Tagged Products - internal

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Silver

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and expect them to work on normal players, you need some weird codec (I had a whole pile of them already installed on my computer, so I don't know which one did the magic). The format must be converted. This means that postprocessing and editing of the material is mandatory, I'm normally too lazy for this kind of stuff.

The editing program just hangs every time when trying to open the file, but this might be because of some conflicts with the codecs I had installed. I haven't looked deeply into it yet.

For playback, there seems to be no way to set the screen ratio, and the picture looks compressed horizontally on the normal (not-wide-screen) TV. And it has no digital output that my DVD writer could understand (it understands I think DV but not HDMI).

I don't know how does it compare to the other digital camcorders, maybe all of them have the same issues.

If you wonder, it has no inputs for external cameras (such as something you could mount outside the car), not that I had any expectations for that.

There was also a minor issue with the battery, that after a couple of days started reporting all the time that it's running out but otherwise worked fine. This issue went away by itself after a week or so. The larger extra battery I bought separately didn't have this issue.

Sony DSC-W130 Black 8.1 MP Digital Camera-Sony DSC-W130 Black 8.1 MP Digital Camera

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and expect them to work on normal players, you need some weird codec (I had a whole pile of them already installed on my computer, so I don't know which one did the magic). The format must be converted. This means that postprocessing and editing of the material is mandatory, I'm normally too lazy for this kind of stuff.



The editing program just hangs every time when trying to open the file, but this might be because of some conflicts with the codecs I had installed. I haven't looked deeply into it yet.



For playback, there seems to be no way to set the screen ratio, and the picture looks compressed horizontally on the normal (not-wide-screen) TV. And it has no digital output that my DVD writer could understand (it understands I think DV but not HDMI).



I don't know how does it compare to the other digital camcorders, maybe all of them have the same issues.



If you wonder, it has no inputs for external cameras (such as something you could mount outside the car), not that I had any expectations for that.



There was also a minor issue with the battery, that after a couple of days started reporting all the time that it's running out but otherwise worked fine. This issue went away by itself after a week or so. The larger extra battery I bought separately didn't have this issue.

Samsung 52" 1080p 120Hz Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

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television.

Before purchasing this set, I was somewhat concerned about the red cast of the "Touch of Color" bezel. I shouldn't have been. It's really quite subtle, almost unnoticeable, but gives just a hint of color interest to what otherwise would be a black monolith when the unit is powered off. And when it's turned on, well, let's just say that no one will be looking at the edges of the set!

I must give credit also to the tuner in this baby. While I generally watch HDTV (clear QAM) fed by my cable provider, I also get 26 strong, clean digital over-the-air channels (NTSC) using a medium-range boom antenna that I stashed out of sight in my attic back in the days of analog television. The transmitters for some of those stations are over 50 miles away, and my antenna is stationary (no rotor)!

My only real gripe about the normal television functionality is that the set has only one F connector (antenna) input. In order to have access to both cable QAM and over-the-air NTSC signals, I had to install an A/B switch (remote-controlled, which I bought from a popular neighborhood radio store) and then to skip the automatic channel scan in favor of tuning the cable and OTA stations separately).

If I were rating this set on the normal television features alone, I'd give it five starts (or more, if it were possible). However, there are a few flaws in this set. It is advertised as being DLNA-ready, and it is - sort of. The bad news is that it is currently compatible ONLY with the Samsung DLNA server software packaged with the set, which has rudimentary functionality at best. And it works over wired Ethernet only; forget about any kind of wireless setup. The RSS InfoLink does work over wireless, but the content is marginally useful. Meanwhile, the interactive content that is preloaded into the on-bard memory isn't anything to write home about, and the promise of being able to acquire more on line is yet to be fulfilled.

Despite those few disappointments, some of which I hope will be resolved someday, I am still in love with this set after three months. In my opinion, the picture quality exceeds that of some more expensive, higher end sets, and I can honestly recommend the entire series 7 line from Samsung to just about anyone looking for a great-looking, top-performing LCD.

Pure Digital Flip Video MinoHD Camcorder - Black

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but jewelry or lady-like weird. I took it off.

I found it somewhat awkward holding it, as you have to hold it up (and vertical) to see the screen.

Picture Quality:
The picture quality of some test clips, in an office, in my car, and at a park, varied.

The one thing that was immediately noticeable is how jumpy the picture is -- you can't really record while walking or with vibrations such as in a car, but have to keep it steady.

In low light (room in the evening, tail lights from cars) colors were way off. Red appeared violet.

When viewing the HD clips on my laptop, the videos were jerky (because my laptop is old -- so you'll need a relatively newer PC/Laptop to handle the MP4 decoding).

On another PC, the playback was smooth (using the Flip's software).

The overall quality of the HD clips (excepting what seemed faded colors and shifted colors in low light) was good. Not as good as 720P from a cable, satellite or broadcast channel though. There was much more motion blur (720P from other sources is 60 fps, the MinoHD is 30fps). And, the picture didn't seem as detailed (because of the camera, lens, mp4 compression?). Nevertheless good, but not great.

TV Picture quality:
Awful. Using the composite video cable (yellow, red and white rca jacks), the picture was of very poor quality. Straight lines (such as power lines, railing, etc.) appeard jagged and jumpy. Vegetation seemed mushed together. There was a great deal of motion blur and overall artifacting.

The PQ seemed worse than from the lowest recording quality of an old VCR. It was much worse than from an old analog camcorder. I can only guess that the MinoHD does a poor job down-scaling to standard definition from HD.

Also, when watching clips on TV, you can only watch one clip at a time. At the end of a clip, you'll have to get up, select the next clip, and select play.

If anyone plans to use the TV out jack for much of their viewing, you should re-think.

Audio:
Very sensitive and seems very good.

Summary:
Overall, this is a cool gadget. It's well made, small, and records good (but not great) quality HD for viewing on a newer PC or laptop. It lacks a way to watch HD directly on a TV, and the quality of the composite video output, is very poor (worse than to be expected from standard defnition).

Finally, the cost, which is a judgment call. Is it worth $200? It's a cool, early adopter item.

SanDisk SDMX10R-8192K-A70 Sansa MP-3 Player (Refurbished)-SanDisk SDMX10R-8192K-A70 Sansa MP-3 Player

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player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)

When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.

Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.

One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.

When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.

Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.

Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion

Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.

2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery

3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something

4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.

5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter

6. LOVE IT!

I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!

Samsung 6.4MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Touch-Panel LCD Monitor - Black

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Great battery life, we've been shooting video for intermittent periods for two days and the battery held up longer than we expected and took only an hour to fully recharge. The charging cable can be used in the cradle or mainlined to the camera, it doesn't seem we can use the camcorder in shooting mode while simultaneously charging the battery, but you battery recharges while the camcorder is off. THE ADAPTER CAN POWER THE CAMERA W/O AN INSERTED BATTERY and this may seem trite but it seems some camcorders won't power on a cable w/o an inserted battery just like most cell phones.

+ Anti shake and facial focus are better than others I've used, we shot almost perfect videos with these functions turned on, the facial focus feature even started locking onto the faces of our TV screen that was over 30 feet away and zoomed in.

+ Black & White and Sepia mode for video and still mode, the B&W and Sepia effects were just as nice as our Nikon D80 SLR which cost three times as much as this Samsung.

+ Worked with every SD card we tried, cards more than 5 years old worked perfectly along with our latest SDHC Transcend Transcend TS16GSDHC6 16GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6) and SanDisk MicroSD SanDisk 8GB microSDHC Card CLASS 2 (SDSDQ-8192, Bulk Package) with adapters all worked seamlessly and hassle free.

+ Almost water resistant, all of the slots such as battery cover, external microphone, USB and AC adapter port are covered with easy to open but flush fitting port covers, the open and close with the same ease of the doors on a BMW sedan and would almost tempt you take it outside into the rain since all access covers close with a satisfying and tactile "click"

Nothing is absolutely perfect, and there some quirks you should consider especially if they are important parts of your selection criteria:

- Speed of focus when rapidly shifting to closer objects. This is most prominent if you're standing in the end zone of football or soccer field and tracking the ball as it is passed closer to you. The Samsung isn't the fastest when auto-focusing, but we noticed it seemed slower than acceptable when rapidly shifting to advancing objects. This shortcoming will be observed when filming oncoming soccer balls and approaching vehicles.

- The still camera is barely better than a cell phone camera, this really doesn't qualify as a criticism since you aren't considering this camcorder as a still camera, the quality of the image is substandard enough that it makes us wonder why even include it but since it doesn't add any extra weight to the camcorder then it doesn't really matter. If you are looking for a good camcorder / still camera combo then compare the Samsung to other makes and models before you commit.

- MP4 video format requires Apple Quicktime, the video files crashed Quicktime on two of our computers when played directly on our desktop. Apple owners can rejoice around this but we don't prefer Apple over Windows just because Mac and Apple isn't Windows doesn't make it a better choice.

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We skipped the users manual and had it up and running in less than three minutes and shooting satisfactory video, this is a fairly straightforward camcorder and its features didn't intimidate anyone in our house from the novice to super techs.

There are White Balance settings and manual shutter and aperture settings to create infinite combinations for those who want to tweak and tune.

Kodak EasyShare Z8612-IS 8-Megapixel Digital Camera

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If you want to take more than 3 pictures within 10 seconds (count to 10; it's a long time...), this is not your camera.

And the lens cap always comes off. WTF?? I've owned a number of cameras; expensive, cheap, and moderate, and never been so disgusted with their inability to execute on this simple thing. It's like they put their worst guys on this camera. Really, how hard is it to make a camera and lens cap that stays on? If Boeing designed things this poorly, planes would be falling out of the sky. The lens is one of the most important parts of the camera and it's at high risk of getting scratched with no lens cap.. Stupid engineers.

There are other issues with this camera, but those are the biggies.

Don't buy this camera. There are other cameras out there where you don't have to make the tradeoffs this one requires of you.

Samsung 6.4MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with 2.7" Touch-Panel LCD Monitor - Black

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thru the touch panel and are very easy to configure. Its got beeps and noises like the bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek. The 2.7 inch display is super super sharp, I was very impressed with it. It also has a set of controls for W/T zoom and start/stop record which is great because you don't have to use your hand that is holding the camera steady, although there are the same controls for that hand too.

Its got loads of features the main one being its full 1080P HD (1920x1080) plus a standard mode and even a slow motion. It has a 4mp still camera (with flash), in a pinch its good, test photos looked sharp but your limited with settings so stick to your separate D.C. for stills. There's a photo shutter button for snapping photos. I did find that you can't have both at the same time, meaning either still camera or video, It would have been nice to take a still of what your videoing.

It comes with 8 GB of memory built in which is enough for around 70 minutes of full HD recording. You can expand it with a simple SD card (not included). The camcorder has an array of settings like Scene mode, white balance, exposure, anti-shake (i'll mention this later), digital effects, and manual settings for all the majors.

I did some test video both indoors and out and for the most part it was all pretty good. The colors were on the money and looked great. They were very accurate. Low light shots got a bit grainy but most camcorders have that issue. There's no infra red for night shots only a scene setting that helps a little. Daylight shots were vibrant and well detailed and well exposed using all the auto features.

The Anti-Shake feature is a joke...ahhh man, this is the big disappointment of the camera. Anti-shake has been around for so long and I had really hoped it would have been good on this camera but its not. The big reason I stick with still cameras is because of the shake. Most of my videos made me sick from the shake. Being the small size of the camera i think has to do with it but its really bad. The shake was bad zoomed out and horrible zoomed in.

It also comes with a docking station that has all the external ports like USB, HDMI and AC this way you can basically plug-and-play. It was very easy to connect to a TV. My test videos for the most part looked sharp with no noise/grain and true colors but I didn't get that HD wow. Maybe I'm expecting too much? I'll have to test it some more but honestly I didn't see that HD WOW. The quality in general was way better then my Canon DV camcorder which is a few years old now but I guess I expected HD like the Discovery Channel.

Is it worth $600 bucks...mmmm not really, $400 yes, the video is good but just not great. Again, this is only after a days messing around and in the Fall season so most of anything nice isn't around to further test. I'll bring it around over the Holidays and update this review.

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Black

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thru the touch panel and are very easy to configure. Its got beeps and noises like the bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek. The 2.7 inch display is super super sharp, I was very impressed with it. It also has a set of controls for W/T zoom and start/stop record which is great because you don't have to use your hand that is holding the camera steady, although there are the same controls for that hand too.



Its got loads of features the main one being its full 1080P HD (1920x1080) plus a standard mode and even a slow motion. It has a 4mp still camera (with flash), in a pinch its good, test photos looked sharp but your limited with settings so stick to your separate D.C. for stills. There's a photo shutter button for snapping photos. I did find that you can't have both at the same time, meaning either still camera or video, It would have been nice to take a still of what your videoing.



It comes with 8 GB of memory built in which is enough for around 70 minutes of full HD recording. You can expand it with a simple SD card (not included). The camcorder has an array of settings like Scene mode, white balance, exposure, anti-shake (i'll mention this later), digital effects, and manual settings for all the majors.



I did some test video both indoors and out and for the most part it was all pretty good. The colors were on the money and looked great. They were very accurate. Low light shots got a bit grainy but most camcorders have that issue. There's no infra red for night shots only a scene setting that helps a little. Daylight shots were vibrant and well detailed and well exposed using all the auto features.



The Anti-Shake feature is a joke...ahhh man, this is the big disappointment of the camera. Anti-shake has been around for so long and I had really hoped it would have been good on this camera but its not. The big reason I stick with still cameras is because of the shake. Most of my videos made me sick from the shake. Being the small size of the camera i think has to do with it but its really bad. The shake was bad zoomed out and horrible zoomed in.



It also comes with a docking station that has all the external ports like USB, HDMI and AC this way you can basically plug-and-play. It was very easy to connect to a TV. My test videos for the most part looked sharp with no noise/grain and true colors but I didn't get that HD wow. Maybe I'm expecting too much? I'll have to test it some more but honestly I didn't see that HD WOW. The quality in general was way better then my Canon DV camcorder which is a few years old now but I guess I expected HD like the Discovery Channel.



Is it worth $600 bucks...mmmm not really, $400 yes, the video is good but just not great. Again, this is only after a days messing around and in the Fall season so most of anything nice isn't around to further test. I'll bring it around over the Holidays and update this review.

TomTom ONE XL Navigation System (Refurbished)-Tom Tom One XL GPS Navigation System

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thru the touch panel and are very easy to configure. Its got beeps and noises like the bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek. The 2.7 inch display is super super sharp, I was very impressed with it. It also has a set of controls for W/T zoom and start/stop record which is great because you don't have to use your hand that is holding the camera steady, although there are the same controls for that hand too.





Its got loads of features the main one being its full 1080P HD (1920x1080) plus a standard mode and even a slow motion. It has a 4mp still camera (with flash), in a pinch its good, test photos looked sharp but your limited with settings so stick to your separate D.C. for stills. There's a photo shutter button for snapping photos. I did find that you can't have both at the same time, meaning either still camera or video, It would have been nice to take a still of what your videoing.





It comes with 8 GB of memory built in which is enough for around 70 minutes of full HD recording. You can expand it with a simple SD card (not included). The camcorder has an array of settings like Scene mode, white balance, exposure, anti-shake (i'll mention this later), digital effects, and manual settings for all the majors.





I did some test video both indoors and out and for the most part it was all pretty good. The colors were on the money and looked great. They were very accurate. Low light shots got a bit grainy but most camcorders have that issue. There's no infra red for night shots only a scene setting that helps a little. Daylight shots were vibrant and well detailed and well exposed using all the auto features.





The Anti-Shake feature is a joke...ahhh man, this is the big disappointment of the camera. Anti-shake has been around for so long and I had really hoped it would have been good on this camera but its not. The big reason I stick with still cameras is because of the shake. Most of my videos made me sick from the shake. Being the small size of the camera i think has to do with it but its really bad. The shake was bad zoomed out and horrible zoomed in.





It also comes with a docking station that has all the external ports like USB, HDMI and AC this way you can basically plug-and-play. It was very easy to connect to a TV. My test videos for the most part looked sharp with no noise/grain and true colors but I didn't get that HD wow. Maybe I'm expecting too much? I'll have to test it some more but honestly I didn't see that HD WOW. The quality in general was way better then my Canon DV camcorder which is a few years old now but I guess I expected HD like the Discovery Channel.





Is it worth $600 bucks...mmmm not really, $400 yes, the video is good but just not great. Again, this is only after a days messing around and in the Fall season so most of anything nice isn't around to further test. I'll bring it around over the Holidays and update this review.

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Silver

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like $85.00 but it's only made in black and the HF100 is silver. Kind of funky if you ask me. I may just buy a second smaller battery. The memory cards used are SUPER cheap to buy making this the camera to get!!

In summary (i.e. the only part everybody will probably read):

PROS:
- Sharp HD picture.
- Small camera size.
- Easy to edit and transfer video.
- SDHC cards are CHEAP to buy.

CONS:
- Supplied battery has a short life.
- Mic picks up some wind noises.
- You really should purchase a different editing program.

Pure Digital Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder - White/Silver

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like $85.00 but it's only made in black and the HF100 is silver. Kind of funky if you ask me. I may just buy a second smaller battery. The memory cards used are SUPER cheap to buy making this the camera to get!!



In summary (i.e. the only part everybody will probably read):



PROS:

- Sharp HD picture.

- Small camera size.

- Easy to edit and transfer video.

- SDHC cards are CHEAP to buy.



CONS:

- Supplied battery has a short life.

- Mic picks up some wind noises.

- You really should purchase a different editing program.

Seagate 1TB 3.5IN SATA NCQ Barracuda 7200.11 Internal Hard Drive (ST31000340AS)

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like $85.00 but it's only made in black and the HF100 is silver. Kind of funky if you ask me. I may just buy a second smaller battery. The memory cards used are SUPER cheap to buy making this the camera to get!!





In summary (i.e. the only part everybody will probably read):





PROS:


- Sharp HD picture.


- Small camera size.


- Easy to edit and transfer video.


- SDHC cards are CHEAP to buy.





CONS:


- Supplied battery has a short life.


- Mic picks up some wind noises.


- You really should purchase a different editing program.

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Black

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Mbps. It records sound in stereo through front microphones or through a direct stereo in line and encodes video in Dolby Digital Stereo audio. It has a 12x optical zoom. It has 16 GB of built-in flash memory as well as a slot for adding a SDHC card. It is capable of taking still photos at up to 3 megapixels (2048*1536).

Here's what I like:

* Size: For me size was a huge issue. I want something I can carry around in a pocket, and the HF10 delivers. While it's a little tight to put into a pants' pocket, it does fit easily into a jacket. Although other models, including the Canon HG10 offered a lot more capacity with their built-in hard drives, for me size drove me to consider only flash-based models.
* Internal Memory/Flash Memory: I originally was interested in the HF100. It's identical to the HF10 except that the HF100 has no internal memory, therefore requiring you to always have a flash card on you. The problem was that I needed the camera fast, and Amazon couldn't guartee two day delivery on the HF100, so I got the HF10. In hindsight, this worked out. A number of times I have forgotten to grab a flash card out of my computer and have been really glad there was internal memory to record to. Although I prefer recording to flash drives (it's much easier to pull out a flash card and plug it into a reader than it is to hook the camera to my computer, plug the camera in, switch it into disk mode, etc.) the internal memory is nice to have in a pinch.
* Three different frame rates: 24p, 30p, and 60i. I hate interlacing - really really hate it. For me, most of my videos are going to end up on the web somewhere and therefore interlacing is just an annoying bother. I wanted a camera with a progressive mode so I wouldn't have deinterlace video before putting it to the web. The HF10 excels in this area, with three frame rates. 24p, which mimics film, 30p, which puts together 30 full frame images per second, and 60i, which puts together 60 half-frame images per second. I've used the 30p setting almost exclusively although I've messed around with the 24p setting for run and the 60i setting when shooting high-motion footage. This feature alone made it stand out to me.
* Varied encoding rates - You can record at 5 Mbps, 7 Mbps, 12 Mbps, and 17 Mbps. I've only used the two highest settings when doing video, but since I sometimes record audio only the 5 Mbps setting has been nice when I'm recording something just to strip the audio out since it allows you to store a lot more data on the internal memory or flash card. The advantage to the 12 and 17 Mbps modes is that depending on what your editing software allows you can either record in 1440*1080 (which is similar to the HDV standard) or 1920*1080. When I first started Final Cut Express hadn't been upgraded to support 1920*1080 editing so I had to use the 1440*1080 mode.
* Optical Zoom - The optical zoom on the HF10 is really nice. It allows you to zoom in and out at varying rates with varying acceleration. Combined with the nice image stabilization you can actually manage to get decently steady hand-held video.
* Picture Quality - For a consumer grade camera, the picture quality of the HF10 is outstanding. Not surprisingly it suffers a little bit at low-light levels but...
* Manual Adjustments - One feature I do like, especially for low light situations, is the ability to make manual adjustments to the video. The automatic settings often want to make dark scenes lighter than they actually are, and using the exposure control I can lower the exposure resulting in better quality video with true blacks.

Other Features I either don't like or could live without

* There is a built-in video light, but it's off angle and very white. If you're actually close to use it, it'll take every drop of color out of whatever object you're shooting.
* One could say that it would be better if the HF10 had a 5.1 Dolby Creator instead of just a stereo creator, but 5.1 single point microphones are somwhat pointless.
* The HF10 has a built-in camera, but it's not great. The built-in camera is nice in one respect, you only have to carry one camera. But it's only 3 megapixel at 2048*1536, which isn't ideal if you're looking to integrate photos into a HD video production. Plus, the flash isn't real good. Truth be told, video cameras are good at video, photo camers are good at photos.
* The LCD screen is nice and it rotates, but a viewfinder would have been nice as well. The nice part abou the rotating LCD is that you can do self-recordings real easily. The problem is that if you're using the rotating LCD to show the subject what you're taking video of, you can't see the subject through a viewfinder. I know a viewfinder would have added size and price though, so it's a very acceptable trade-off
* The battery life is alright, but not fantastic. The basic battery that comes with the camera provides about an hour of recording time at the highest resolution. They offer another battery that provides longer recording, but it's rather expensive (100+). I ended up being a third-party imitation that does the trick just fine.
* Other recordings modes would have been nice. By far my biggest annoyance is the lack of modes for shooting other than 1440*1080 or 1920*1080 content. The only one I'd really like is a 1280*720 @ 60 fps mode for handling high motion.

Overall I give the HF10 high marks - I'm extremely satisfied. A few minor quirks, and the simple fact that its a consumer grade camcorder aside, this has been a great camera for a home video enthusiast.

Western Digital 500 GB 7200 RPM WD Caviar SE16 SATA Internal Hard Drive (WD5000AAKS)

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Mbps. It records sound in stereo through front microphones or through a direct stereo in line and encodes video in Dolby Digital Stereo audio. It has a 12x optical zoom. It has 16 GB of built-in flash memory as well as a slot for adding a SDHC card. It is capable of taking still photos at up to 3 megapixels (2048*1536).



Here's what I like:



* Size: For me size was a huge issue. I want something I can carry around in a pocket, and the HF10 delivers. While it's a little tight to put into a pants' pocket, it does fit easily into a jacket. Although other models, including the Canon HG10 offered a lot more capacity with their built-in hard drives, for me size drove me to consider only flash-based models.

* Internal Memory/Flash Memory: I originally was interested in the HF100. It's identical to the HF10 except that the HF100 has no internal memory, therefore requiring you to always have a flash card on you. The problem was that I needed the camera fast, and Amazon couldn't guartee two day delivery on the HF100, so I got the HF10. In hindsight, this worked out. A number of times I have forgotten to grab a flash card out of my computer and have been really glad there was internal memory to record to. Although I prefer recording to flash drives (it's much easier to pull out a flash card and plug it into a reader than it is to hook the camera to my computer, plug the camera in, switch it into disk mode, etc.) the internal memory is nice to have in a pinch.

* Three different frame rates: 24p, 30p, and 60i. I hate interlacing - really really hate it. For me, most of my videos are going to end up on the web somewhere and therefore interlacing is just an annoying bother. I wanted a camera with a progressive mode so I wouldn't have deinterlace video before putting it to the web. The HF10 excels in this area, with three frame rates. 24p, which mimics film, 30p, which puts together 30 full frame images per second, and 60i, which puts together 60 half-frame images per second. I've used the 30p setting almost exclusively although I've messed around with the 24p setting for run and the 60i setting when shooting high-motion footage. This feature alone made it stand out to me.

* Varied encoding rates - You can record at 5 Mbps, 7 Mbps, 12 Mbps, and 17 Mbps. I've only used the two highest settings when doing video, but since I sometimes record audio only the 5 Mbps setting has been nice when I'm recording something just to strip the audio out since it allows you to store a lot more data on the internal memory or flash card. The advantage to the 12 and 17 Mbps modes is that depending on what your editing software allows you can either record in 1440*1080 (which is similar to the HDV standard) or 1920*1080. When I first started Final Cut Express hadn't been upgraded to support 1920*1080 editing so I had to use the 1440*1080 mode.

* Optical Zoom - The optical zoom on the HF10 is really nice. It allows you to zoom in and out at varying rates with varying acceleration. Combined with the nice image stabilization you can actually manage to get decently steady hand-held video.

* Picture Quality - For a consumer grade camera, the picture quality of the HF10 is outstanding. Not surprisingly it suffers a little bit at low-light levels but...

* Manual Adjustments - One feature I do like, especially for low light situations, is the ability to make manual adjustments to the video. The automatic settings often want to make dark scenes lighter than they actually are, and using the exposure control I can lower the exposure resulting in better quality video with true blacks.



Other Features I either don't like or could live without



* There is a built-in video light, but it's off angle and very white. If you're actually close to use it, it'll take every drop of color out of whatever object you're shooting.

* One could say that it would be better if the HF10 had a 5.1 Dolby Creator instead of just a stereo creator, but 5.1 single point microphones are somwhat pointless.

* The HF10 has a built-in camera, but it's not great. The built-in camera is nice in one respect, you only have to carry one camera. But it's only 3 megapixel at 2048*1536, which isn't ideal if you're looking to integrate photos into a HD video production. Plus, the flash isn't real good. Truth be told, video cameras are good at video, photo camers are good at photos.

* The LCD screen is nice and it rotates, but a viewfinder would have been nice as well. The nice part abou the rotating LCD is that you can do self-recordings real easily. The problem is that if you're using the rotating LCD to show the subject what you're taking video of, you can't see the subject through a viewfinder. I know a viewfinder would have added size and price though, so it's a very acceptable trade-off

* The battery life is alright, but not fantastic. The basic battery that comes with the camera provides about an hour of recording time at the highest resolution. They offer another battery that provides longer recording, but it's rather expensive (100+). I ended up being a third-party imitation that does the trick just fine.

* Other recordings modes would have been nice. By far my biggest annoyance is the lack of modes for shooting other than 1440*1080 or 1920*1080 content. The only one I'd really like is a 1280*720 @ 60 fps mode for handling high motion.



Overall I give the HF10 high marks - I'm extremely satisfied. A few minor quirks, and the simple fact that its a consumer grade camcorder aside, this has been a great camera for a home video enthusiast.

Canon VIXIA 3.3MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder with Flash Memory - Silver

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we got afterward were quite stunning. From a distance shot to almost macro quality close-ups in the space of 60 seconds ... fantastic.

Even the stock battery has served us well - the upgraded batteries were out of stock everywhere when we purchased this camera (kind of a bummer) but we never had a problem with the original ... seriously how often do you really shoot hours a day even on holiday?

I figure when we upgrade to fanatical parents we'll get the the beefier battery.

The gotcha for me was the software that came with it -- it is basic and to be honest rather crappy but it gets the job done. The puzzler however was that I was having a hell of a time burning DVD's and it took a significant amount of time to realize that the software would not burn to DVD+R disks, only DVD-R! Once I had bought a punnet of these I was good to go and have not looked back since!

You'd be a fool to buy a standard definition camera in this day and age, just in terms of future proofing. This camera appears to be one of the best, if not the best currently available and I for one have absolutely no complaints at all!

Sony DRU-865S 22x DVD?RW Drive with LightScribe-INTERNAL DVDRW BURNER SUPLINTERNAL 22X SERIAL ATA

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we got afterward were quite stunning. From a distance shot to almost macro quality close-ups in the space of 60 seconds ... fantastic.



Even the stock battery has served us well - the upgraded batteries were out of stock everywhere when we purchased this camera (kind of a bummer) but we never had a problem with the original ... seriously how often do you really shoot hours a day even on holiday?



I figure when we upgrade to fanatical parents we'll get the the beefier battery.



The gotcha for me was the software that came with it -- it is basic and to be honest rather crappy but it gets the job done. The puzzler however was that I was having a hell of a time burning DVD's and it took a significant amount of time to realize that the software would not burn to DVD+R disks, only DVD-R! Once I had bought a punnet of these I was good to go and have not looked back since!



You'd be a fool to buy a standard definition camera in this day and age, just in terms of future proofing. This camera appears to be one of the best, if not the best currently available and I for one have absolutely no complaints at all!

Seagate 1.5 TB SATA Barracuda 7200.11 Internal Hard Drive (ST31500341AS)

...

we got afterward were quite stunning. From a distance shot to almost macro quality close-ups in the space of 60 seconds ... fantastic.





Even the stock battery has served us well - the upgraded batteries were out of stock everywhere when we purchased this camera (kind of a bummer) but we never had a problem with the original ... seriously how often do you really shoot hours a day even on holiday?





I figure when we upgrade to fanatical parents we'll get the the beefier battery.





The gotcha for me was the software that came with it -- it is basic and to be honest rather crappy but it gets the job done. The puzzler however was that I was having a hell of a time burning DVD's and it took a significant amount of time to realize that the software would not burn to DVD+R disks, only DVD-R! Once I had bought a punnet of these I was good to go and have not looked back since!





You'd be a fool to buy a standard definition camera in this day and age, just in terms of future proofing. This camera appears to be one of the best, if not the best currently available and I for one have absolutely no complaints at all!

Portable USA PU-12WB Digital Photo Frame - Photo Viewer, Audio Player - 12.1 Active Matrix TFT Color LCD

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sorry I cannot provide the technical reasons behind why the JPEG Progressive Scans don't work!