the full memory card and add a new empty memory card to start shooting all over again.

The rear of the Kodak Playsport Zi8 offers a big and bright 2.5 inch LCD display that allows you to record and share your videos with ease and if you prefer to watch your high definition videos on the big screen, just hook the Zi8 up to your TV to share and view all your summer 2010 memories.

With the Kodak Zi8 being so small and versatile, you will always be ready to shoot and share the fun for summer 2010 and beyond.

Nikon Coolpix L19 Review

The Nikon Coolpix L19 is probably the simplest digital camera you can buy from a known brand at this moment. Nikon have cut the features you have access to right back to more or less the bare minimum. This cuts right down the number of menu options you have to contend with. In fact it will probably take about an hour to learn all you need to know about every feature The Coolpix L19 has.

You can still do all you need to if you are looking to take snapshots and there is the obligatory movie mode as well. The 8 megapixel sensor may not sound a lot with other cameras offering 14 megapixels and upwards, but it is more than enough if all you want to do is print of your holiday photos and other social snaps. In fact the fact Nikon has limited the number of megapixels to 8 may even help you to produce better quality photos. This is because too many megapixels packed on to the small sensors used in this type of camera can lead to a loss of picture quality.

The features you do have access to can come in handy. For example you have access to a selection of scene modes. I have found that by delving in and using some of them can certainly improve the quality of the photos you take. This is especially true of scenic type shots. I find some of the cheaper Nikon digital cameras have a tendency to take photos that get softer towards the edges of the shot and sharpness is lost. This problem can be overcome by selecting the Landscape scene mode. The Coolpix L19 is then able to increase the accuracy with which it selects the settings to use and this can result in a much sharper photo. I have also found it worthwhile experimenting with the white balance settings when taking a portrait shot. If your subject is in the shade or weather conditions are cloudy you can warm the picture up by selecting the white balance setting of cloudy. This can help you to create a much more flattering image.

Overall I was impressed with the quality of my test photos. They were better than some more expensive cameras manage. One problem I did come across was that the corners of a shot could become dark if the lens is not zoomed in at all. This is a problem that can affect cameras with cheaper lenses.

Shutter delay times were good for a relatively inexpensive digital camera, although it did take over a second longer than standard to turn the camera on and take the first photo.

I have reviewed two very similar cameras in the past fortnight as at this time of the year there is a sudden rush of cameras becoming available in the shops. The Coolpix L19 compares well against both of them. The first one up is the Canon Powershot A480. This camera has some extra features when compared to the Coolpix L19. For example you have access to features such as ISO levels, color filters, metering and continuous shooting. There is not a great deal to choose between the two camera when it comes to picture quality, so you have a choice over the extra features of the Powershot A480 or the better ease of use of the Nikon model. The other camera that I can directly compare this model against is the Sony Cybershot DSC S950. Again the Sony camera has more features while the Coolpix L19 has better ease of use. This time though the Sony Cybershot DSC S950 was unable to match the picture quality of the Coolpix L19, so I have a clear preference for the Nikon digital camera.

Nikon D3100 Review - Is This Camera Suitable For Me?

If you have already used Nikon D3000, you will be interested in the popular Nikon D3100 due to its new advanced features, such as full 1080HD video, live video and video recording. But if you haven't used D3100 yet or even any DSLR camera, you should consider Nikon D3100 as your first DSLR camera. Why? This following Nikon D3100 review will inform you about its features, its advantages and disadvantages, and suggestion at the end.

Nikon D3100 Review - Highlight Features

I begin my Nikon D3100 review with some important features that D3100 Nikon offers as the following:

ISO from 100 to 3200 (6400 and 12800 expandable)
Nikon's EXPEED 2 image processor
Continuous drive up to 3 fps
Active D-Lighting
Automatic chromatic aberration correction
14.2-megapixel Nikon DX format CMOS sensor
Airflow control system and Sensor cleaning
3.0-inch 230,000-dot resolution fixed TFT LCD
Full time auto-focus in movie mode
Live view AF modes: face priority, normal area, wide area, subject tracking
Full 1080 High Definition video recording
File formats: NEF, JPEG
Compatibility with SDXC memory cards
3D Color Matrix Metering II with Scene Recognition System
Extended In-camera retouching: D-Lighting, monochrome & filter effects, red-eye reduction, trimming, color outline, color balance, small picture, straighten, image overlay, edit movie, NEF (RAW) processing, quick retouch, distortion control, perspective control

The most features I like are EXPEED 2, full 1080HD video and a wider ISO sensitivity range. The D3100 Nikon camera is a lightweight camera, so that I can take it everywhere I go. Moreover, it is an easy-to-use camera. Even if you don't know how to use it, you can select Guide Mode, that helps you how to modify the camera setting.

Nikon D3100 Review - Advantages and Disadvantages

Let me tell you the advantages of D3100 Nikon.

Due to high ISO range, this camera has lower noise
The D3100 is small, light and quiet as well
Full 1080HD video
Awesome image quality because of EXPEED 2
Great megapixels (14.2)
Easy to use

On the other side, D3100 Nikon has some disadvantages. But I think, they are not big issues for the users.

Without bracketing mode
Not capable with some types of lens, for example: 50mm 1.8 lens
No wireless remote
Without grid lines

Nikon D3100 Review - Suggestion

After reading my Nikon D3100 review, I hope you can make decision better, whether D3100 Nikon meets your requirements or not. In my opinion, this camera is very suitable for people who are new in photography, amateur photographers or anyone who wants to experience his first DSLR camera.

The Best Digital Camera For Under $200

Who has the time to shift through reams of product reviews, or spend a half a day driving around malls talking with salespeople? Half the time, you don't know what or who to believe, and all the tech talk seems to turn a simple purchase into a major event. If your looking to get the best digital camera available for under $200, you've come to the right place. There are a couple of good cameras (3 at most) to consider in this category. The remaining 90% of models in this category can be safely ignored.

Over last Christmas, I had to make the same type of purchase. I didn't have a lot of time, and the wife thought a digital camera for her parents would be a great idea. As much as I'm a lover of technology, I wasn't convinced this was a good idea. They've never owned a digital camera before, and don't even have a computer. Not exactly the early adopter type. I looked around a bit, and was pleasantly surprised, and lucky to actually find a help salesperson at my local big box electronics store.

They right away recommended the Canon PowerShot A570IS. The IS stands for image stabilization. "Perfect" I thought for newbie digital camera types. At the time it was priced around $180, but I've since seen it online for around $150. I like Canon cameras, and have owned several over the years. They generally take great pictures, are very reliable, and intuitive to use. It's been a perfect choice for them.

If your looking for something a little smaller in size the Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph would be an excellent choice as well. I've recently seen it priced for about $170, and again you get the reliable Canon name. Image quality will pale somewhat compared to the A570IS, but miniaturization does come at a price.

Camera Reviews - Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera

Design: If you're looking for a credit card thin 12.1MP digital camera, then the Canon PowerShot SD780IS is it. Thankfully, the camera is remarkably solid coming in gold, black, silver and red, it has a great grip with flat, easy to access controls. Measuring 3.4 inches by 2.2 inches high at 0.7 inch deep the camera weighs very little at 4.7 ounces. It offers a 2.5 inch LCD viewfinder.

Specifications: The camera features a 12.1MP 1/2.3 inch CCD sensor with a 3x optical zoom lens running at f3.2-5.8. With the lens at 33-100mm it is a bit wider angle than most, making it ideal for group shots. The camera takes JPEG images at 4000x3000 pixels but takes the cake with a MOV (H.264) movie format at 1280x720 resolutions with 30fps frame rates. Despite its slim chassis the camera packs mechanical and electronic image stabilizers along with a li-ion rechargeable battery that is rated at 210 shots per charge.

Features & Performance: With a bit more extensive feature-set than most the Canon PowerShot SD780IS offers ISO sensitivity up to 1600, White Balance, Focus with Servo AF, Evaluative metering and plenty Vivid color effects. Most of the Auto modes work wonderfully and with its 720p HD movie recordings the camera can also connect direct via a mini HDMI port as well.

While the Canon PowerShot SD780IS does deliver a fast start-up time of 1.5 seconds and a good shutter lag of 0.4 second in good lighting and 0.6 second in dim, the camera doesn't do so well with shot-to-shot times at 2.4 seconds without flash and almost 5 seconds with flash. Its continuous shooting mode was also rather slow at 0.8 frames per second. However, image quality more than made up for it with accurate colors and good clarity below ISO 200.

Overall, the Canon PowerShot SD780IS delivers great images and 720p HD movies in an extremely ultra-compact package making it ideal for the handbag or pouch. While its grip is quite comfortable, the flat controls make it a bit more suitable for those with slim fingers while the extra feature-set should appeal to everyone.

Canon PowerShot A590IS Point and Shoot Digital Camera Review

Canon first introduced its Powershot A590IS digital camera in early 2008. Since then, it's gotten rave reviews from users and camera authorities alike. The two reasons that really make this camera stand head and shoulders above its competition are price and ease of use. This camera also comes fully loaded with the latest features usually found on higher-end, more expensive cameras.

When this camera first started selling, it was going for just over $200. As of the time of this writing, you can find this camera on Amazon for a little over $100. This means it's priced well with easy reach of everyone leaving enough money to buy important accessories to go with it like a case, rechargeable batteries, and a larger memory card.

Canon has really out done itself in terms of ease of use when it made this camera. It has what Canon calls the "Easy Mode." This means you can basically just pick this camera up, turn it on, select the easy mode, and begin snapping away. The camera is smart enough to handle all of the details for you and still produce excellent pictures that you'll be proud of. This is one of the many features that has received overwhelming positive feedback from new and experienced camera users.

Two handy features that are not highlighted by Canon are the battery and memory card types. It takes two AA sized batteries to operate. You can buy regular off-the-shelf AA batteries anywhere and they'll take around 200 pictures before they need replacing. However, it is recommend that you buy rechargeable batteries and a charger for use with this camera. You'll get more pictures before you have to change out the batteries and save money by not having to buy new ones all the time.

While this camera comes with a 32MB memory card in the box, it's too small in terms of picture storage capacity. The memory card format that this camera uses is SD and SDHC. These types of memory cards are easy to find and very inexpensive. You can buy a 4 GB (gigabyte) SDHC memory card for around $10 these days. That's enough storage capacity for around 4,000 high quality pictures or 90 minutes of high quality video recording.

The low purchase price, ease of use, low-cost and availability of batteries and memory cards combined with advanced features such as Motion Detection Technology, Image Stabilizer Lens, and Face Detection Technology, really make this camera a hands down winner.