Great Product

Vortex Media Jacket Camera Medium

My timelapse setups usually run for 3-4 hours, and most of the time I'm not immediately near it. It's best to set it up and leave it alone. That way stray light from a flashlight, doesn't ruin the shot. I have been looking for a replacement for the cheap rain covers that I have used in the past. The Storm Jacket is compact when folded up and has a bungee closure at each end.

The Storm Jacket Pro Model, which I have, also has a large velcro opening on the bottom. That way you can use it with a tripod, or on a dolly. I've used it on the Dynamic Perception Stage Zero dolly and it worked great. The Storm Jacket is well made and will keep dew, rain, snow and dust off of the camera. The large openings make it easy to get at the camera, but close down tight to keep the weather out. I will be using this a lot, and highly recommend it.

Get your Vortex Media Jacket Camera Medium Now!

Works as should

Fotodiox Dedicated Bayonet 75 300mm 55 250mm

On my D90, I started with the kit's 18-105mm as my walk-around lens. As I felt the need for longer range, I graduated to 18-200, and then recently to 70-300 -- but I missed the wider end, forcing me to revert more often than I liked to the 18-200. This 28-300 nearly restores that end, so I expect to be keeping this lens on my camera almost all the time. It's only slightly heavier than the 70-300, so that doesn't bother me. And lens creep is minimal, unlike on the 18-200, which drove me crazy with the need for constant reframing.

Looking at photos taken at F8.0 on a test shoot around town, I found nothing at all to bother me in image quality except some chromatic aberration at 28mm -- which I corrected easily in software. (My 18-200 too had that at its widest.) The overall image quality seems in the ballpark of the 70-300, which already seemed better than the 18-200.

Until Nikon comes out with an 18-400, this is my lens! (And until then, I've ordered the sharp but inexpensive 18-55 DX to handle occasional wider shots.)

Get your Fotodiox Dedicated Bayonet 75 300mm 55 250mm Now!

USEFUL LENS

Nikon 28 300mm 3 5 5 6G Nikkor Digital

On my D90, I started with the kit's 18-105mm as my walk-around lens. As I felt the need for longer range, I graduated to 18-200, and then recently to 70-300 -- but I missed the wider end, forcing me to revert more often than I liked to the 18-200. This 28-300 nearly restores that end, so I expect to be keeping this lens on my camera almost all the time. It's only slightly heavier than the 70-300, so that doesn't bother me. And lens creep is minimal, unlike on the 18-200, which drove me crazy with the need for constant reframing.

Looking at photos taken at F8.0 on a test shoot around town, I found nothing at all to bother me in image quality except some chromatic aberration at 28mm -- which I corrected easily in software. (My 18-200 too had that at its widest.) The overall image quality seems in the ballpark of the 70-300, which already seemed better than the 18-200.

Until Nikon comes out with an 18-400, this is my lens! (And until then, I've ordered the sharp but inexpensive 18-55 DX to handle occasional wider shots.)

Get your Nikon 28 300mm 3 5 5 6G Nikkor Digital Now!

The best small camera I have owned

Nikon COOLPIX Digital Optical Vari Angle

This little jewel is marketed for pros to use when they are not armed with bigger and better things, but it is also a great choice for a serious amateur's main camera. I've been shooting with this for three days, and I am just plain thrilled with it.

Check DPreview for all the technical stuff, but here is why this amateur likes it:

1. Bright, sharp lens
2. Sensor larger than normal for a compact
(These first two mean better image quality all around than your average compact or superzoom.
Low light perfomance is amazing for me, and high contrast scenes are handled better. Fewer
blown highlights and less washed out color, and much less noise. Excellent sharpness.)

3. 7X zoom without noticeable loss of picture quality
4. Articulating LCD with beautiful screen
5. Loaded with controls at your fingertips and within quick-to-access menus. More options than you
would expect to see on a compact camera.

I am actually using these controls since they are not buried in confusing menus, and I can tell that having this is going to make me a better photographer. It also takes great pictures on full automatic, but it is not completely idiot-proof, so I wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't intend to learn how to use it.

Get your Nikon COOLPIX Digital Optical Vari Angle Now!

Did not want a plain black camera back

Laurel Professional Compartment Guaranteed Batteries

Listen. At ten bucks, this is a steal. What amazon sells for in INSANE, though. If you are looking around, you are either an old die-hard like me, or a newbie. Die-hards are just checking around, so let me speak to the newbies. just for Zircher's art, this is worth it. It isn't only flash, though. It's a subtle masterpiece. I even sent him a message regarding one panel reflection of Jack that stunned. He responded appreciatively. The story looks through the lens of occult, translates forward to depth of character, and all behind the veil of some terrifyingly subtle raucous humor, or perhaps it's more like brash subtle comedy. It puts it in a blender of tearing flesh, mysterious past, and violence. You've got Shadowman. Trust me. It's your new favorite.

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Get this book

Shadowman Volume Birth Rites TP

Listen. At ten bucks, this is a steal. What amazon sells for in INSANE, though. If you are looking around, you are either an old die-hard like me, or a newbie. Die-hards are just checking around, so let me speak to the newbies. just for Zircher's art, this is worth it. It isn't only flash, though. It's a subtle masterpiece. I even sent him a message regarding one panel reflection of Jack that stunned. He responded appreciatively. The story looks through the lens of occult, translates forward to depth of character, and all behind the veil of some terrifyingly subtle raucous humor, or perhaps it's more like brash subtle comedy. It puts it in a blender of tearing flesh, mysterious past, and violence. You've got Shadowman. Trust me. It's your new favorite.

Get your Shadowman Volume Birth Rites TP Now!

The Best Sony/Zeiss Lens Thus Far

Sony 70mm Sonnar Digital Cameras

One of the best things buying a Sony DSLRs is the option of buying a Carl Zeiss lens. I bought a Sony A77 recently (luckily I found one) and without any hesitation bought a 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA lens. I use this to shoot models. This is a true classic Zeiss lens in that it's very well-made (in today's standards) and it is heavy at 1kg or about 2.2 lbs. (the way it's supposed to be for a fast f/2.8 lens). This feels like a Zeiss 120mm Makro-Planar lens for Hasselblad which I like a lot. This lens takes breathtaking pictures; no, "photographs." Personally, I think the price is a bargain at $1,650. The zoom ring is nice and tight, the SSM is incredible with almost no detectable sound when it focuses, you have to use it to appreciate it. On my A77, this lens focuses automatically without you having to depress the shutter half way down. Just point the camera at various objects and distances and you'll put this lens to work and will see how amazingly sweet this lens is. If you don't have the budget, wait until you have the budget. This lens is worth the extra money. Take care of it and you can use it for life. It's almost sacred to me. I love it.

Get your Sony 70mm Sonnar Digital Cameras Now!

Breakthrough Color Meter at an Excellent Price

X Rite EODIS3 i1Display Pro

Even though I'm just an amateur photography enthusiast, monitor calibration still rates very highly in my book. And, the i1Display Pro delivers in spades!

The awesome:
##########
1. This is a professional level calibration tool - so it lets you tweak nearly every calibration setting. You can set the white point, the luminance, the gamma curve, etc.

2. Each setting comes with sensible defaults, so you don't have to change it unless you know what you're doing. E.g., by default, the white point is set at 6500K, which is appropriate for digital photographers; the gamma curve is set at 2.2 (the standard for Windows and post Snow Leopard versions); and the luminance is set to 120 (reasonable for LCDs).

3. Each setting can be set to standard values, to the current monitor value, or to a completely custom setting. For instance, you can pick the white point using standard color temperatures (CIE Illuminants D55, D65, or D75); use the monitor's Native white point (if you've already set it using a different method); use a slider to set a color temperature between 5000K or 9300K; or choose explicit x- and y- values.

4. For fine grained calibration control, you can pick different patch set sizes (a small set takes about 2 minutes, the large takes about 8 minutes).

5. It can even correct for flare (reflected light from your screen), or adjust for ambient light at your workstation.

6. The measurement process is really simple, you suspend the colorimeter against the display, and follow the prompts.

7. The only adjustment you need to make is for brightness (though you can also choose to manually adjust contrast). The software then displays a sequence of colors (as determined by your selected patch set) and the colorimeter takes a reading for each. Any required adjustments are recorded in a profile file.

8. The unit itself is constructed well, and a milky white disk acts both as a diffuser as well as protection for its optics.

9. The installation of the software went through without a hitch, and I've not experienced a single hiccup in the time that I've used it.

10. The profile itself is stored in the standard location and is picked up by Photoshop without any fuss.

11. A "basic" mode is also available for quick calibration, where the only settings needed are the white point, luminance, and ambient light options.

12. Options exist to test your monitor's capabilities. For instance, you can test the color reproduction of your monitor as well as its abilities across its entire surface area. The latter divides your screen into 9 areas, and lets you take independent measurements for each area.

Caveats when using this device:
######################
1. While adjusting brightness on a laptop, use the FN key to control brightness. Using your display's control panel software won't achieve the same effect. Notebooks have notoriously coarse grained adjustments for brightness, so you might not be able to get it to your desired luminance setting. In addition, most notebooks don't have a hardware control for contrast.

2. Not all software is color management aware. In particular, the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer and most browsers do not use your calibration file. Instead, you must use software such as Photoshop to really discern the differences due to calibration.

3. There is not much of an accompanying user manual.

4. X-Rite's customer support is very knowledgeable, though their availability is limited to work hours.

Overall, this is a very capable device that is absolutely simple to use. Every time I compare an image in the Picture viewer with its calibrated representation in Photoshop - I can't help but be amazed at the difference.

Happy Calibrating!
~Damodar

Get your X Rite EODIS3 i1Display Pro Now!

Some improvement over old bulbs

Philips 9004 VisionPlus Headlight Bulb

These bulbs are GREAT!! I purchased a set of these for my HIGH BEAM bulbs on a '02 Dodge Ram 2500 Sport 4X4. For those who dont know,this vehicle has a QUAD LAMP headlight set up. For the LOW BEAM bulb,I'm using the Philips 9007 XTREME POWER(would have prefered the XTREME POWER for the HIGH BEAM bulb,Philips does not have it available in a 9004.) I have a heavy duty wire relay harness on all headlights/fog lamps on this truck. This truck has a 4" lift,typically,this would put far less light on the road. NOT THE CASE!!!! Low beam pattern is incredible! Thick,even,wide beam pattern in front of the truck that reaches quite far down the road. High beam,well,let's just say its more than incredible---Night becomes DAY!!!! Absolutely blown away by the amount of light coming from these bulbs, the distance of the beam and the pattern of light! This is so much more LIGHT FOR THE BUCK than a QUALITY HID/projector set up. Forget about those hid-retro kits,they scatter bright light everywhere,like a streetlight,AND don't put it ON DOWN THE ROAD where it's important. Great driving dark Georgia country roads at night with sooooo much light on the road and street legal to boot!!PHILIPS has always been a leader in automotive lighting,German engineering at it's absolute finest here folks!

Get your Philips 9004 VisionPlus Headlight Bulb Now!

Awesome product!

Fotodiox Flower 18 55mm 3 5 5 6G replaces

I just got the lens a few days ago and loving it so far. When I first saw it the first thing that came to mind were the other reviews calling it built like a tank because its just that. Its heavy and although I was concerned that I will only be able to use it with a tripod I still got good handheld shots with a little practice. I will still recommend a tripod.

Very smooth and quite AF. It fast given the range of focal lengths the elements of the must travel. There is a switch with three focus limiting settings which helps. I used it for mostly for macro work which needs to be done via Manaual focus. My lens was a Nikon mount that didnt have an AF/MF switch but manual focus was smooth. The only minor hitch with my D60 was that after manual focusing something it would try to AF once in a while so I had to switch back and forth between AF and MF in my camera. Didnt have any issue most of the time. In my opinion its a small irritant considering the optical quality. The focus ring is HUGE and that helps in fine focusing which is essential for macro.

I am not a professional and dont shoot test charts. I loved the optical quality and it wowed family and friends. A few potrait shots were great too although it was a littel too sharp and I had to use GIMP to blur it a bit.

The working distance with 180 mm is surprisingly small. I'm glad I didnt get a lens of a smaller focal length. This is the second sigma lens I own and am not disappointed with either.

Get your Fotodiox Flower 18 55mm 3 5 5 6G replaces Now!

Razor sharp lens

Sigma 180mm Macro Canon Cameras

I just got the lens a few days ago and loving it so far. When I first saw it the first thing that came to mind were the other reviews calling it built like a tank because its just that. Its heavy and although I was concerned that I will only be able to use it with a tripod I still got good handheld shots with a little practice. I will still recommend a tripod.

Very smooth and quite AF. It fast given the range of focal lengths the elements of the must travel. There is a switch with three focus limiting settings which helps. I used it for mostly for macro work which needs to be done via Manaual focus. My lens was a Nikon mount that didnt have an AF/MF switch but manual focus was smooth. The only minor hitch with my D60 was that after manual focusing something it would try to AF once in a while so I had to switch back and forth between AF and MF in my camera. Didnt have any issue most of the time. In my opinion its a small irritant considering the optical quality. The focus ring is HUGE and that helps in fine focusing which is essential for macro.

I am not a professional and dont shoot test charts. I loved the optical quality and it wowed family and friends. A few potrait shots were great too although it was a littel too sharp and I had to use GIMP to blur it a bit.

The working distance with 180 mm is surprisingly small. I'm glad I didnt get a lens of a smaller focal length. This is the second sigma lens I own and am not disappointed with either.

Get your Sigma 180mm Macro Canon Cameras Now!

Forget your troubles come on get happy!

The Lost Prince Iron Fey

After Ethan Chase's sister Megan left and made her home in the Iron Realm, Ethan has spent his time figuring out how to stay away from it. He wants nothing to do with the Iron Realm or the Fey. He has rules he lives by, the most important being to avoid them and never let them know you are there. Ethan has been able to see the Fey ever since he can remember. To Ethan, they are nothing but trouble and have terrorized him his whole life, causing him to get into trouble time after time. He finds himself at a new school, yet again, as a result of the havoc these fairies caused at his old one. Ethan is 17 years old now, he's a loner and likes to keep to himself, keeping everyone at arms length, never getting close to anyone. This has worked for Ethan, well at least until he met Kenzie, then his world kind of turned upside down. When strange and threatening new beings begin to enter into Ethan's realm, and the magical beings living there begin to mysteriously disappear, Ethan must choose between his and Kenzie's safety, and going somewhere he swore he never would. He winds up finding himself in the middle of an adventure that will change things forever.

I love fantasy, so I was excited to be able to read The Lost Prince, which is the first book in The Call of the Forgotten Series. Some of the characters from the Iron Fey books, make an appearance in this novel, and there are also quite a few new characters. I must say that I read The Lost Prince before the Iron Fey books, and I absolutely loved it. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the Iron Fey Series first, but, of course, I immediately went out and bought the entire Iron Fey Series because I was dying to read more. However, it was not something that required reading the previous books to enjoy, and I really did enjoy it. I liked Ethan, and he proved to be a very strong male lead in this story. He was kind of hard, but I understood where he was coming from. He was really hot to, even though he didn't seem to know it. He has the whole bad boy thing going on, and I love bad boys. The other characters in the book were great and so fun to get to know. You can read a little bit about them below. The story is filled with magic, adventure, some danger, and some really sweet romance. All you Iron Fey Series fans are definitely going to want to read this book. Julie Kagawa has done an outstanding job in providing readers with another epic fantasy to sink their teeth into. If you are a fan of fantasy, fey, magic, adventure, a little danger, and romance, then this is one book you will want to check out.

Get your The Lost Prince Iron Fey Now!

Works well on my Canon 24-105!

Lens Band Stop Creep Black

This is a nice little toploader for a small, compact system camera. In my case, I traded an older Canon DSLR for a new Fujifilm X-E1 with 18-55 kit lens, which is much smaller than the Canon body (EOS 40d). I needed to downsize my older Lowepro TLZ.

I was looking for a simple topload zoom type case that fits my new system but is as small as possible since my primary use for this will be to attach to the sternum strap of my backpack while on extended backcountry trips. This keeps the camera at the ready on my chest since removing my overnight pack is a hassle. A larger case in this position restricts my peripheral vision, is heavier, and is awkward hanging off my pack straps.

This fits my new Fujifilm very well, if not perhaps slightly snugly, in the lens-down position. I typically use a Really Right Stuff L-bracket with this body. The camera will NOT fit in the lens-down position when the L-bracket attached. However it will fit in the lens-to-the-side position with L-bracket attached....which will be the typical way I'll carry this. I suspect if I purchase any larger lenses in the future, such as the 55-200 zoom, it will not fit in the sideways configuration.

All in all, the case is well made, simple, provides enough storage area that I can fit in a small SD card case (Gepe type), a couple extra batteries, and maybe another small accessory or two. If this provides the long service life that my older Lowepro did, I'll continue to be very happy.

This is a very new case to me, so I can't comment on long-term durability only to say it appears well-made. I hope this review is helpful for someone looking for a simple, low-profile case for a Fujifilm X-E1 (I had a heck of a time finding one that wasn't oversized).

Get your Lens Band Stop Creep Black Now!

Lowepro Camera Case

Lowepro LP36235 Adventura Loading Black

This is a nice little toploader for a small, compact system camera. In my case, I traded an older Canon DSLR for a new Fujifilm X-E1 with 18-55 kit lens, which is much smaller than the Canon body (EOS 40d). I needed to downsize my older Lowepro TLZ.

I was looking for a simple topload zoom type case that fits my new system but is as small as possible since my primary use for this will be to attach to the sternum strap of my backpack while on extended backcountry trips. This keeps the camera at the ready on my chest since removing my overnight pack is a hassle. A larger case in this position restricts my peripheral vision, is heavier, and is awkward hanging off my pack straps.

This fits my new Fujifilm very well, if not perhaps slightly snugly, in the lens-down position. I typically use a Really Right Stuff L-bracket with this body. The camera will NOT fit in the lens-down position when the L-bracket attached. However it will fit in the lens-to-the-side position with L-bracket attached....which will be the typical way I'll carry this. I suspect if I purchase any larger lenses in the future, such as the 55-200 zoom, it will not fit in the sideways configuration.

All in all, the case is well made, simple, provides enough storage area that I can fit in a small SD card case (Gepe type), a couple extra batteries, and maybe another small accessory or two. If this provides the long service life that my older Lowepro did, I'll continue to be very happy.

This is a very new case to me, so I can't comment on long-term durability only to say it appears well-made. I hope this review is helpful for someone looking for a simple, low-profile case for a Fujifilm X-E1 (I had a heck of a time finding one that wasn't oversized).

Get your Lowepro LP36235 Adventura Loading Black Now!

Wow

Survival Sewing and Repair Kit

I wanted a small repair kit for our 72-hour bags, and thought this one seemed more substantial than any others I'd seen. I got it with free shipping with Amazon SuperSaver shipping (for orders over $25).

I am really impressed with this little kit. It's not just a "sewing" kit, as it contains several items that go beyond stitching up a tear in clothing or replacing a button. It has a darning needle for repairing socks, heavy duty nylon thread, a needle threader (great for my older eyes!), a magnifier (also great for my older eyes!), bonded Kevlar thread, some brass wire, paracord (for boot laces and more), a waterproof patch, a couple of cable ties, a small knife, and some duct tape. It all comes in a waterproof zippered bag, which fits nicely in a side pouch on my 72-hour bag.

This is a great little kit for the money. I could probably assemble the contents myself for less money, but having it all packed nicely in a convenient little waterproof bag was worth the cost. I've got a full roll of duct tape in my main bag, but having a small roll of it in this kit will keep me from having to dig for the big one for a small repair.

In an emergency, being able to cable tie a shoe together, patch a tent, or do a strong, long term fix of a tear in a jacket or jeans will mean the difference between being comfortable and being miserable.

I plan to add small tubes of superglue and rubber cement to this bag, for shoe and tent repair.

Get your Survival Sewing and Repair Kit Now!

Autocrossing and Time Trials will never be the same

Contour 1700 2

I bought this camera over the cheaper older ones for 2 reasons. 1 the Bluetooth option (sync to phone for use with the app) and 2. GPS.

When you use your camera and download the video to "Storyteller" Contour's software, you have the video and in the top right of the screen you'll have google maps pinpointing your position with a section below it depicting your SPEED, ELEVATION and DISTANCE traveled. Essentially the bare minimum of what a bicycle computer would tell you...pretty slick!

You can follow your position on the map as you watch the video in real time...you just have to use the mouse to scroll the map as your position circle will travel off the section of the map you're looking at...it doesn't refresh the map or track the map as your position moves....that would be a nice feature.

The Storyteller software doesn't edit your video...I haven't figured that out yet.

Check out (on YouTube: "DataDrivenAthlete") This cycling coach uses the GoPro camera but utilized "DashWare" software to bring the video and all your cycling computer (IE Garmin 500 cyclocomputer) data to one interface, showing up like a car dashboard. You'll see what I mean when you see the videos of the bicycle races. Contour cameras do the same thing.

Get your Contour 1700 2 Now!

I realy love it!

Nikon COOLPIX Waterproof Digital Built In

Please don't take the how many stars too seriously as this is my initial review.
I use two DSLR cameras with super high grade lenses from Canon and Olympus so I am picky, I will attempt to be fair and only compares apples to apples and not oranges :)

Pros:
- Great build feels solid yet light.

- Fast shooting rate (though you might wanna slow down as sometimes focus will be off. This is common with all point and shoots... If you shot pictures like machine gun, a few of the pictures will come out blurry)

- As someone who has had point and shoot from Sony,Fuji Olympus and Samsung. I can say with confidence that this camera produces the best amount of detail that I have seen from a recent small sensor point and shoot. The only two cameras that produce cleaner detail in portrait pictures are probably the Nokia Pureview and my very old Samsung i85 (in Macro mode) neither of which are Tough or waterproof. For those of you who shot with DSLRs and use RAW format. JPEG images coming out of this camera can be quiet nicely enhanced and sharpened with Photoshop using inverse Gausian blur and a High pass filter as Nikon has been very smart not to over process their images. The same could not be said about the Olympus TG820 and Fuji xp50 that I tried and returned.

- Tons of generic battery available for real cheap.

- Easy to navigate and intuitive commands and buttons.

Cons

-The video quality is about equal to the rest of the competition but not as good as the latest Sony point and shoots.

- Having a RAW format option would have been nice

- Like all newer point and shoots this camera has too many Mega pixels for its sensor size. If Nikon would have keep it at around 8 or 9 MP, picture quality would have been even better.

In conclusion

If you are in the market for a rugged design, this camera is a solid contender.

Update 03-26-2013

I am really pleased with this camera's overall performance. Its a keeper and I am upgrading my rating to a 5 star

Get your Nikon COOLPIX Waterproof Digital Built In Now!

perfect fit for my Nike sunglasses

AS179 Smooth Extra Large Sunglass

I had been looking for tinted safety glasses for quite some time. I've owned several pairs of AO Safety glasses that are large enough for me to wear over a prescription pair of glasses, but they stopped selling the model that I typically buy. These fit the bill quite nicely. They are inexpensive, small profile (for overlay glasses), lightweight, and are Z87.1 "high impact" rated (+S). The side shade works OK, but the frame does block some peripheral vision. There is a top and bottom shade that drastically reduces glare -- Much better than my old AOS+S glasses. I bought an amber pair as well as the "smoke" gray dark tint, and I find that having two different options is quite helpful. I wear the amber glasses in lower-light conditions, such as early morning or early evening, or when it's overcast. Both are 99% UV blockers.

Get your AS179 Smooth Extra Large Sunglass Now!

Impressive!!

Telescope Telephoto Camera Tripod iPhone

I had been looking for tinted safety glasses for quite some time. I've owned several pairs of AO Safety glasses that are large enough for me to wear over a prescription pair of glasses, but they stopped selling the model that I typically buy. These fit the bill quite nicely. They are inexpensive, small profile (for overlay glasses), lightweight, and are Z87.1 "high impact" rated (+S). The side shade works OK, but the frame does block some peripheral vision. There is a top and bottom shade that drastically reduces glare -- Much better than my old AOS+S glasses. I bought an amber pair as well as the "smoke" gray dark tint, and I find that having two different options is quite helpful. I wear the amber glasses in lower-light conditions, such as early morning or early evening, or when it's overcast. Both are 99% UV blockers.

Get your Telescope Telephoto Camera Tripod iPhone Now!

2 Thumbs up!

Canon 55 200mm 4 5 5 6 Telephoto Cameras

I had been looking for tinted safety glasses for quite some time. I've owned several pairs of AO Safety glasses that are large enough for me to wear over a prescription pair of glasses, but they stopped selling the model that I typically buy. These fit the bill quite nicely. They are inexpensive, small profile (for overlay glasses), lightweight, and are Z87.1 "high impact" rated (+S). The side shade works OK, but the frame does block some peripheral vision. There is a top and bottom shade that drastically reduces glare -- Much better than my old AOS+S glasses. I bought an amber pair as well as the "smoke" gray dark tint, and I find that having two different options is quite helpful. I wear the amber glasses in lower-light conditions, such as early morning or early evening, or when it's overcast. Both are 99% UV blockers.

Get your Canon 55 200mm 4 5 5 6 Telephoto Cameras Now!

Comfortable shooting glasses are a good thing.

Global over prescription Sunglasses Matching Z87 1 200

I had been looking for tinted safety glasses for quite some time. I've owned several pairs of AO Safety glasses that are large enough for me to wear over a prescription pair of glasses, but they stopped selling the model that I typically buy. These fit the bill quite nicely. They are inexpensive, small profile (for overlay glasses), lightweight, and are Z87.1 "high impact" rated (+S). The side shade works OK, but the frame does block some peripheral vision. There is a top and bottom shade that drastically reduces glare -- Much better than my old AOS+S glasses. I bought an amber pair as well as the "smoke" gray dark tint, and I find that having two different options is quite helpful. I wear the amber glasses in lower-light conditions, such as early morning or early evening, or when it's overcast. Both are 99% UV blockers.

Get your Global over prescription Sunglasses Matching Z87 1 200 Now!

Yep, OMD makes micro Four Thirds a legit replacement for DSLR

Olympus Interchangeable 3 0 Inch Tilting Touchscreen

Well as of the time of writing this review it is rather hard to get one of these cameras, and as a highly anticipated camera I'm sure there will be many reviews better than mine soon. Here though is the quick early adopters guide:

- As an Olympus camera this thing is ridiculously configurable. You can swap dial functions, directions, many programmable buttons and so forth. This means from an ergonomic perspective you can get it to do nearly anything you want.

- It is most definitely a small camera. Some early adopters are finding that troublesome and prefer to add the optional grip. Personally I don't mind small cameras and so far have been very happy using it.

- The IBIS system does make a whispering noise. It is audible to the photographer in a quiet room. Still audible held at arms length in a very quiet room.

- The shutter is very quiet for a focal plane shutter. Certainly the quietest micro-four-thirds shutter so far.

- The IBIS system is very good, at least at the moderate focal lengths I've tested it at (45mm) it performs exceptionally with an easy 3 stop advantage. A quick test at around 150mm was less satisfactory, maybe two stops at best though is seems to be what the Panasonic OIS systems are doing at such focal lengths as well. More testing needed.

- Image quality is excellent. I'm still waiting for RAW support from Adobe, but interim tests by myself and others show it at least on par with the GH2 and G3 - perhaps a bit better in both high ISO noise and low ISO dynamic range.

- AF is very fast. Early adopters have discovered a rather interesting "feature" - you can make many AF functions perform even better by selecting higher contrast and saturation settings in the camera. It appears the CDAF system uses the JPEG engine output. Counter intuitive to be sure, but users are posting clear improvements in continuous AF mode especially if using high contrast vivid settings.

- One apparent gotcha so far - IBIS does not function in video mode with adapted MF lenses. They work just fine in stills mode, and IBIS works in video mode with native micro-four-thirds lenses just fine, but no luck with adapted lenses in video mode for IBIS. Multiple users confirm and I've tested this as well. So if you've got a bunch of adapted cine lenses you were hoping to use hold off until it is determined that this is a correctable firmware bug or a true limitation of the IBIS system.

- The OLED display on the back (LCD I suppose you could call it) has a fairly pronounced color shift when viewed even slightly off angle. This appears to be a limitation of this type of OLED display. Things go a bit green when viewed even 10 or 15 degrees off axis. A slightly annoying aesthetic issue.

Overall a wonderful camera. Excellent sensor plus great IBIS opens up lots of possibilities for low light shooting with primes that hasn't existed in this system so far. Either you got IBIS and a so-so sensor from Olympus or a good sensor and no IBIS from Panasonic. Best of both worlds with this camera.

Warnings would be that some folks find it "too small" to be comfortable and that it is not an inexpensive camera so consider the value proposition. For instance, the Panasonic G3 is significantly less expensive and has comparable image quality and many comparable features.

That's it for now, but definitely a five star product in my book.

-----------------

Some further thoughts, some comparing to the GH2.

- There isn't a particularly quick way to change between bracketing and standard shooting on the OM-D (the GH2 has a nice dedicated switch). In theory you could use a "Myset" on the OM-D (the Olympus implementation of custom modes) but I really find the "Myset" implementation to be difficult to use and suspect I'll never use it. The OM-D does support a vast array of bracketing options.

- The GH2 has a "record" button right on the top of the camera that switches you to video mode and is easy to bump, a definite annoyance. On the OM-D you can program its similar button to do something actually useful which is much better.

- There is an excellent live view mode called "highlights and shadows" which displays highlight and shadow clipping areas in real time on the live view (highlights turn orange, shadows blue). You can even set the thresholds for the clipping indicators. This is an excellent feature, and more useful than a live histogram if you are attempting "expose to the right" kinds of techniques. Many cameras (GH2 included) can display clipping in playback, but of course it is most useful in live view. Of course the clipping indicators are based on the JPEG engine so if you would need to tweak the JPEG settings to better match RAW levels if you are a RAW shooter.

One more thought on the camera being small and the grip a bit "crimpy". It seems like from reading user reviews those that typically shoot with two hands (left cradling the body and lens, right controlling the camera) are likely to be happy. Those that often shoot with one hand are probably going to notice the tight grip and controls placement more.

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Good fit

Butler Creek Objective Scope Cover

Bought this on the price drop to replace the 14-42mm Kit lens that came with my G3 and G5.

There is defintely a noticeable difference with regards to picture qiality, color and sharpness. I like it better than the 20mm and 14mm fixed lenses as it has zoom and the 20mm had purple fringing under certain lighting situations - the 14mm was not as sharp as even the Kit lens.

I tested this compact zoom both inside and outside for pics and at different zoom levels, wide open, its much sharper than the kit lens and fully zoomed it is still much clearer also - I am not seeing the distorion at the bottom of the frame like I did with the kit lens. I also tested it for video on my G5 and it looks great. Was waiting for the new 14-42mm kit lens that Pamasonic announced but think this lens is probably still going to beat that one too.

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Works PERFECT on Nikon 3x9x50mm Prostaff

Butler Creek Eyepiece Scope Cover

Bought this on the price drop to replace the 14-42mm Kit lens that came with my G3 and G5.

There is defintely a noticeable difference with regards to picture qiality, color and sharpness. I like it better than the 20mm and 14mm fixed lenses as it has zoom and the 20mm had purple fringing under certain lighting situations - the 14mm was not as sharp as even the Kit lens.

I tested this compact zoom both inside and outside for pics and at different zoom levels, wide open, its much sharper than the kit lens and fully zoomed it is still much clearer also - I am not seeing the distorion at the bottom of the frame like I did with the kit lens. I also tested it for video on my G5 and it looks great. Was waiting for the new 14-42mm kit lens that Pamasonic announced but think this lens is probably still going to beat that one too.

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Can't argue with Otterbox

OtterBox 77 23251 Defender Series Holster

Bought this on the price drop to replace the 14-42mm Kit lens that came with my G3 and G5.

There is defintely a noticeable difference with regards to picture qiality, color and sharpness. I like it better than the 20mm and 14mm fixed lenses as it has zoom and the 20mm had purple fringing under certain lighting situations - the 14mm was not as sharp as even the Kit lens.

I tested this compact zoom both inside and outside for pics and at different zoom levels, wide open, its much sharper than the kit lens and fully zoomed it is still much clearer also - I am not seeing the distorion at the bottom of the frame like I did with the kit lens. I also tested it for video on my G5 and it looks great. Was waiting for the new 14-42mm kit lens that Pamasonic announced but think this lens is probably still going to beat that one too.

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small and weighs very little

Panasonic 14 42mm F3 5 5 6 G Series Digital

Bought this on the price drop to replace the 14-42mm Kit lens that came with my G3 and G5.

There is defintely a noticeable difference with regards to picture qiality, color and sharpness. I like it better than the 20mm and 14mm fixed lenses as it has zoom and the 20mm had purple fringing under certain lighting situations - the 14mm was not as sharp as even the Kit lens.

I tested this compact zoom both inside and outside for pics and at different zoom levels, wide open, its much sharper than the kit lens and fully zoomed it is still much clearer also - I am not seeing the distorion at the bottom of the frame like I did with the kit lens. I also tested it for video on my G5 and it looks great. Was waiting for the new 14-42mm kit lens that Pamasonic announced but think this lens is probably still going to beat that one too.

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Excellent product and great price!

Addipak Vials sterile solution inhalation

i have big bags to hold multiple lenses and equipment, but i've been wanting a small bag i can easily carry around that holds just my camera with one lens. this bag fit my desire perfectly! i have a nikon d3100 and d7000, and it will hold either of them with my longest lens attached, the nikon 70-300mm vr af-s. one word of warning on that, the d7000 with that lens attached will stretch the zipper to it's max! it's a very tight fit. the d3100 with the 70-300 is still a snug fit, but i dont worry about busting the zippers like i do with the d7000. with either body and that lens the lens will touch the bottom of the bag, but it's padded, so i dont care. so far the zippers are holding up well, hopefully it will continue to hold up well after a year or so of that much stretching. with any of my shorter lens everything fits wonderfully. the bag is well made and well padded. the shoulder strap is on the cheap side, i will admit, but for the price point you really cant complain. my suggestion, get a better and LONGER shoulder strap, it makes this bag even better. the pockets wont hold much, but that's why i like this bag, i get tired of packing too much gear! with this bag i will carry my camera body with one lens attached, an extra memory card or two, and one spare battery. it can hold a few other small items if need be, but that's all i carry when i want to carry light. i've read reviews of people mounting short lenses on the camera and laying aother small lens at the bottom of the bag. i tried this and it did work, but i dont like the fact that you have a loose lens banging the mounted lens. to me it's not worth it. oh i mounted the nikon 50mm 1.8g on the camera and laid the nikon 35mm 1.8g in the bottom of the bag, it did fit. again i dont suggest it, but that's up to you. so all in all i think it's a great small bag if you want to travel small and light. if you want to carry more gear though look elsewhere. get a sling bag or a bigger shoulder bag. but if you just want your camera with one lense and some memory cards and a battery, this bag is perfect. i love mine!

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Looks Great

ASAMR720HPCFUOC006NP Premium Durable Protective Vitality

i have big bags to hold multiple lenses and equipment, but i've been wanting a small bag i can easily carry around that holds just my camera with one lens. this bag fit my desire perfectly! i have a nikon d3100 and d7000, and it will hold either of them with my longest lens attached, the nikon 70-300mm vr af-s. one word of warning on that, the d7000 with that lens attached will stretch the zipper to it's max! it's a very tight fit. the d3100 with the 70-300 is still a snug fit, but i dont worry about busting the zippers like i do with the d7000. with either body and that lens the lens will touch the bottom of the bag, but it's padded, so i dont care. so far the zippers are holding up well, hopefully it will continue to hold up well after a year or so of that much stretching. with any of my shorter lens everything fits wonderfully. the bag is well made and well padded. the shoulder strap is on the cheap side, i will admit, but for the price point you really cant complain. my suggestion, get a better and LONGER shoulder strap, it makes this bag even better. the pockets wont hold much, but that's why i like this bag, i get tired of packing too much gear! with this bag i will carry my camera body with one lens attached, an extra memory card or two, and one spare battery. it can hold a few other small items if need be, but that's all i carry when i want to carry light. i've read reviews of people mounting short lenses on the camera and laying aother small lens at the bottom of the bag. i tried this and it did work, but i dont like the fact that you have a loose lens banging the mounted lens. to me it's not worth it. oh i mounted the nikon 50mm 1.8g on the camera and laid the nikon 35mm 1.8g in the bottom of the bag, it did fit. again i dont suggest it, but that's up to you. so all in all i think it's a great small bag if you want to travel small and light. if you want to carry more gear though look elsewhere. get a sling bag or a bigger shoulder bag. but if you just want your camera with one lense and some memory cards and a battery, this bag is perfect. i love mine!

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great case

Gumdrop Series TF700 Transformer DT ASUS700 ARGN

i have big bags to hold multiple lenses and equipment, but i've been wanting a small bag i can easily carry around that holds just my camera with one lens. this bag fit my desire perfectly! i have a nikon d3100 and d7000, and it will hold either of them with my longest lens attached, the nikon 70-300mm vr af-s. one word of warning on that, the d7000 with that lens attached will stretch the zipper to it's max! it's a very tight fit. the d3100 with the 70-300 is still a snug fit, but i dont worry about busting the zippers like i do with the d7000. with either body and that lens the lens will touch the bottom of the bag, but it's padded, so i dont care. so far the zippers are holding up well, hopefully it will continue to hold up well after a year or so of that much stretching. with any of my shorter lens everything fits wonderfully. the bag is well made and well padded. the shoulder strap is on the cheap side, i will admit, but for the price point you really cant complain. my suggestion, get a better and LONGER shoulder strap, it makes this bag even better. the pockets wont hold much, but that's why i like this bag, i get tired of packing too much gear! with this bag i will carry my camera body with one lens attached, an extra memory card or two, and one spare battery. it can hold a few other small items if need be, but that's all i carry when i want to carry light. i've read reviews of people mounting short lenses on the camera and laying aother small lens at the bottom of the bag. i tried this and it did work, but i dont like the fact that you have a loose lens banging the mounted lens. to me it's not worth it. oh i mounted the nikon 50mm 1.8g on the camera and laid the nikon 35mm 1.8g in the bottom of the bag, it did fit. again i dont suggest it, but that's up to you. so all in all i think it's a great small bag if you want to travel small and light. if you want to carry more gear though look elsewhere. get a sling bag or a bigger shoulder bag. but if you just want your camera with one lense and some memory cards and a battery, this bag is perfect. i love mine!

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Great compact camera case, safely protects your investment.

Focus Disney stitch Silicone Samsung

i have big bags to hold multiple lenses and equipment, but i've been wanting a small bag i can easily carry around that holds just my camera with one lens. this bag fit my desire perfectly! i have a nikon d3100 and d7000, and it will hold either of them with my longest lens attached, the nikon 70-300mm vr af-s. one word of warning on that, the d7000 with that lens attached will stretch the zipper to it's max! it's a very tight fit. the d3100 with the 70-300 is still a snug fit, but i dont worry about busting the zippers like i do with the d7000. with either body and that lens the lens will touch the bottom of the bag, but it's padded, so i dont care. so far the zippers are holding up well, hopefully it will continue to hold up well after a year or so of that much stretching. with any of my shorter lens everything fits wonderfully. the bag is well made and well padded. the shoulder strap is on the cheap side, i will admit, but for the price point you really cant complain. my suggestion, get a better and LONGER shoulder strap, it makes this bag even better. the pockets wont hold much, but that's why i like this bag, i get tired of packing too much gear! with this bag i will carry my camera body with one lens attached, an extra memory card or two, and one spare battery. it can hold a few other small items if need be, but that's all i carry when i want to carry light. i've read reviews of people mounting short lenses on the camera and laying aother small lens at the bottom of the bag. i tried this and it did work, but i dont like the fact that you have a loose lens banging the mounted lens. to me it's not worth it. oh i mounted the nikon 50mm 1.8g on the camera and laid the nikon 35mm 1.8g in the bottom of the bag, it did fit. again i dont suggest it, but that's up to you. so all in all i think it's a great small bag if you want to travel small and light. if you want to carry more gear though look elsewhere. get a sling bag or a bigger shoulder bag. but if you just want your camera with one lense and some memory cards and a battery, this bag is perfect. i love mine!

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Great compact camera case, safely protects your investment.

Case Logic SLRC 201 Holster Black

i have big bags to hold multiple lenses and equipment, but i've been wanting a small bag i can easily carry around that holds just my camera with one lens. this bag fit my desire perfectly! i have a nikon d3100 and d7000, and it will hold either of them with my longest lens attached, the nikon 70-300mm vr af-s. one word of warning on that, the d7000 with that lens attached will stretch the zipper to it's max! it's a very tight fit. the d3100 with the 70-300 is still a snug fit, but i dont worry about busting the zippers like i do with the d7000. with either body and that lens the lens will touch the bottom of the bag, but it's padded, so i dont care. so far the zippers are holding up well, hopefully it will continue to hold up well after a year or so of that much stretching. with any of my shorter lens everything fits wonderfully. the bag is well made and well padded. the shoulder strap is on the cheap side, i will admit, but for the price point you really cant complain. my suggestion, get a better and LONGER shoulder strap, it makes this bag even better. the pockets wont hold much, but that's why i like this bag, i get tired of packing too much gear! with this bag i will carry my camera body with one lens attached, an extra memory card or two, and one spare battery. it can hold a few other small items if need be, but that's all i carry when i want to carry light. i've read reviews of people mounting short lenses on the camera and laying aother small lens at the bottom of the bag. i tried this and it did work, but i dont like the fact that you have a loose lens banging the mounted lens. to me it's not worth it. oh i mounted the nikon 50mm 1.8g on the camera and laid the nikon 35mm 1.8g in the bottom of the bag, it did fit. again i dont suggest it, but that's up to you. so all in all i think it's a great small bag if you want to travel small and light. if you want to carry more gear though look elsewhere. get a sling bag or a bigger shoulder bag. but if you just want your camera with one lense and some memory cards and a battery, this bag is perfect. i love mine!

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