March 3, 2011


When it comes to video cameras, the Kodak Zi8 can't be forgotten as you compare it to the other camcorders on the market right now. The Zi8 is an affordable and portable video camera. This latest model assures you of good quality, image stability and can capture high quality video as well as still images. The Kodak Zi8 surpasses the quality of the previous model, the Zi6. When comparing the Zi8 and the Zi6, we can see that the Zi8 has a higher HD standard, is slim-line, handier, and above all the price is reasonable and within reach for most people.
The Zi8 is a handy camcorder, but to have the best results, it is advisable to use both hands, especially if you have shaky hands. This camcorder is not weather-resistant and hence you need to take extra care with this model. The plastic body can even be prone to scratches. So care should be taken when handling the Zi8.
The Zi8 model has a 2.5 inches LCD display, which is bigger than the Kodak Zx1 model. Another thing is, the Zx1 uses D-pad, while the Kodak Zi8 uses a 5-way joystick that makes this model more user friendly than the Zx1's model.
Another important switch located at the top for macro modes. And on the left side you will find ports for the external microphone jack, HDMI and A/V output, and DC in. On the opposite side you will see the power button and the SD/SDHC card slot, and down the bottom are a 1/4-inch standard tripod lanyard eyelet, and the USB plug. On the back side are the lens (measuring 6.3 mm), LED flash, the speaker, and the battery panel.
Kodak Zi8 provides free software, which will ask the user to install when it is connected to a PC or Mac using USB. You really need this software if you wish to play videos on you computer. Bundled software is required for smooth playback of the video footage, especially the 1080P video. A problem with this software is that it does not support Apple Macs.
The Zi8 does have some limitations and is not perfect, but it is certainly one of the best compact pocket video camcorders on the market today. At under $200 USD retail the handy Zi8 Pocket Video Camera is something everyone should look at when considering which is the best Video Camcorder for them.
Leanne Annett is a Photographer, Business Consultant, Internet Marketer and Life Coach. Leanne's passions include her family, making the world a better place, empowering others, travel and photography.
Find out more information about the Kodak Zi8 Camera


Photography is all about capturing light on a photographic emulsion or electronic sensor. And as such the lens and film or sensor, are the most important components affecting image quality. Now, lenses cover a huge area and can be quite technical when it comes to saying why one lens might be better than another. Plus there are lots of manufacturers of lenses, but Microglobe is a renowned quality that offers a list of lenses all at reasonable prices and superb performance. One of these products is Nikon 55-200mm F4-5.6 AF-S DX VR Lens which is the best choice for landscapes and other outdoor scenes, group shots and generally anything requiring strong perspective. In some situations, this wide-angle lens might be the only way to capture the entire scene without excluding an important element in the frame. Considered to be the pioneer of innovative camera technology, Nikon is constantly seeking ways to make it possible for photographers with any level of experience to get striking results.
Nikon 55-200mm F4-5.6 AF-S Lens Nikon's Vibration Reduction function compensates for camera shake to produce sharper, clearer pictures in unsteady or poorly light conditions. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the DX 55-200mm VR is its relatively low price - indeed it's the most affordable Nikkor lens with Vibration Reduction and when coupled with the DX 18-55mm II lens, matches the coverage of the popular DX 18-200mm VR at a much lower price. It is fully compatible with Digital SLR cameras. The build in quality is good and accompanies you for creative photography. It is a lightweight, adjustable lens; you will feel comfortable to fit it to desire cameras. No matter how far away the object is or at what speed the object is moving, you will have crystal clear, sharp images through auto and manual focusing controls. As specified in the lens name, the lens uses an internal focusing design so the size of the lens remains constant during focusing and the front element does not rotate. Nikon 55-200mm F4-5.6 Lens features a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) that offers smooth and quite auto focus performance.
According to Nikon the "Vibration Reduction (VR) offers the equivalent of shutter speeds 3 stops faster for more flexible hand-held shooting". There are seven optical blades embedded in rounded diaphragm that give natural view to out of focus objects. You can have close-up photography of far away objects at minimum distance of 1.1m. Being a Telephoto lens, it is perfect for portraits. Compared to a 50mm lens it isolates the subject from the background more and the increased focal length slightly flattens the image and gives more a natural and flattering perspective. It always ensure you accurate colour balance and high resolution, results with maximum magnification of .43x.

The Canon EF 50mm f1.8 lens was the first lens that I purchased after my kit lens, and I'm extremely happy with my choice. Below is a review of Canons cheapest and lightest camera lens to date.
Build Quality
The build quality of the 50mm 1.8 feels pretty cheap and doesn't feel like a quality lens at all. Everything from the outer shell to the mount is made from plastic which will wear and tear if you're changing this lens around a lot. The 50mm is canons lightest lens and because of this the plastic doesn't have to be that strong to hold everything together.
There is not much to this lens, you have one switch which controls whether you want to shoot in auto or manual focus and there's also a focusing ring which is barely usable because of its small size.
The autofocus on the 50mm f1.8 is pretty fast but not HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) fast; however for under $100 you can't really expect it to have this feature. The autofocus is also a little bit noisy but not unbearable by any means and probably wont put any one of from using this lens.
Image Quality
You may be thinking at this time that the lens sounds terrible and I would have to agree, however the redeeming feature of this lens is that the image quality is very sharp, even stopped down to 1.8 the sharpness of this lens is excellent but shooting from 2.8 or a little above will give you even sharper images, slightly even sharper than Canons professional lens the 24-70mm f2.8 which retails for around $1000.
Another redeeming feature is the Bokeh effect that you can get from shooting at a small F stop of f1.8. If you have ever wondered how the professional photographers get those blurry backgrounds then this is one of the main ways they do this. The Bokeh on the 50mm 1.8 is excellent, obviously it is not as good as the f1.2 however the f1.8 is $900 cheaper.
Another advantage of using the 50mm 1.8 is that it has a 52mm filter size, filters this small are very affordable and you should get one to protect your lens from scratches and even cracks in the front glass.
Conclusion
Overall the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 camera lens is an excellent upgrade from the kit lens or suitable for anyone wanting to shoot low light photography such as in a church, gym or even music concerts where flash isn't allowed. Sure there are draw backs to this lens but the advantages outweigh them, and I don't know of a better lens for 3 to 4 times the price.
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I recently upgraded to a Canon PowerShot S95 and I couldn't be happier with it. It makes 10 MP pictures, and has excellent optics. The 3 inch LCD screen makes it easy to set up your shots. You can also use this camera to take 720p HD video in stereo, and the quality is better than what I expected. Put an 8 GB SD card into the camera, and you can store 50 minutes of HD video. Wow!
The zoom / wide-angle range is plenty for me, and I take a LOT of pictures. One thing I really like about this camera is that it's "grippy." My old camera was slick, and unfortunately it caused me to drop it a couple of times (luckily onto a bed one time and onto thick pile carpet the other). But this one is easy to hold, and that's a feature I like a lot.
Another great thing about this camera is the size. It really is "pocket size," which makes it super convenient to take everywhere. And it powers up and is ready to go in 2 seconds, which is a lot faster than my last camera. You control it using two control rings, and they're easy to figure out. Using the controls becomes second nature very quickly. You don't have to go through countless menus to get to what you want, because the control rings are context sensitive. That's a really nice feature and I wish that all cameras were like that. I really couldn't be happier with my S95, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
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Nikon D3100 is the company's latest entry-level DSLR. It is the successor to the best selling D3000 and brings several key upgrades to that model. The camera has a refined sensor, now offering 14.2 MP. Nikon has switched from a CCD to a CMOS image sensor, with new EXPEED 2 processor to maximize the results of the CMOS sensor. This new 24% discount makes D3100 one of the most desirable DSLRs on the market!
Its predecessor, the Nikon D3000 camera, was one of the best sold DSLR cameras in Europe. Still, there were some functions that were missing in the D3000. The Nikon D3100 corrected that mistakes, it now has Full High Definition video and Live View with various extra functions. While it has a number of new features, D3100 is still as simple to use as D3000. It was the first Nikon to offer 1080p video recording in addition to 720p. The D3100 is the first Nikon digital SLR to support the latest generation of Secure Digital cards, known as SDXC, and adds an input for an optional GPS accessory, and a HDMI video output -- two ports that were missed on the D3000. Like the D3000 before it, the D3100 features a Guide mode which asks simple questions about what kind of photo you would like to take, before setting up the camera accordingly. It's a great option for beginners which also teaches you about camera settings (D3100 shows you example images before finally asking if you'd like to shoot with the viewfinder or screen, or film movies instead). Lively colors, a better signal/noise ratio, powerful image processing and a Full HD video capability makes the D3100 a great camera for its price. Changing the camera settings is very easy even for inexperienced photographer, this makes D3100 a perfect camera for those who have never tried a DSLR but want to.
Specifications:
- effective pixels: 14.2 million
- max resolution: 4608 x 3072
- image ratio: 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
- iso rating: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, (Hi1) 6400, (Hi2) 12800
- lens: Nikon F mount (with AF contacts), kit lens (Nikkor 18-55 zoom lens)
- flash: Auto pop-up type, i-TTL Balanced fill-flash, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR
- image stabilization: yes, lens
- HDMI: yes
- movie clip: yes, 1920 x 1080 @ 24 fps, 1280×720 (HD) @ 30,25,24 fps, 640 x 424 @ 24 fps
- storage types: SD / SD HC / SDXC
- lcd: 3.0" (230.000 pixel)
- connectivity: USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed), Mass storage / PTP selectable, A/V out, HDMI out, DC-IN (optional AC adapter and adapter connector)
- battery: Lithium-Ion battery pack EN-EL14 (7.4 V, 1030 mAh)
- battery grip: no
- weight (with battery): 505g (1.1 lb)
- dimensions: 124 x 96 x 75 mm (4.9 x 3.8 x 3.0 in)
For the price, the Nikon D3100 offers a lot to its target market of consumer SLR users, and is still simple enough for all users.It is now the best-featured entry-level DSLR and will appeal to beginners as well as enthusiasts. The new 14 Megapixel sensor records finer details than 10 MP models, while noise levels are kept in check at high sensitivities, here the D3100 performed similarly to the pricier Canon EOS T2i/550D. This makes D3100 a perfect camera for those who have never tried a DSLR but want to. There is a lot to like about the D3100. It is a definite rival to the Canon 550D but it is also significantly cheaper. Nikon D3100 is now ON SALE so check it out at H
To find more cameras currently on sale visit http://www.hotcamerasales.com. Browse through selection of dslr and compact cameras currently on sale on the leading electronic stores and get a discount from 7% all up to 40% on the desired camera!
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