Nikon 7072 Lens Pen Cleaning System From Nikon

 

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Product Description

Nikon Binocular Lens Cleaning Pen 7072NIK Cleaning Kits

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Product Details

• Brand: Nikon
• Model: 7072
• Dimensions: 1.00″ h x 1.00″ w x 5.00″ l, .50 pounds

Features

• A simple lens-cleaning system
• Small, pen-style design easily fits in any camera bag
• Soft brush retracts into pen body to stay clean
• Removes fingerprints, dust, and other debris that may compromise your image
• Works with all types of cameras (digital and film), as well as binoculars, telescopes, and other optical products

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Description
The Nikon Lens Pen Cleaning Pen System is a great accessory for any optics user, making it great for maintaining your digital or film camera, binoculars, telescopes, or spotting scopes. The soft retractable brush combined with a non-liquid compound on a natural chamois tip removes fingerprints, dust and other debris that may compromise your lens. The small, pen-style design easily fits in any camera bag, as the soft brush retracts into pen body to stay clean.

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Customer Reviews

Works fine … but you don’t have to pay that much
If you haven’t used a lens pen, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised — it works well. The description doesn’t make it very clear that this product has TWO different cleaning tools, one at each end. The brush, which retracts, is to take off dust particles. Hidden in the other end is a soft pad with a cleaning agent to remove fingerprints and more serious dirt, hopefully without damaging the anti-reflection coating on your lens.

My only reservation is that this particular “Cleaning System” is a bit overpriced (at the time I wrote this review, Amazon was selling it for about $21). Essentially identical double-ended Lens Pens without the Nikon name attached cost $8-$10 from many sources, including Amazon (search “Lens Pen”), so you’re paying quite a lot to impress your friends

One more thought: another reviewer mentioned cleaning his lens daily with this product. That’s not such a great idea. Camera lenses, and especially their anti-reflection coatings, are quite fragile. The more often you clean your lens, the more likely you’ll damage the coating, or even scratch the lens due to a small dirt particle on the cleaning pad (likewise, NEVER clean a lens with bathroom tissues, since they contain tiny, hard wood chips).

The fact is, a moderate amount of dust and dirt on your lens does NOT affect the pictures you take, since anything that close to the lens is so out of focus.

PS — Here’s an update: I just got an Adorama Camera catalog that lists this lens pen, WITH the Nikon name, for $6.50! Imagine that.

it really does work
does exactly what it’s supposed to, and does it well.

to use:

1. with one end, extend the brush, and wipe debris away.

2. twist the cap on the other end, and take it off. with that end, wipe in a circular motion, and smudges get polished away.

Easy to use lens cleaning device
This is a easy to use lens cleaning device.

You use the bush end to remove any debris from the lens, and the pad end to remove fingerprints and the like.

The bush is retractable and soft enough not to damage lenses.

The pad is treated (coated) in such a way as to remove fingerprints without leaving smudges.

I have had excellent results using the Nikon Lens Pen on my Sony DSC F-828 digital camera. However it is important to note that the pad end is much too big to use on the electronic viewfinder (or anything else less than about a half an inch in diameter).

The Nikon Lens Pen appears to be identical to many other LensPens out there (they all seem to be identical except for branding and coloration). Perhaps they are all manufactured by one company (perhaps other than Nikon)?

 

 

Lomography Diana F+ Medium Format Camera From Lomography

 

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Product Description

Dating back to the early 1960′s, the all-plastic Diana camera is a cult legend – famous for its its dreamy, radiant, and lo-fi images. The brand new DianaF+ is a faithful reproduction and a loving homage to the classic Diana – with a few new features tossed in. Its plastic lens, 2 shutter settings (daylight & “B”), 3 aperture settings, and manual focus are all hallmarks of the original Diana. But on top of that, the DianaF+ offers a removable lens and super-small aperture for pinhole images, two image formats (12 or 16 square shots on a standard 120 roll), an endless panorama feature that allows for unlimited and nearly seamless panoramic shots, and both a standard tripod thread & shutter lock for easy shake-free long exposures. IT now also is compatible with the Diana flash. Each package includes the beautiful “Diana Vignettes” book – packed with over 200 pages of Diana history, Diana+ images, and truly off-the-wall short stories. Uses all varieties of medium format 120 film.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3729 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Lomography
• Model: DianaF+
• Dimensions: 5.00″ h x 3.25″ w x 3.50″ l, 1.25 pounds

Features

• Diana Flash compatible
• Variable shutter (daytime & ?B? for unlimited long exposures)
• uses 120 film, and allows 12-shot (5.2×5.2cm), 16-shot (4.2×4.2cm), and endless Panorama (4.6×4.6cm) formats
• Lens removes to convert your camera into a ready to use pinhole camera.

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Customer Reviews

I love this camera!
I love this camera! The medium format is probably my most used and adored film format and this camera can do just about anything. B&W, color, whatever! It’s also a pinhole, which is fantastic because you can have color pinhole photos and have one or two on a role and just keep switching it out. I highly recommend buying some of the other lenses that go with this but come separately. Also, I purchased the ringflash, which adds another dimension to your creative capabilities. If you get the 35mm attachment, you’re really in business! Yes, it’s a bit expensive (these cameras originally sold for literally pennies when the first generation came out decades ago) but what you can do with these cameras is worth every modern day dollar!

LOVE THIS
SO MUCH!!
i originally got this camera for my boyfriend, who is wayyy into photography and lomography. well, i had NO idea it was so easy to use, took amazing pictures that you can’t get with any other camera(no matter what holga’s promise to do, although they do have their good points as well), and was so cute and vintage-y to boot! so i decided i want one now…

great lo-fi camera
I just purchased this camera recently and saw my developed film. Its looks great! I recommend using the 16-shot frame mask to get the most out of your film. Take this camera everywhere you go. You will not be disappointed.

 

 

16GB SDHC HC-SD MEMORY CARD FOR NIKON CAMERA SLR D90 From Patriot

 

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Product Description

Patriot Signature Line (SL) Secure Digital High Capacity Flash Memory cards are based on SDA 2.0 specification, a completely new design that is required for cards and hosts to support 4GB and higher capacities. These cards adhere to SD Speed Class Rating specification which defines a minimum sustained transfer speed for SDHC cards. Patriot SDHC cards provide the ultimate flexibility and storage expansion for the latest SDHC compatible digital devices such as digital cameras, PDAs and mp3 players.

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Product Details

• Brand: Patriot

Features

• Complies with SDA 2.0 Specifications
• High level of copy protection
• Compatible with SDHC slot devices
• Write protection switch to avoid accidental data deletion
• 5 Year Limited Warranty

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Customer Reviews

16 GB SDHC HC-SD MEMORY CARD FOR NIKON D90 CAMERA
I used this card for about two to three weeks and I find it to be very good in the Nikon D90 camera. The Nikon D90 User’s Manual gives two companies for the 16GB and 32GB memory cards (Toshiba and Panasonic). This card is much lower in price, and I have not experience any problems.

SD with a bang
This SD chip works great in my Nikon D90. At my current setting the chip will hold 4300 photos and is more than enough space to do 6 fast pitch softball games at 550 to 700 shots per game.

 

 

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens From Canon

 

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Product Description

This is considered the standard lens for use with Canon SLR cameras

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Product Details

• Brand: Canon
• Model: 2514A002
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.60″ h x 2.70″ w x 2.70″ l, .29 pounds

Features

• 50mm standard lens with f/1.8 maximum aperture
• Traditional Gauss-type optical design is extremely sharp
• Focuses as close as 18 inches for extreme close-ups
• Ideal for natural-looking shots; excellent color balance
• Measures 2.7 inches in diameter; 1-year warranty

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description Lightweight and affordable, the Canon EF 50mm lens–which offers a fast f/1.8 aperture–is an excellent lens for people who prefer a fixed focal length. Canon’s lightest EF lens at a mere 4.6 ounces, the lens boasts a traditional Gauss-type optical design that delivers a sharp performance even when wide open. As a result, the lens provides an image that’s extremely close to how your eye perceives a subject, making it excellent for portraits and images that require a natural depth of field. In addition, the lens focuses as close as 18 inches, helping you take extreme close-ups. Finally, the lens offers an excellent color balance. As with all Canon lenses, the lens carries a one-year warranty.

• Focal length: 50mm
• Maximum aperture: 1:1.8
• Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 46 degrees
• Focus adjustment: Overall linear extension system with Micromotor
• Closest focusing distance: 1.5 feet
• Filter size: 52mm
• Dimensions: 2.7 inches in diameter, 1.6 inches long
• Weight: 4.6 ounces

From the Manufacturer
Lightweight and affordable, this sharp lens with a fast f/1.8 aperture is an excellent first lens for those who prefer a fixed focal length, and makes an excellent addition to any photographer’s system for available-light shooting. A traditional Gauss-type optical design ensures sharp performance even wide open, and it focuses as close as 18 inches/0.45m.

A medium telephoto lens with a large aperture brings the subject closer, creates excellent background blur, gives a longer flash range, and affords a faster shutter speed to freeze the action. A standard zoom lens, with its natural angle of view and perspective, captures the subject plainly, with no special effects. However, you can use standard lenses in creative ways by varying the subject distance, aperture, and angle.

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Customer Reviews

Sharp, fast, inexpensive
Once upon a time the 50 mm lens was THE standard camera lens and was THE optical benchmark by which manufacturers were judged and compared. Although the basic lens focus has now shifted (at least at the low to mid amateur level) to zooms – you can still benefit from years of research and development that went into designing the 50 mm lens and this here lens may be the best lens, dollar for dollar, that you can ever buy. The question is can you afford not to own this lens?

Years of development have brought us a lens that has a fast aperture of 1.8 – far faster than any consumer zoom lens – and that is sharp as a filed tack. Be forewarned about the sharpness . . . if you are taking pictures of people, this lens is unyielding in its sharpness and may well surprise you and your subjects whose every blemish is captured. The lens has a fabulously shallow depth of field if you want to use the 1.8 aperture to blow out a background. This lens is also ridiculously inexpensive. It is not USM – so it is a little loud. It does not have a moving focus scale. For the money though – this is heaven.

As to the build quality – yes, it is plastic. No, it’s not built like the Rock of Gibraltar. If you are going to give this lens extensive use as your everyday lens and you shoot a lot, it may not hold up all that well as one reviewer suggests. However, I’ve now had this lens and used it fairly regularly (although not as the primary lens) for about 8 years and it is still in great condition. In my mind, spend the $$ on this first before you go and drop $330 on the 50mm 1.4 USM lens and I think you’ll find it gets the job done nicely and that the extra $250 on the 1.4 may not be worth the difference in build (major difference), speed (minor difference) and image quality (minor difference).

Best Value in Photography!
Wow! My theory now is that Canon doesn’t put this baby as their kit lens because many people would decide that they DONT NEED ANOTHER ONE! And many of them would be right!

Like others, I bought the Rebel XT and the 28-135 IS lens. The 28-135 is heavy and priced like a gold brick. I guess it does OK, and I do keep it mounted most of the time.

And like others, I stumbled on this lens somehow, read the raving reviews, and for the price figured, “What the heck?”

This lens in tack sharp. It shows the fire in the colors you photograph. The wide aperture means candles can be excellent lights for portraits. Its narrow field is great.

There are pitfalls though. I snapped a pic of my face at arm’s length using autofocus a while back and (1) the focus locked on the tip of my nose and my face was already blurring (2) the lens was so sharp that I saw blackheads clearly on my nose tip I can’t really see in the mirror (doh!). I’ve read that dSLR images are slightly soft to aid in later editing. I can only imagine what it would do on a film camera.

Yesterday while camping I slapped this lens on. Unlike the 28-135, this one is light enough that I didnt notice I was carrying a camera everywhere. At night I put the lens on the top of the car pointed at the sky, set the shutter for 15 secs, and hit the button. Much to my amazement, the lens not only showed hundreds of stars that were invisible to my eyes, but it also found a galaxy. That pic is on the customer image section of this page. You can see what I saw, but the smaller size doesnt do the lens justice.

One quirk of Amazon is that this page keeps alternating pictures of lenses. This lens does not have the distance focus scales on the outside of it.

Zoom is nice for many things. But where zoom isnt necessary, performance is very, very nice. Performance at $70 is almost too good to be true.

Let me close by repeating what has been said elsewhere and will continue to be said here….IF YOU OWN A SLR, STOP NOW AND GET THIS LENS!

UPDATE 12/06 I have owned this lens for about a year now. Over that time I have immersed myself in photography, workshops, books, tests, etc. I have since upgraded to the 30D and a couple of L lenses, and now have a portfolio strong enough that I am now getting dollar signs thrown at me that I didnt even see coming. I say all this to give you some perspective on what I will write afterward.

Now that Ive really learned the difference, I can agree with others that it is a tad soft wide open, but that is to be expected. I read a lens test recently that put the 1.8 against Canons heavweight L glass, and, not surprisingly, the L beat out the $70 plastic wonder in most categories. What might surprise you, however, is that when the lens was tested at F 8 it BEAT THE L GLASS in sharpness! As one that has felt the pain of trading large sums of money for L glass, I appreciate affordable quality…not something anyone can plan on seeing much of in photography.

My 28-135 has since joined my kit lens in the garage. The 1.8 is still in my case with my newer 30D.

With some experience under my belt I now would make the following recommendation. Right now, as you read this, you may have an idea if you’ve been bitten by the photog bug. You may know that this beast is going to morph into something more than a simple pasttime. If you look inside the depths of your aspirations and you know that you are going to be a serious amateur, bite the bullet and get the 50mm 1.4. Trust me on this one. Eventually you’ll end up getting it anyway, so just apply the $70 to the 1.4 now.

If you’re just exploring different areas of SLR photography, you cant go wrong with this lens. Case in point- as of this writing the baby in pink in the customer images section of this lens is one of the top-ten rated images of all pics uploaded on Amazon! This lens will allow you to dazzle friends and relatives used to snapshots from point & shoots. It will be the start of what you upgraded to a DSLR for in the first place. For you, the 1.8 is still, by far, the best value in photography!

Great images, poor build quality
Optically, you can’t really do that much better than the f/1.8 – strong contrast, good color rendition, and very sharp even when shooting wide open. I bought this lens and it lived on my camera for several months and was the default piece of glass that I reached for when the quality of the shot “really mattered.”

But, honestly, it’s built about as solid as a toy prize in a box of Cracker Jack. After a few months of use – use, not abuse – the lens literally came apart, the front barrel separated from the mount. The bad news was that the lens was completely shot – it was in pieces, after all – the good news was that it had been cheap, so my pocketbook was able to stand the cost of replacement.

I replaced the lens with it’s older brother, a used version of the Mark I – much more solid, and which gives equal optical quality even used. It’s a shame that the body and housing on new version of this lens is so shamefully cheap, because the glass is very nice. But I can’t recommend it, unless you either a) don’t do that much shooting, or b) don’t mind replacing the lens on a fairly regular basis.

My suggestion is to either cough up the money for Canon’s 50mm f/1.4 – gains you a half a stop and is built to pro-quality standards – or pick up the older version of the f/1.8 on the used market. Either option will likely end up being cheaper in the long run.

 

 

Sony HDR-HC9 6MP MiniDV High Definition Handycam Camcorder 10x Optical Zoom From Sony

 

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Product Description

RE)SONY HDR-HC9 MINIDV HI-DEF CAMCOR

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16217 in Camera & Photo
• Color: BLACK/SILVER
• Brand: Sony
• Model: HDR-HC9
• Released on: 2009-11-30
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 3.20″ h x 3.20″ w x 1.00″ l, 3.15 pounds
• Display size: 2.7

Features

• Capture high-definition video to MiniDV
• 3.2-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor
• 10x optical zoom, 20x digital zoom; Digital Zoom Interpolation
• Capture still images up to 6.1 megapixels
• HDMI connection; USB 2.0 terminal

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Customer Reviews

A Barely Upgraded HDR-HC7…But Still A Great Camera
After looking at the specs to this new HDR-HC9, I noticed that Sony’s HDR-HC7 (last year’s model) was almost identical to Sony`s latest in MiniDV technology. I began digging in the specs department for awhile on both Sony’s website and here on Amazon. I was able to determine the following differences between the two:

- The Sony HDR-HD9 boasts on it’s Amazon specs that it has upgraded to a 2.0 USB connector leaving the old 1.1 design behind, however the specs sheet on Sony’s homepage seem to dispute this, claiming the HDR-HC9 is still plagued with the old technology. I rarely use any sort of camcorder for still pictures, I do have a 512MB Memory Stick installed in my unit for that “just-in-case” moment we’ve all been in. Even in the rare occasion I do snap a couple experimental stills while on vacation, I always use a card reader to transfer the pictures to my PC, not the USB interface.

- The supplied software is obviously upgraded. The Sony HDR-HC9 comes with Picture Motion Browser version 2.0.17

- If you really care about stills (and take a lot of them…I mean a lot of them) the Sony HDR-HC9 can now handle an 8GB Memory Stick compared to the HDR-HC7′s 4GB.

- The general color of the new HC9 is black (which I prefer over the cheap space-age looking silver of the HC7) but this is just a consumer’s preference, no reason to upgrade.

- It has been posted on other websites that the HDR-HC9′s manual focus has been improved over the HC7′s.

I’ve been trying my best to come up with something more but honestly, this is all I could find. This camcorder is basically the HDR-HC7 with a new paint job and a few minor modifications. Not to say this is a bad camera…far from it. I shoot exclusively with Sony camcorders and this one is by far the best I’ve ever owned.

If you happen to own the HDR-HC7 don’t be swindled into upgrading. As the few minor spec differences above point out, you already own the new HDR-HC9 minus the 8GB Memory Stick storage capacity and the onyx color scheme. Compare the specs for yourself, if you find anything that differs between these two models feel free to list them in the comments section under this review. I searched for 30 minutes and this is the best I could do.

As far as the camera performance itself…what can I say? It’s a Sony, top of the line. If you want to shoot quality HD movies but don’t want to break your bank account, the Sony HDR-HC9 or HDR-HC7 is probably the right fit for most people’s budgets.

I also prefer shooting with this camcorder because of the MiniDV tapes it uses as opposed to all the other media platforms such as DVDs, Hard Drives, Flash Memory…etc.. This format (MiniDV) is an industry standard and if you are planning on editing your videos with computer software (Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas Studio) this is the ONLY way to go.

DVDs and Hard Drive camcorders require a lot of MPEG-2 video compression and when the video itself is transferred to your PC and edited into files the quality of the video is compressed again. Finally, when burning your finished film to DVD the files are degraded once more, leaving the footage pixilated and grotesque…like someone ran it through a garbage disposal. Something to think about.

Product Highlights:

- MiniDV (my format of choice)

- HDMI hook-up (for a quick plug-n-view of your footage in beautiful high def)

- Switchable HDV/DV formats (just in case you don’t need to shoot in HD)

- Professional quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens

- Widescreen display

- Compact size (for an HD camera this is VERY convenient )

Product Down-points:

- I really wish Sony would have given us a 25x optical zoom…it would have put this little guy over the top as far as camcorders in this price range

- The touch screen interface is a bit cumbersome (sometimes feels like a rat maze when just trying to find a single button) plus it leaves annoying fingerprints

- The supplied battery is a joke, definitely need an upgrade

Recommended Accessories:

- Sony NPFH100 H Battery (This thing goes through juice quick)

- Sony VF37CPKS Filter Kit (Protect that lens)

- Sony LCSVA31 Soft Carrying Case

Smaller is better…sometimes
The Sony HDR-HC9 is a great camera in a small package. The HDV footage is stunning in clarity. The Super SteadyShot really works well as long as fast zooms and pans aren’t in the plan. The NightShot is super fun to use at dimly lit parties and events. Smooth Slow Record is a blast! Tape something with lots of motion (volleyball serve, trampoline flip) and dissect it. Coonectivity is great with component video, AV, and HDMI outputs. All this functionality in a camera that fits in your pocket (almost) is awesome! most of the time…

Some of the buttons are too small and hard to reach if the LCD screen is out. Also, the manual focus control is difficult to use. It is a scroll wheel which is hard to control. A focus ring would have made this camera much better.

Overall, I would recommend this camera for anyone who wants to shoot HD footage of family events or even use professionally as a 2nd or 3rd camera as a stand alone on a shoot of an event.

Good camera, bad support
This is our first HD camera, so we didn’t really know what to expect. (Note that for video review, we played the output via HDMI to our Sony Bravia 46″ HD TV.) In full light, the picture is fantastic; you get some blur and artifacts during movement or in shadows, but I don’t know if that is normal or not for an HD camera, so I’ll take that at face value. Night shooting without the IR light (Nightshot) is pretty grainy, even with an add-on light. The Nightshot IR functionality works great and is a lot of fun to play with. The built-in IR light seems to work well up to 7 or 8 feet and then drops off.

Still shots are pretty poor; even in picture mode, they look like video captures; the contrast and color balance are bad compared to a dedicated still camera, but that seems to be common with most if not all dual use cameras so, again, take it at face value. Note that it does have a built-in flash (I couldn’t find that documented anywhere).

It is small and light; you can almost stick it in your pocket, even with an extended life battery. Contrary to the CNET review, I didn’t have any issues with the touch screen functionality.

Video and still import work fine; I had to buy a different firewire cable (the one included has the small end on each side, my PC has a large firewire connection). The Picture Motion Browser did not work; it crashed with an error when trying to open on Vista. Sony were absolutely no help; they just kept sending me to knowledge base articles that were of no use, and refused to make any effort to help (given that I just dropped $1500 on camera and accessories, you’d think there would be more love there).

On the whole, I’m pretty happy with the camera, although I’m disappointed that I have to carry two devices to get quality stills, and I’m very frustrated with Sony’s support for their worthless software. But, at the end of the day, I paid for an HD video camera, not a still camera or software…so, four stars for the video functionality.

 

 

Kodak Pulse 7-Inch Digital Frame From Kodak

 

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Product Description

DIGITAL FRAME, 7″ PULSE, WI-FI, 4:3,

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #942 in Camera & Photo
• Size: 7 Inch
• Color: Black
• Brand: Kodak
• Model: 1338813
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.50 pounds
• Display size: 7

Features

• 7 in. (17.8 cm) high-quality digital photo display
• Receive pictures via e-mail, Facebook and Kodak Gallery sites
• Wi-Fi enabled
• 512 MB of internal memory
• USB port and 2 card slots to add pictures from other sources

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Editorial Reviews

From the Manufacturer
Refresh your world with endless pictures.
The exciting way to get a steady stream of new pictures from everyone in your life.

You know how good it feels to come home to find an unexpected gift from a friend? That’s the same excitement you get every day with the KODAK PULSE Digital Frame. Now everyone can send pictures right to your frame, giving you continuous surprises. Adding your own pictures is easy too. It doesn’t slow you down with time-consuming software setups or complicated technology. It makes connecting with friends and family simple, so you’ll always have new pictures to relive and enjoy.

Easily see new pictures on your frame more often

• Create your own e-mail address for the frame to easily receive new pictures
  • Send pictures from a computer
  • E-mail pictures from mobile phones as soon as they’re taken—perfect for sharing on-the-go
• Adding your own pictures to the frame from your computer is incredibly simple
• The PULSE automatically links to friends and photo albums on FACEBOOK and KODAK Gallery sites, so you can see new pictures on your frame when they’re posted

So effortless, yet so rewarding Hassle-free pictures—there’s no software to install, making setup easier than ever The PULSE automatically alerts you as soon as you get new pictures from friends and family Wirelessly add or replace pictures with built-in Wi-Fi You can also insert a memory card or USB drive to start viewing your pictures right away

Displays pictures beautifully Pictures look amazing on the 7 in. (17.8 cm) high-quality digital photo display (800 x 600 pixels) featuring KODAK Color Science and LED backlighting Simple-to-use touch controls The full touch screen makes your entire photo-viewing experience fun and easy Scroll through photos and view slideshows – all at the touch of your fingertips

Keep those memories coming You’ll enjoy every moment with the ability to store up to 4,000 images with 512 MB of internal memory Pictures are automatically resized to fit more on the frame and still look beautiful Use the USB port and 2 card slots to add pictures from other sources Actual storage capacity will vary based on image content.

Environmentally responsible operation ENERGY STAR qualified for efficient power consumption Mercury-free panel Programmable timer automatically shuts down power at preferred times System Requirements A computer with internet access using INTERNET EXPLORER 6.0 or newer (WINDOWS), SAFARI 3.0 or newer (MAC), or FIREFOX 3.0 or newer (WINDOWS or MAC) Compatible with 802.11b/g or b/g/n router Package Contents KODAK PULSE Digital Frame Power adapter and plug Cleaning cloth Quick Start Guide

 

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Customer Reviews

A clever Wi-Fi enabled frame, but it has its limitations.
The Kodak Pulse digital frame is a nicely designed Wi-Fi enabled frame that you manage through a website. It’s an excellent frame for the most part but there are some things I wasn’t fond of.

Design wise it is a nice looking frame with a glossy black front and a chrome strip running around the edge. It reminds a lot of the iPhone aesthetic. I especially like the fact that the Kodak logo on the front of the frame is very subtle. On the back of the frame is a door that covers the memory card / USB jump drive slots, a power button, and a status check button. The frame is primarily controlled via its touch screen and the Kodak Pulse website. The touch screen itself is very nicely done. It’s quite accurate and responds to the first touch most of the time. You can swipe your finger across the screen to flick through the photos like an iPhone too. While the frame is light in weight the built quality is nice and it feels solid. To store your photos there is 512MB of internal memory, and my 2,510 photos are using 56% of the available memory.

Once you take your frame out of the box and plug it in it prompts you to enter your Wi-Fi information. The process is simple and it walks you through step-by-step. I was able to connect it to both a NETGEAR and Apple Airport router without problems. Both routers have a hidden SSID and WPA2 security. Once you have successfully connected the frame to your network, you are provided an activation number, and are directed to the frame’s website.

You add pictures via several methods; 1) directly from your computer via the website, 2) from a memory card and/or USB jump drive, 3) from your Facebook and/or Kodak Gallery accounts, 4) from a custom e-mail address just for the frame.

I added photos to the frame from the website and it was a simple process (I am using a Mac running Snow Leopard and used the Safari browser). I had some friends e-mail photos to the frame and everything came through fine as well. Lastly, I accessed my Kodak Gallery photos, and the process was simple and worked well. The website also allows you to view all the pictures on the frame and delete some as needed. Being able to manage the frame this way is very convenient, and it is what makes this Kodak frame special. It’s very nice to be able to manage your frame’s photos remotely. This makes it an ideal frame to give to people who do not live close by and/or are not tech friendly because you can manage the frame for them remotely. (see my included photos for screenshots of the website)

Not only can you manage the pictures through the website, but also you can change the frame’s settings. You can adjust the picture display duration and transition effect, how the pictures fit the frame, and whether one picture or a collage is displayed. Lastly, you can set times for the frame to automatically turn on and off.

The frame’s picture quality is very high. The photos are sharp, the colors are vivid and true, and the viewing angle is good. The frame’s resolution of 800 x 600 allows you to view the photos up close without the pictures looking pixilated. Additionally, the frame’s 4:3 screen-ratio is much better than widescreen frames, since 99% of photos are not taken at a 16:9 ratio. Thus, your photos are not cropped as much. The only picture quality issue is some light leakage from the bottom. Basically when you are close to the frame, and it is displaying a dark photograph, the bottom edge looks brighter.

The only negatives I have are as follows: 1) The settings for the frame are very limited, you can only choose from 3, 10, and 30 second picture display durations. There is a smart setting that starts out fast and slows down to 30 minutes a photo, but I find all these choices either too fast or too slow. A Philips’ frame I had allowed for much more flexibility in this area. 2) There is no separate schedule to turn the frame on and off for the weekend. Again, the Philips’ frame had an automatic schedule for both the weekdays and the weekend. Moreover, you can’t change the frame’s schedule through the frame itself, it has to be done via the website. 3) If a photo is in portrait orientation there are just black bars placed on both sides of it. Some frames will tile portrait photos to eliminate this problem. 4) There is no adjustment for the frame’s screen brightness. 5) Lastly, the frame cannot do a slideshow of both the memory card photos and online photos together. It would be nice if you could so you could supplement the frame’s memory using a card. I am hoping that Kodak can fix some of these issues by updating the website, or the frame’s software, since it is Wi-Fi enabled.

All in all… a very nicely done Wi-Fi frame, with good photo quality, and a well designed website.

P.S. Sorry for the long review, but there is a lot to cover. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment and I will respond promptly.

3/27/2010 Update – Some of my photos had quotes in the titles and they did not upload even though the website said they did. Make sure your photos don’t have quotation marks anywhere in the title.

4/6/2010 Update – So I’ve recently run into a problem with the frame. I tried uploading some more photos I recently took. 59 to be exact, and it keeps getting stuck after it uploads a handful of them. All the photos show up in the online gallery, but the frame keeps trying to download the remaining pictures and nothing happens, I’ve waited days even. I deleted those pictures and tired them again with no luck. Then, I deleted all the photos off the frame except for the e-mailed ones and it got stuck again. I had to resort to uploading all the photos via memory card. I’ve added some additional photos via the online gallery after I uploaded all the older ones and they came through fine. Hopefully it will not get “clogged” again. I still like the frame overall and think it’s neat. I’m hoping this was a one-time issue. The problem has not re-appeared as of 4/19/2010.

4/11/2010 Update – To reset the frame and erase all its photos and setting you can click both the Power and Status buttons on the back. Be aware though that any photos that have been e-mailed to your frame will be deleted as well. Also, I’ve found that if you add photos via the website, when you display the photo’s information on the frame it shows the upload date, but if you add them to the frame via memory card it shows the date it was taken.

4/19/2010 Update – Last night the frame prompted me to download a new firmware update. Very nice.

7/14/2010 Update – A couple of days ago I turned on the frame and all the photos I had added via SD card were gone. I unplugged it a couple of times and cycled the power but they never came back and the frame said they were gone. So I tried to upload them again but the frame stopped halfway through and said it was full. This meant that even though the frame said the pictures were not there, they were, since the memory was still being used. I had to reset the frame and start from scratch but was able to get all the photos on there again. I’m hoping this was just a one-time fluke. If this happens again, I’ll update this review and revise my rating.

3/12/2011 Update – I downloaded a new software update for the frame and you can now send a quick canned message (LOL, Wish I was there, That’s a Kodak moment, etc.) to the person who e-mailed you a photo through the frame. It’s a cute little touch. Additionally, you can now create frame playlists via the Kodak Pulse website.

A very clever digital frame
I’ve had this for a couple of days now and have to say that Kodak really has a winner on its hands with the Pulse. Kodak has solved the “last mile” problem with photo frames by creating such an easy way to get photos onto the Pulse. After receiving it you create an email address at [...] and simply email photos to that address. It takes about three minutes from emailing a photo to the Pulse to when it shows up on it. Let your friends and family know the email address and they can send photos to it too.

Setting up the Pulse is easy and takes about 10 minutes from unboxing it to displaying photos on it. The frame first connects to the internet via your WiFi and then displays an activiation code. You then go to [...] and create a user account and email address by keying in this activation code. After that you can start emailing photos to your new email account. In addition you can also have it display photos from your facebook or Kodak Gallery accounts.

The Pulse has worked great for me with both photos emailed to it and from a facebook account. It has all the usual slots in the back so you can run a slideshow off a flashcard too. A nice feature of the Pulse is that you can sort the photos displayed on it based on who emailed them to you. Tapping on a photo shows who sent it, when it was sent and the subject line of the email when it was sent to you.

My one concern with the Pulse is with wireless connectivity. Where we originally wanted to put the Pulse our computers, cellphones, etc., easily get WiFi coverage but for some reason the Pulse can’t. We moved it across the room and it got coverage but it’s strange that it had a problem when other devices didn’t. Other than that, however, the frame has been perfect.

I originally bought this for my mom so all her kids and grandkids can email her photos without her having to be at a computer to view them. But I like it so much I’ve decided to keep it for myself and buy her another. One surprise is that there isn’t a simple way to print the photos from the Pulse. It would be great if you could select one or more pictures and have them sent to Kodak Gallery or some other online site and have them printed. Perphaps they’ll add this feature in a future software update.

I’m very pleased with the Pulse and recommend anyone thinking about a digital photo frame seriously consider it. Good job, Kodak.

finally, a photo frame for grandparents
I’ve been looking for a photo frame that I can give to my parents, who don’t get to see my kids often. I wanted one that allows me to update pictures remotely, and doesn’t require any technical knowledge on their part. I tried a few WiFi-capable units: Toshiba (wide-screen ratio, a mistake), Viewsonic (doesn’t auto-play when turned on), and Pixstar (seems nice, but $230?). Finally, Amazon emailed me about the new Kodak Pulse, which at the time got three 5-star reviews. Well, what the heck, I decided to buy it and try it out for myself.

Pros:
- Very nice, clear LCD display. It appears to be higher res than other frame. Maybe it’s because it is only 7″, yet 800×600 pixels. Maybe the LED backlight helps too. The colors also seem richer on this frame.
- Small frame border. Some frames have a ridiculously large border, which takes focus away from the pictures.
- Once configured, zero-configuration needed to use. Perfect for non-technical viewers.
- Impressive web management tools, with many settings.
- No remote! Yes, this is a feature! Since it has web management, there is no remote control to lose. And photo navigation is done thru touch screen.
- Simple, elegant design. The frame is also pretty thin.
- Collage mode, where individual pictures in the collage update in sequence.
- Energy save mode, where you can set times when frame is on. Also can turn on frame when new pictures are received.
- Touch screen interface, for simple management and flipping through photos (you can disable touch screen interface).
- Email upload. This is very convenient, especially from phone.

Cons:
- Management must be made thru Kodak website. What if Kodak website is down, or decides not to support product anymore?
- On first use, it automatically upgraded firmware, which is fine. However, it wiped out my WiFi settings so I had to re-enter it.
- Wished it was offered in larger screen size, which would be nicer for collage mode.
- Security. If you enable upload by email option, anyone who knows the email address can send pictures to the frame. Last thing I want is spam or inappropriate photos on my frame. They should allow you to restrict who can send photos to the frame.

So far I’m very impressed by this photo frame. Never thought of Kodak as a high-tech company, but I guess they know a thing or two about displaying pictures. I think it makes for a great gift that will keep on giving.

 

Bushnell 1708032C 8 x 32 Permafocus Binocular From Bushnell

 

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2048 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: Bushnell
• Model: 170832
• Dimensions: .0″ h x .0″ w x .0″ l,

Features

• Focus-free binoculars with 8x magnification and 32mm objective lens
• Unique focus-free feature is perfect for sports and other fast-moving activities
• Fully coated optics for superior light transmission and brightness
• Nonslip rubber armor absorbs shock while providing firm grip
• Twist-up eyecups; 13mm eye relief; weighs 14.1 ounce
• Rugged rubber covered body ideal for all outdoor activities

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Lose your focus and some of life’s finest opportunities can pass you by. This hard-earned lesson drove the creation of Bushnell’s PermaFocus binocular series. Simply raise these 8×32 binoculars to your eyes and you’ll catch the action instantly with stunning clarity–no adjustments necessary. That’s because of its unique focus-free feature that keeps you dialed in for instantaneous viewing at virtually any distance.

PermaFocus binoculars are perfect for sporting events, nature observation, and winter days when gloves would hinder the use of standard-focus binoculars. The 8×32 binoculars offer other benefits as well, including fully-coated optics for superior light transmission and brightness and a nonslip rubber armor that absorbs shock while providing a firm grip.

Note: Focus-free models are designed for viewing distant subjects. The close-focus limit is subjective and dependent on the user’s eyesight.

Magnification (Power)
Binoculars are often referred to by two numbers. For this example: 8x 32. The first number is the power, or magnification, of the binocular. With an 8x 32 binocular, the object being viewed appears to be eight times closer than you would see it with the unaided eye.

Objective Lens
The second number in the formula (8x 32mm) is the diameter of the objective or front lens measured in millimeters. The larger the objective lens, the more light that enters the binoculars and the brighter the image.

The binocular’s unique focus-free feature lets you instantly capture the action on the field.

Specifications:

• Magnification: 8x
• Objective lens: 32mm
• Lens coating: Fully
• Field of view: 382 feet @ 1,000 yards
• Tripod adaptable: No
• Eyecups: Twist-up
• Eye relief: 13mm
• Focus system: Focus-free
• Exit pupil: 4mm
• Prism glass: BK-7
• Waterproof/fogproof: No
• Prism system: Roof
• Size class: Mid-size
• Weight: 14.1 ounces

How Do the Bushnell® PermaFocus® Binoculars Work?
No focus mechanism or control is needed on PermaFocus because its point of focus preset for optimal distant viewing only (and of course, most people buy binoculars because they want a closer view of sports action, animals or other subjects that are at least 50 or 100 feet away), and it takes advantage of common “depth of field” principles.

The PermaFocus design takes advantage of the fact that the farther away the subject is located, the less focusing adjustment is required to obtain an acceptably sharp image. Try holding a pen a foot or so away from your eyes with one hand, and a magazine page about a foot behind that with the other hand. Hold these objects up against a distant background such as a wall at least 10 or 15 feet away. Focus your eye on the pen. The print on the magazine page just a foot behind it will not appear sharp. If you shift your eye’s focus to the page, the pen in front will be quite blurry. Your eyes will not be able to focus sharply on both objects at the same time. Move your point of focus to the wall, and both the pen and the magazine will appear extremely out of focus, when they are in your field of vision at the same time. Now try looking at two objects that are separated by a greater distance (such as two trees 50-100 feet apart), but much farther away. The farther away they are, the greater the distance between them can be, yet both will still appear sharp to your eye. Using the same concept, these binoculars can deliver a high quality view of the players, cheerleaders, coach and goalpost located at different distances from you, because they are all far enough away from you to take advantage of the unique PermaFocus optical design.

Manufacturer’s Warranty
Limited lifetime warranty

About Bushnell
Bushnell has been the industry leader in high-performance sports optics for more than 50 years. The company’s guiding principle is to provide the highest quality, most reliable, and most affordable sports optics products on the market. Bushnell product lines enhance the enjoyment of every outdoor pursuit, including nature study, hunting, fishing, birding, and stargazing. Indoors, the company’s binoculars bring the audience closer to the action in fast-moving sports or the fine arts at theaters and concerts.

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Customer Reviews

Great Value
I have compared many binoculars before purchasing this pair and have no regrets what-so-ever. They are a great all-purpose binocular. The 7x magnification along with a larger 50mm aperture gives a very clear image, even indoors.
I regularly take them to hockey games and the wider field-of-view keeps the action in your sight.
The perma-focus keeps images sharp. Remember that they are set assuming you are looking through with at least almost 20/20 vision so you can not use them without corrective lenses.

I love these!
These binocs are very similar to the ones they replaced that cost 5x as much. The old ones got tossed because they were showing a double image after living in my backpack for 2 years or so. The Bushnells may or may not have the quality of optics that the more expensive units did but the “Permafocus” or infinite depth focus makes it so you just pick them up and look. If what you are looking at is further than about 75′ away it will be clear. This is really great when multiple users are using them as you don’t have to reconfigure them for each persons eyes. It is also good for scanning a wide area as you don’t have to adjust focus for close or far. This also makes them great for watching sports where things move fast.
I decided to try these because we have some older 10×50 units that use the same “Permafocus” design under a different brand that got bought by Bushnell and they have been working great for over 10 years. I hope I will be able to say the same about these.

Good for brightly lit subjects if you’re young, have 20-20 vision, and both eyes are the same
These things work by setting the focus to infinity and reducing the opening on the ocular (eye piece) side. That maximized the range of distances that are in focus and reduces the amount of light that gets in. The result is a slightly dimmed and more possibly in focus image. For noon-time football or other midday activities it’s OK. Of indoor things like plays or evening activities, not so much.

If you wear eye glasses these won’t work well. There is no way to hold them comfortably against your glasses.

If you eyes are different, as they are for most people, these won’t work well. There is no way to individually adjust the separate eye pieces (as there is for all but the most least expensive binoculars.

If you are old, as I am, and need reading glasses, as I do, these won’t work well. See the reasons above.

If none of these apply then you will probably find these a good value. Otherwise, search out binoculars with the functions you need and leave the magic to the magicians.