Archive for the ‘Electronics’ Category

Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders Opinion

Friday, November 13th, 2009
Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders

Product: Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders

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I bought this battery to have as a backup for the identical one that came with my Canon Powershot G5. The battery is astounding. I’ve always been very displeased with the shooting capacity of digital cameras in general – they would bustle out of battery in a very short time. This battery was one of the deciding factors for me buying a Canon Powershot G5. According to a test on dpreview, it’s the best performing battery (when broken-down in the G3) out there for any digital camera (at the time of testing) .

I’ve taken a few thousand pictures with it so far, and I’m very tickled. When using the LCD reveal for a mix of movies and pictures (on my G5), I pick up around 600 pictures out of one fully charged battery. I’ve never completely “emptied” the battery with the LCD mask off (preview only), but based on my experience so far, I would reflect that you’ll rep somewhere between 600-1000 pictures out of one fully charged battery – maybe more – when the LCD is not on all the time. If you steal a lot of pictures (I can easily select 500 on a weekend waddle), I would quiet recommend buying an extra battery though. I’m fearful about ever running out of battery (or memory) while I’m shooting.

Should you choose a cheaper non-Canon note equivalent battery? I’ve not tried an equivalent for the BP-511, but I’ve got a DigiPower equivalent for my Canon Powershot S200 (Elph II), and it’s crap. I would never prefer and equivalent for my G5 camera, because in my experience, it’s quite apparent that you pick up what you pay for.

Pros:
* Extremely superior capacity – 500-1000 pictures on one charge with normal employ.
* Charges relatively hasty in my G5 – about 90 minutes

Cons:
* Very heavy. It’ll weigh down your camera, but for the capacity it provides, I personally mediate it’s worth it.

Conclusion: It’s a very superior battery – capacity is fantastic. I’ve had no problems with it – it doesn’t overheat, it doesn’t end working, and so far after about 6 months of operation, I’ve noticed no topple in capacity. I give it an unconditional 5 stars!!!

This battery will give you about 500-1000 shots before going insensible. Even if you utilize the flash often, it won’t die easily!! You can always count on this battery, no matter how you spend it. Highly Recommended for any level photographer!!

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Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (White) Review

Monday, November 9th, 2009
Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (White)

Product: Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (White)

List Price: $199.99
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I previously owned the Flip MinoHD so this review is based on a comparison between the Flip MinoHD and the new Flip UltraHD.

After reading about the Flip UltraHD’s addition of an HDMI output, larger screen, and longer battery life I decided to sell my 4 month old Flip MinoHD and purchase the Flip UltraHD. Since the MinoHD is very sleek and diminutive in size, my first reaction to the UltraHD was that it was quite a bit larger and bulkier to hold, and has taken some time to get used to. However, unless you’ve used a MinoHD the larger size of the UlraHD will probably be less noticeable. I found the camera controls on the UltraHD to be slightly easier to operate vs. the touch sensitive buttons on the MinoHD. As far as video quality between the two, I compared two different videos and both are about the same, however, the colors appear to be slightly more vibrant with the UltraHD.

If you are trying to decide which one to purchase, if maximum portability is important to you than the MinoHD is the better choice. Otherwise, if you’re looking compact camcorder with more features (HDMI output, replaceable batteries, longer record time) then you can’t go wrong with the UltraHD.

My ultimate wish is for Pure Digital/Cisco to introduce a MinoHD with all of same functionality as the UltraHD. Until then, the UltraHD is the all-around better choice.

So when I was 17 (and convinced that I would someday be famous) I really wanted a video camcorder to try my hand at making movies, or to film myself to see whether I had what it took to be a TV reporter, but never could justifying spending $500+ on one. Over the years I moved onto other tech cravings and ambitions. Then last year a friend showed me the Flip Mino – and I had to have one. It was super easy to use and fun, and I started getting great videos of my own kids – and captured moments that otherwise would have been fleeting, including my youngest child’s first steps. I wish this had been around when I was a kid. Anyway, the Mino is great, but it’s tiny tiny tiny. That’s convenient when it comes to having a camcorder on you at all times, or when trying to get into events that prohibit cameras, and the screen is really small. So I just picked up this new Flip – the Ultra HD. The screen is wonderfully large. It comes with a rechargeable AA battery back, which works through the USB, but it looks like you can throw in regular AA batteries in a pinch. Sound quality is great, video seems even better than the Mino. Only drawback with both the Mino and Ultra is you have to keep your hand steady when filming – but I find that easier to do with the Ultra than the Mino. Also, it’s not ideal for filming kids’ concerts, because the zoom is only 2x. But for capturing otherwise fleeting moments in great quality, the Ultra HD is now my standby. The software that comes with it makes it easy to email videos to family and friends, or to upload a video to Flickr or wherever. Bottom line is I’ve been carrying this thing around nonstop since I got it. Hasn’t made me famous yet, but I love my Ultra.

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Black) Discount

Monday, November 9th, 2009
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Black)

Product: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Black)

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This camera does take great pictures. These days the cameras are very easy to operate with all of the auto settings and advanced face detection and scene recognition – it’s hard to mess up a shot. This camera is no exception and makes the user feel like a pro when taking pictures. However, here are some things to think about when buying this camera:

1) The controls are on the right rear side of the camera. In particular the W/T buttons and the directional pad/button – the W button is hard to press and the left side of the dpad as well. For some reason they are right up against the right side of the 3″ screen which causes a problem and you have to either reposition your finger or use your nail to press the buttons I mentioned. No, I don’t have large fingers – it is just a design flaw. The buttons are set below the screen – if they were raised there would not be a problem. If you really want to see what I mean look at the pictures here on Amazon and zoom in on the back panel picture. Something I never noticed before but the directional button even has a part of the 3″ LCD frame cut out because it is so close to the button. See for yourself….

2) The video is crisp and clear (720p) but you CAN NOT ZOOM while shooting video. Compared to the T500, T700, T900, T90 ect where you can zoom when recording video. Very disappointing and if someone here mentioned that in their review I wouldn’t have bought the camera – I bet people here don’t even own the damn thing. The steady shot works well too by the way.

3) There is a rattle when you shake the camera. This is apparent only when the camera is turned on so I think it is the lens cover(s) which retract and automatically opens and closes when you turn the camera on. The lens protector is very fragile and when closed you can push it open with your finger unlike the DSC-N1 that I had which was like solid doors covering the lens.

4) This thing is BIG! OK it’s not huge but compared to the W300 It’s thick. I know, it has a 3.0″ screen compared to a 2.7″ screen but it is heavier and thicker than the W300 and the T series but I want to compare apples to apples.

5) Switching from menus and functions is a bit slow. There is definitely a processing delay with video and some pictures that I took too. I wouldn’t begin to throw a number out there (seconds) but it is definitely slower than the W300 for good comparison. Turning the camera on – slight lag – lens pops out – it’s just a lot slower than the N1 and W300.

6) There is NO docking cradle, memory or a case provided with the camera. I like the new battery charger which does not have a power cord but has plugs that flip out so you just plug it into an outlet and walk away – when the indicator light is off you are done charging – really good idea!

7) You need two hands to operate this camera. With the W300 you can work the zoom and shutter button with your right had with ease. Not so with the W290. Watch that left hand too! The RF illumination is located right where you might put your left forefinger. Careful.

8) The shutter button is on top of the camera along with the power button and a new SMILE button. The smile button will automatically engage the smile detector and will snap a shot automatically when activated. Very cool. However, the button, along with the power button is so small and inset that you really have to wonder if you are pressing it or not. You do feel a click I should say so it isn’t that bad I guess.

Canon – who’s that? I don’t use their products – Sony only baby. This is a great camera but could be better. Like the T700 the T900 came out and fixed a lot of issues. The W300 is a better camera than the W290. I am sure they will come out with a W400? It will be great I am sure! Get this W290 camera for the price and basic functions as a starter camera.

+This camera takes amazing pictures. Sharp, vivid, crisp, (insert synonyms here).

+Having such a high resolution is nice and the wide angle lens is great. It also has a little extra zoom than other point-and-shoots, which is another great feature. The smile detection feature is fun for about 30 minutes, but ultimately useless. (At least to me….)

+It has tons of little features and settings and even allows for some “editing” on the camera like red-eye removal and such.

-I do wish i could mess with the settings a bit more though. I like to be able to manually set the exposure time and mess with other things as well. These are unaccessible to the user. Regardless, it takes great pictures without me fiddling with things, so perhaps it is best. Though I do wish it had a long exposure setting to take some cool lightning shots or mess with light graffiti, but I think I’ll live.

-Also, you can’t zoom while shooting video. This is a bit of a frustration as well.

+The camera itself is amazingly small for it’s high resolution and hi-def video capabilities.

+Its construction is solid and the black looks pretty slick.

+Great “bang for the buck” camera. Simple enough for the family or girlfriend to use, and enough features and good enough quality for some more creative shots of my own. (and I don’t feel girlie carrying it, though there are other colors if that’s your thing…)

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Transcend 8 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6 Opinion

Sunday, November 8th, 2009
Transcend 8 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6

Product: Transcend 8 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6

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I recently bought this 8GB SDHC card for my Canon SD1000 camera. The card works very well and I’ve had no problems with it so far. If you’re in the market for an affordable high quality SDHC card, this may be the one for you. Sorry, I kind of sounded like a used car salesman right there, didn’t I? I assure you that I don’t work for Transcend. But, here’s why I think this card is awesome:

Pros:

-Affordable!

-Large 8GB capacity

-Class 6 read/write speed (which is the fastest speed currently available)

-Lifetime warranty (at least that’s what the package says :)

-Transcend is a reputable company that’s been making memory products for a very long time. ( I swear to the tech Gods that I don’t work for them!)

Cons:

- I can’t think of any right now. The closest thing to a “Con” that I can think of is that if you buy this card now, it will probably become cheaper in a month or so :) No, make that 2 weeks.

IMPORTANT SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT SDHC MEMORY CARDS:

-SDHC cards are not compatible with most older SD cameras, SD devices, or SD card readers.

-SDHC cards are rated by speed using different “classes”. There are currently three data transfer speed classes available for SDHC cards. These classes are “class 2, class 4, and class 6″. For example, “Class 2″ would have the slowest read/write speed while “Class 6″ has the fastest read/write speed. So if you have a device in which speed may play a crucial role, make sure you buy a higher “class” SDHC card. Again, this SDHC card has the fastest read/write speed available right now. Class 6 has a minimum read/write speed of 6mb/sec… while Class 2 has minimum speed rating of 2mb/sec, and Class 4 is 4mb/sec. Starting to see the pattern?

SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “SD CARDS” AND “SDHC CARDS?

SDHC is basically an upgrade to the older SD cards. The reason they upgraded it was to achieve greater data transfer speeds AND capacity than previously possible with normal SD cards… and to do this, they had to redesign the card (which is why it’s not compatible with normal SD devices). This was necessary because digital cameras and digital video cameras these days have higher resolutions, which equate to larger file sizes and faster data transfer needs.

I hope I haven’t confused everybody by going into this much detail, but I can’t help being the nerd that I am. If you are confused, don’t hesitate to comment on this post and I will try my best to answer your questions. Also, any feedback is always welcome!

Conclusion: Buy the card if you have a new device that uses SDHC. It rocks! (This message has been approved by the “Duke of New Mexico”)

I recently purchased a Canon Powershot A720IS digital camera that is capable of recognizing and using up to 2 TERRABYTES of memory card (in the future) so I wanted to get the largest memory card I could install for now. I wanted to use the camera both on dry land and with an underwater housing for shooting stills and video on dive trips. Camera specs said an 8 GB SDHC card would record one hour of hi res video at 30 fps. Or nearly 2300 hi res stills at 8 megapixels.

A test of the Transcend 8GB SDHC card in the camera ended up shooting 70 minutes of full screen, 30fps digital video that could not be distinguished from my DV camcorder video quality. Playback from the memory card to the TV was so fast & efficient there was never a single “stutter” on the screen. The card speed is genuinely FAST as advertised. Low level formatting of the card allowed for very acceptable rapid-fire sequential still photo shooting speeds when light levels were bright enough that the flash was not needed/used. Something like 2 photos every 3 seconds. Files were flawless in display, both for stills and video.

This product was significantly lower in price than the Kingston 8GB SDHC card I originally bought with the camera. I’ve used both interchangeably and cannot see any different in the speed or capacity and quality of imagery is identical. For the money I’ll stick with Transcend and am looking forward to getting their 16GB card once the price drops substantially below the $100 mark. That would provide nearly 2 1/2 hours of video on my still camera or 4600 highest quality stills. I’m afraid my camcorder will be collecting dust much of the time. A big advantage to video on the card is there are NO MOVING PARTS, e.g. a mini DV tape cassette and camcorder or VCR playback unit needed to dump the video and stills to my Mac for editing and burning DVDs. I just stick the card in the MicroMate USB card reader, plug it in the computer and bingo, ready to sort thru and dump to the hard drive. Since the card is formatted by a Canon camera it automatically boots up the Canon Viewer software too. That should work the same for other brands of still cameras formatting this chip.

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