Mats point of view

Low end shooter

2010-09-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

If you have read a few, or more, of the posts here, you know that I am a huge user of Canon cameras. I have had a Canon point and shoot and a Canon DSLR for almost 10 years now, with frequent upgrades and changes. Lately I have shopped around on craigslist in my area and have a SLR setup of:

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera
Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro

Not a bad setup if you ask me. I do not really feel a _need_ to upgrade to T2i or even the new 60D. Sure the video would be a nice addition and of course the speed and high ISO would be better, but from a pure image quality, it really do not add much. But... I wish that Canon updated their lenses more. Like the 50mm lens. It is so old and cheap feeling, not to even get started on the noisy and somewhat inaccurate auto focus. Sure, it can take real good photos, but still, why not update it?

Anyway, then while going over ad after ad on craigslist I found a cheap Nikon D60 kit with both the 18-55mm VR and 55-200mm VRlenses for a steal. A broken SD card slot cover was there, but otherwise it had only been used for some 1500 shots. I could not stop from also testing a new 35mm f/1.8G lens, as I favor prime lenses because of the higher quality. And, now I am not so sure I want to be a Canon shooter. I do think the XSi is a nicer camera than the D60, but with the announced Nikon D3100 the playing field could be different. I could sell the D60 and my canon gear and have money left when done. I guess I have a few more days to think it over before the new Nikon is released. The D3100 seems to have nice features, and a nice decrease in noise at high ISOs.

This is the time... to go streaming

2010-09-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Amazon just lowered their prices on the Roku box. I did a quick review back here. Since then they have updated the SW to have a super nice browsing and search interface for Netflix. You can get YouTube and many other "channels" on the Roku. This is so nice for a super small box that has built in WiFi. On the plus is also that there is no FAN, i.e. no noise, and it consumes something like less than ~7.5W worst case. Instant on also...

I like it so much that I got a second one for our other TV. There are three versions, the SD (Standard Definition, no HDTV support), HD and HD-XR. I think the only difference between the last two is improved WiFi on the XR. I have two of the HD and am happy with that :) If you do not want to order from Amazon, click here to order directly from Roku.

Canon MT 24EX macro flash

2010-07-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

I have had the pleasure to get hold of a dedicated macro flash, the Canon MT-24EX. It looks like this on a Canon XSi with a 100mm f/2.8 macro lens:

It makes macro photography a breeze. With some simple snaps and twists and presses of buttons you can do stuff that would take multiple lights or remote controlled flashes to do without it. I think if you have a Canon SLR with a macro lens, this is an item you want. If you do some sort of (small) product photography, this is a neat thing to have. I have posted a quick video that kind of shows how it looks and how it can be adjusted.

I prefer to take macro photos with it in manual ("M") mode where I adjust the aperture to get the depth-of-field I want, the shutter speed to both reflect if I am hand-holding (like 1/200s) or if I have tripod mount (slower), and ISO fixed to 100 or 200 for best quality. Then the E-TTL of the flash system simply adjust the flash strength to make the exposure right. It is a breeze. Only drawback is that it is expensive and somewhat bulky.

iPhone 4 as only camera?

2010-07-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

I have been using an Sony Ericsson W810i for many years as my cell phone and been happy with it. On and off I have glanced, a bit jealous, at my friends and co-workers with their smart phones. But now when iPhone-4 was announced I decided it was time to test it out.

I am quite impressed with the camera and video functions on this camera, for everyday social photos. On a trip to Legoland here in California, I decided to only have the phone as an experiment. I tell you, it worked just fine. Sure, there were moments where no (real) zoom felt like a miss, and no zoom in video on top of that. But I tell you, some photos can be made really nice. How about these two? Edited in camera....

New even lower price on Kindle

2010-06-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is getting interesting. The Kindle with new competition from readers as Nook and the new iPad has gotten yet another price reduction. I cannot speak to the Nook, but for use as a book reader alone, I do not really think the Kindle has much competition from iPad at the current pricing. With the Kindle you get "free" 3G download of books and so, and the most important factor (except price) is probably that the Kindle is really lightweight. The new standard price on Kindle is $189, but if you click through the link, you can see that sometimes it is sold even lower.

Spare SD cards - on sale at Amazon

2010-06-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Not sure how long it will last (this posted June 2nd) but Amazon has Kingston 2 GB SD card for less than $4 shipped (free with prime, or super saver with more than $25 in the cart). I know, 2 GB and not fast, but for photo frames and as spare cards for point-and-shoot cameras, it good to have around.

What happened?

2010-05-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

You might wonder what happened to this blog, and there is not a good answer. I guess it just got busy. But there are new items on the way in the shape of a Logitech Harmony One remote. I have an old version, the Harmony 680 but I felt that it was time to test the new ones out. When I initially got the remote, I actually did not like it at all and it went into some electronic "junk" box. But after a year or so, it surfaced and maybe because we had more A/V equipment, it seemed to work out much better. Anyway, now, the only remote we need and use is a Harmony remote. I will write more on this in a few days, or a week.

Also an TV update, the 42" VIZIO XVT HDTV is no longer in our house. I am not sure it was just my TV, but I had serious lip-sync problems with some sources, like our now quite old Tivo Series 1 and even though there was a specific menu for audio sync delay, it seemed like it would come and go and the adjusted setting was suddenly not ok anymore. That, and the seemingly vary long start time, drove me to return the TV. But once you get the taste of a "large" HDTV, there is no turning back. So now I am enjoying a LG 42PJ350 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV . Sure, it is "only" 42" and "only" 720p, but to tell the truth, from where we sit, there is no difference. And for a plasma TV, it is not like the old days, the TV is quite energy efficient (not like LED though), and it is both slim and has a really narrow bezel. And, best of all? No audio sync issue and slow start :) I got it for about half the price of the Vizio TV also... $475 shipped, quite incredible I think.

Sony HX5V - HHT

2010-04-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

Thank God for HHT (Hand Held Twilight mode)... Kind of, at least. The new Sony DSC-HX5V that I am using has one mode called this (HHT). This mode take 6 shot really quickly, less than 1 second if the shutter speed allows it, and then combines the shots to reduce noise and improve detail. It is explained more in this review. What can I say, it really does work. This weekend I took my kids to Golden State Model Railroad Museum so they could check out all the trains. I tried the HHT mode here, indoors, with not so much light. Using the zoom also makes the lens quite slow and long shutter speeds, or high ISO is the result. But check these photos out and I can only say that HHT really seems to be working.

Sony HX5V vs Casio FH100?

2010-04-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

No, not another camera, but I stumbled on this picasa web album comparing "identical" shots from Sony DSC-HX5V and Casio EX-FH100. Take a look if you were comparing these two cameras. The casio lacks GPS and other features, but has a 24mm-240mm lens, High-speed video (up to 1000FPS, low resolution) and 30FPS 9Mpixel bursts.

Sony HX5V - barrel distortion at 25mm??

2010-04-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

I read somewhere that people had experienced (extreme) barrel distortion at the wide end of the HX5V camera. I have honestly not seen much or thought about it, so I did a test... Seems like this photo (not video) of some boring bricks is ok by me (at 25mm).

Link to original here.

But then this is the "same" scene in AVCHD video, 1920x1080 format, a frame grab:

Link to original here. And the "video" is here.

So... it seems to me that the Sony DSC-HX5V is doing some fancy image processing to correct the barrel distortion when taking photos. That's not that uncommon, the Canon S90 does the same.... Just FYI...

HX5V - XSi

2010-04-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

From a walk today, two shots, first with Sony DSC-HX5V and second with Canon XSi (with 50mm f/1.8 II)

Not quite the same focal length and not from the same place, but still. I like the XSi color and sharpness better, but I would not really complain. It is not a D-SLR, but it has a lot going for it. Here is another from HX5v:

SD1300 - final thoughts

2010-03-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

So, I have had the Canon SD1200IS and SD1300IS for a while, and I must say that I think both are really similar. The 4x zoom lens starting at 28mm is making the long end about the same as the SD1200 "only" has a 3x zoom. The 28mm is nice to have, for me indoors is where you see the difference, but it is slight. And the lack of the "LP" (long play) lower bit rate 640x480 video and the digital macro are both features I used on the SD1200, although one can certainly be without them. You can find the SD1200 on sale sometimes for a really good deal, making the SD1300 about $50 to $75 more expensive.

All in all, I would recommend both, but if you do not think you care much about the 28mm lens, save the money. The SD1200 is a good performer, and I like the slightly longer lens (at f/2.8) when I take "portrait" style snapshots of the kids. Either way, it is a good _basic_ point and shoot camera. Here are some SD1300 photos.

Sony HX5V - video wobble/rolling shutter

2010-03-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

As some of you might know, the new Sony HX5V use a CMOS sensor to capture the still and the videos. If you google a little about CMOS vs CCD in terms of video properties you will soon come upon a thing that is called a rolling shutter or wobble effect. It happens because on a CMOS sensor the frame is normally read out from top to bottom and in video that means that the scene changes in a video frame. If you have a "normal" scene you really will not see much at all. Take all the example videos I have posted here, I bet there's nothing to be seen of the effect there. Today I made an experiment by taking a video of the end of a vertical wall and then very quickly panning from left to right and back. The unmodified videos are here for your enjoyment...

(boring) Panning video in MP4 format
(boring) Panning video in AVCHD format

Now, if you do look at them, you will realize how ridiculous the test is. But there are probably some "real" cases where you could see it (and I will try to get one of these), like a truck driving by on a highway when the camera is still or so.

I personally have not much experience on this effect, but I really think it is not showing much in a normal case, and I would not want to take a video that pans as fast as I did in the example anyway.... YMMW.... :)

Perfect real estate camera?

2010-03-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

I remembered when I got my Kodak V570 I was impressed with the 23mm fixed wide lens and also with the in-camera panorama stitching. This camera, after it was discontinued continued to go up in price, much like the newer Panasonic LX3 that also has a wide lens. Why? Well one reason is that they both made great cameras for the many Realtors out there. When you need to present a house on a web-site, you want to capture the full feeling of being right there, in the room or house. The problem with that is that it is hard to capture it all in one shot.

Well, I think the Sony DSC-HX5V is going to give them a run for the money. Sure going full on DSLR with bounced flash and so, will still be the best, but that is a $1500+ investment that you need to do. Take the Sony, it has many things going for it. The "iSweep" panorama function is really good. You hold the camera, either normal or upright/portrait, and the press the shutter and sweep the camera. A few seconds later and you have a finished panorama. Even though the lens is quite wide at 25mm, this is neat to have. Take this photo (mind you, this is at night, low light) of my living room:

That's 25mm and not too bad (for night time shot). But if you really want to be there, this is a quick iSweep panorama from the same place.

Now, the LGB train track would probably not really be there if the house was staged for a sale :) But you get the point, right? The 25mm lens with the panorama makes for a really wide capture without need for Photo Shop or some other expensive post processing program. And no need to lug around an expensive SLR.

And the 10x zoom and full 1920x1080 HD video is not that bad to have at your kids soccer game...

Check out the specs of the camera here:

Few more HX5V "RAW" videos

2010-03-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

I took a drive to the quite well known bridge close by, the Golden Gate bridge to be specific as there are many other bridges around. But none other painted red... Here are some "raw" videos you can download and check out on your new HDTV taken with the new HX5V. Some of each format (AVCHD vs MP4) but this time only at the highest resolution.

I am pretty impressed with the video this camera takes. The image stabilization is very good, in fact probably the best I have seen on a digital camera. In the video mode at least. But how they could have placed the two microphones where they did, puzzles me. The one to the left is right where one holds the fingers when holding the camera with both hands. I guess one will get use to not doing it, but anyway.

Here is a sweep panorama from the same place:

Link to original file

And a normal photo:

Link to original file

Just a few shots - HX5V

2010-03-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

Nothing special, but a few more shots from Sony HX5V.

Pretty impressed with the lack of chromatic abbreviations on this one:

Sony HX5 first photos and videos

2010-03-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

So it is "finally" here, the new Sony DSC-HX5V. I shot an email to Amazon about the lower price and got a partial refund. That's nice of them, I think. Anyway, I will not post many opinions on this camera yet. The initial impression is quite good. Size is as expected a little larger than my SD1200 that I bring everywhere. If it is too large to bring everywhere, is yet to be determined. Built quality feels good, with the exception of the battery lid, which is too thin in my opinion. Feels like one will eventually make a mistake and bend it.

In this post I will post some snapshots from today, and provide a link to the raw, direct out of camera, JPEGs and videos.

Why not start with the videos? This camera takes a bunch of formats and size. Here are some examples, of roughly the same length (~20 seconds) and same scenery. Zoom was used, starting from all the way zoomed in, to wide. Be sure to have a new, fast, computer to watch the 1080 ones...

AVCHD - "FH" 1920 x 1080, 60i - Download raw file here
AVCHD - "HQ" 1440 x 1080, 60i - Download raw file here
MP4/Mov 1440 x 1080, 30p - Download raw file here
MP4/Mov 1280 x 720, 30p - Download raw file here
MP4/Mov 640 x 480, 30p - Download raw file here

I guess I think they all look nice, but for computer viewing, the 1080 ones are just too much for me, 720p is just fine. Here are three more in highest resolution of a small airplane. Be prepared for the wind noise... I have not seen any audio wind filter function:

AVCHD - "FH" 1920 x 1080, 60i - Download raw file here
AVCHD - "FH" 1920 x 1080, 60i - Download raw file here
MP4/Mov 1440 x 1080, 30p - Download raw file here

Here are some photos. Each photo has a link to the original JPEG from camera after the photo.

Download raw file here

Plain photo:

Download raw file here

In camera "HDR":

Download raw file here

Mid zoom:

Download raw file here

Through window:

Download raw file here

In camera panorama sweep (just moving the camera, camera does all the "stitching")

Download raw file here

Air plane:

Download raw file here

Air plane detail:

Download raw file here

That's it for this time. Quite nice. The samples I saw before getting it, seemed to show much more noise, but I guess the light was good out here today in California :) Very fun with the embedded GPS also. Picasa shows the map when browsing around.

If you are going to try this camera and plan on buying it on Amazon, please go through this link and you will support me and my hobby :) Thanks!

Rant - price reduction on HX5V

2010-03-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it. My Sony DSC-HX5V from Amazon shipped on Friday, and today they have lowered the price by some ~$35... I have asked them to price match their own price, but who knows what they will do. Anyway, at ~$316 shipped, it seems like you get a lot for your money. But we'll see after I test it out.... New price is only visible after adding it to the cart, here.

HX5V - in stock at Amazon

2010-03-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

The new Sony DSC-HX5V is now in stock and shipping at Amazon. Check out this video demonstrating stability at 250mm and then zooming back to 25mm while taking video. Or check out this sound test below.

Vizio SV422XVT

2010-03-09T22:19:00.000-08:00

For the longest time (like 9 years or so) our main TV was a Sony 43" Rear Projection TV. It was capable of HDTV, but with a 4:3 format, not suited for it. Never-the-less, it was really good and coupled with our Tivo Series 1 (does it surprise you I am an very early Tivo adapter :) it was a good TV setup for us.

While we re-arranged in the living room we wanted to get rid of the extremely bulky rear-projection TV. I tried to sell it, but ended up donating it as there were no buyers. For a time now I have been looking at what new TV to get, and last weekend I got our new VIZIO SV422XVT LCD HDTV. Why this one? Well, first of all, 42" seemed to fit our living room nicely and....

1080p, of course
240Hz (not really a selling point for me, personally)
Wifi built in
VIA - Vizio Internet Apps - Netflix, Flickr, Facebook, and more
Nice price (sub $1000)

It is a little bit ironic that we still have and use the Tivo (series 1) daily and still just LOVE it. I was prepared that the 42" HDTV would maybe not make the SD (standard definition) signal look ok, but it turns out I was wrong. The SD signal on this TV is totally acceptable, in my opinion. But sooner or later, I will be "forced" to look for a new setup like a TiVo Premiere, just about to be released.

Here is a little video demonstration of the VIA function.

Sony HX5V coming soon, very soon...

2010-03-06T23:22:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems like the Sony DSC-HX5V is about to come. It has been spotted, or sold, in France, and now the user digitalbear at Flickr has posted a bunch of photos. So, my guess is that it is right around the corner. Why be excited about that? Well I think the feature set seems right on. GPS tagging, compact, 10x zoom, 25mm wide, SD card, true HD (1080p) video with both AF and zoom working while taking video, super steady shot.... list goes on.

Check this video at YouTube demonstrating the zoom in HD video.

Some SD1300IS shots

2010-03-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

Some shots taken with the new Canon SD1300 on a walk the other day.

Wide:

Tele:

Pretty happy with it in general, but I have also noticed that they have removed two features from the SD1300 compared to the SD1200. They have removed the "digital macro" mode, and they have removed the "LP" (long play) option from 640x480 video capture. Not a big deal, really.

Canon SD1300 - Noise comparison

2010-02-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

More testing of the new SD1300. A simple ISO 400/800 test in very low light. Both cameras were at full zoom and this is the full scene resized to web (ISO800 SD1300).

100% crops from ISO400

100% crops from ISO800

No need to really comment. The SD1300 has a higher level of noise, or more noise suppression, in my opinion. Not much, but there is also not a real significant improvement in the sensor of the SD1300. Actually I would maybe go as far as there really is not big difference

If you want to compare the full sizes, click on these links: SD1300 ISO400, SD1200 ISO400, SD1300 ISO800, SD1200 ISO800.

SD1300 - Ongoing review

2010-02-20T20:13:00.000-08:00

A few posts ago I wrote that Canon had released a new camera, the Canon PowerShot SD1300IS. Although it is not quite the same camera, it is likely the "replacement" camera to the SD1200 that I have and have written about so many times. Since I like that one, and use it as my camera I always carry around, I decided to try out the new SD1300IS. So over the next week or so, I will post raw photos and videos from both.

So what's different? A brief comparison would be:

SD1200	SD1300
10Mpixels	12Mpixels
35-105mm(3x)	28-112mm(4x)
Optical viewfinder	Only LCD

I know there is more differences, but these are the basic ones, and for some losing the optical viewfinder is enough reason for not looking at the new camera (even if we are gaining a slightly larger LCD at 2.7" instead of 2.5"). But for me, I do not use the optical viewfinder on these small cameras, so I do not care about that one. What I really like is the 28mm (wide angle) lens. And since they bumped up the zoom to 4x, you are not losing out in the long range anyway.

The cameras are really the same size and weight (give or take a little). And with the exception of the redesigned power button, they buttons and so are all in the same place. And to no surprise, almost all menu options are the same....

As you can see, the screen is really not that different. My bet is that the viewfinder is removed to save cost for Canon and not really for anything else. So, in operation I directly noticed that the SD1300 is more likely to chose one step higher ISO to compensate for camera shake. This is likely going to produce more keepers, but maybe at the cost of more noise? I will compare that another day.

Here are some shots with links to the direct JPEG from the camera first. All shots shown here is from SD1300.

SD1200 JPEG SD1300 JPEG

SD1200 JPEG SD1300 JPEG

SD1200 JPEG SD1300 JPEG - "auto mode"

SD1200 JPEG SD1300 JPEG - "program mode, -1 exp comp"

SD1200 JPEG SD1300 JPEG

If you decide to buy (or try) the new camera, and you like to shop over at Amazon, please consider going through this link below: If you got something special you want me to try (or compare) please post it in a comment to this blog and I will (try to) do it. :)

New HX5V samples

2010-02-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

Yet some more sample photos taken by the new Sony DSC-HX5V camera. You can find them here. At first when I was looking at them I was a little disappointed, but then I looked at the other newly posted samples, taken of the same subjects (check here) and realized that the other cameras did not do as well... I guess this whole pixel peeping deal is not supposed to be done. When I get my own HX5V I am going to do some prints at Costco instead of do pixel-peeping.

New HX5V samples

2010-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

New samples from the Sony HX5V camera. The site "DC Fever" has some samples here. Most seems to be ISO 400 and I think they look pretty good. The other site is from Sony (here) and the two (official?) samples are both ISO125. This is one of them:

The two samples are ISO125 and I unfortunately I think that they show a little too much of noise reduction...

Back to basics....

2010-02-15T18:23:00.000-08:00

Time for my trusty Canon XSi and Sigma 105mm on a walk. Sure takes nice photos... :)

Some more S90 photos

2010-02-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

Have the Canon S90IS for one more day. Here are some shots from a walk...

Not too shabby, I think.

S90 vs SD1200

2010-02-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

Sure, why not. I know it is not quite fair to pin the Canon SD1200IS against the more expensive and slightly larger Canon S90IS, but I had the chance to borrow the S90 from a co-worker and instead of just taking photos with it, I also brought along the SD1200. I had little time, so I decided to take a walk and take all photos in "auto" mode, i.e. the green rectangle on the Canon cameras. I did try to compose the shots as similar as possible. In the end of this "review", there are links to all photos, direct out of the camera. I also put together a 100% crop comparison of the ISO series, and some random crops from some other photos. Note that full auto (green rectangle) means that not always the same ISO was used. But, it shows what happens if you do go auto with both cameras.

The result? Surprisingly little difference actually. The S90 has about 1 stop ISO advantage, i.e. ISO 800 on the S90 is about the same noise level as the ISO400 on the SD1200. But that is almost it. And... here are my pros and cons on the S90. Have in mind that I have only used this camera for a day or so.

Pros

Nice build, nice screen
Nice lens (F/2.0 at wide)
Nice with extra, configurable, wheel around lens
Manual controls

Cons

Horrible button placement on top for one handed operation, power and shutter is not right position
Scroll wheel on back, easy to move by mistake (like G11)
Compared to SD1200 camera, heavier and larger

If this was my only camera, I would be annoyed with the button placement at first, but probably get over it. If it is only used sometimes, I think I would continue to be annoyed. Overall, even with my comments, it is a nice camera.

Ok, some photos... Always the S90 first, SD1200 second.
Photo-04:

Photo-08:

Photo-14:

Photo-20-ISO800:

There are more photos, and the last one has ISO100-1600 also. They can be downloaded here:
Photo-01 S90 - Photo-01 SD1200
Photo-02 S90 - Photo-02 SD1200
Photo-03 S90 - Photo-03 SD1200
Photo-04 S90 - Photo-04 SD1200
Photo-05 S90 - Photo-05 SD1200
Photo-06 S90 - Photo-06 SD1200
Photo-07 S90 - Photo-07 SD1200
Photo-08 S90 - Photo-08 SD1200
Photo-10 S90 - Photo-10 SD1200
Photo-11 S90 - Photo-11 SD1200
Photo-12 S90 - Photo-12 SD1200
Photo-13 S90 - Photo-13 SD1200
Photo-14 S90 - Photo-14 SD1200
Photo-15 S90 - Photo-15 SD1200
Photo-16 S90 - Photo-16 SD1200

Photo-20 S90 ISO 100 - Photo-20 SD1200 ISO 100
Photo-20 S90 ISO 200 - Photo-20 SD1200 ISO 200
Photo-20 S90 ISO 400 - Photo-20 SD1200 ISO 400
Photo-20 S90 ISO 800 - Photo-20 SD1200 ISO 800
Photo-20 S90 ISO 1600 - Photo-20 SD1200 ISO 1600

And here is a photo with 100% crops. The first are the ISO 100-1600 series, and then from the other photos. S90 on the left.

Now, if I only has the new Canon SD1300IS to compare these two with :) The SD1300 is the upcoming "replacement" for SD1200, but not quite. 2 more megapixels, no optical viewfinder, and lens starts at 28mm like the S90.

New HX5V review

2010-02-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

Click here to see a review in Japanese of the new Sony DSC-HX5V camera. Not much I can say, because my understanding of Japanese is very, very limited. I guess you can have Google translate it for you... That's here.

But, the news of today, is the new Canon Rebel T2i. Really, I was happy with my XSi. But now I am not so sure. 18Mpixels (with low noise mind you), full HD video and 1Mpixels LCD... That's really tempting. I guess I have to see. DPreview already has a full preview of the T2i here.

HX5V video?

2010-02-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

Some new videos taken by Sony DSC-HX5V??

Running with camera

Zooming

Panasonic DMC-TZ10 - Alternative to Sony?

2010-02-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

The Panasonic DMC-TZ10 offers very similar specs to the Sony DSC-HX5V I already have ordered. Long zoom, HD video, GPS tagging, compact, etc. Today I found a pre-view of this camera (goes on sale in US in ~march 2010, no pricing yet, so it cannot be pre-ordered) over at CNET Asia. Click hereto read about it. Full size photos are available.

My "problem" with Panasonic has always been the way the photos (sometimes) look when you look closely. If you download some of the photos in the pre-view and take a close look, you will see what I mean. Here is a 100% crop from the first photo if you follow the link to the preview.

I just do not think that is looking pretty. Although I could not read what ISO this image is taken at, I would think it would be close to base (~100-200) and in that case, it should look better. My opinion...

New Sony HX5V samples

2010-02-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

Over at Imaging resource they have posted samples from the Sony DSC-HX5V camera. I did the comparison tool and put the Sony side to side with my current favorite pocket camera, the Canon SD1200IS. I was surprise to see the bad photos from the Canon, that is not how my camera looks. Anyway, the Sony was clearly better. Look at the resolution charts, the lens on the Sony camera seems sharp at the three focal lengths they have published. Nice.

Finally site with photos - Sony HX5V

2010-01-29T21:27:00.000-08:00

Today I found a web site here that has photos taken with a pre-production model of the Sony DSC-HX5V.

Here are direct links to four videos. Video 1,Video 2,Video 3,Video 4.

And here is a ISO test series: ISO 125, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200.

Here is a sample (100% crop):

Not unexpected for a small sensor like the HX5V has, the pain threshold will probably be ISO 400 or ISO 800. Expect no miracles, even if the sensor is supposed to be new and improved. But then again, for me it is more the feature set I am wanting. 25mm to 250mm zoom, GPS geo tagging, image stabilization, video with zoom and autofocus, etc.

But the three panoramas that they posted (1, 2, 3) does not impress at all. If you look at them at 100%, they look like ISO 1600 or more... Not sure if that is what they were taken as, or if it is an affect of the panorama function.

I am still keeping my pre-order at Amazon for now. You can order yours here if you feel like it.

Got my "smoking" SD1200IS back

2010-01-21T20:27:00.000-08:00

This is a follow up to my earlier post about my Canon SD1200IS camera. Today I got the camera back from the warranty repair Canon did. They wrote that they had confirmed that the flash assembly gave off smoke and was not working properly and fixed it. The cover on the flash looks brand new to me, so maybe that's what they changed. Anyway, it is nice to have the camera back, and that it was covered by the warranty.

Long walk to freedom

2010-01-20T22:29:00.000-08:00

Not my usual post, but back in December I saw Invictus with my wife. You know, the movie with Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, and Matt Damon as the South African rugby team leader. The movie was ok, or possibly even good, although I have since learned from my brother-in-laws that the rugby really is not good (fake). But I think it had nice moments where you could feel especially Mr Freeman really seemed to be one with his Nelson Mandela character. Of course, if that really was what Mandela would be like, we do not know. But I think you get the point.

But coming out of the movie, I really was wondering how a person being jailed for more than 30 years could have so much forgiveness, and grace. I told my wife that maybe I should read Nelson Mandela's biography, if he has written one.

Come Christmas and I got a paper back copy of the book from my wife.

I was mostly surprised that it was not the kindle version as I would have expected, but a 600+ page long paperback.

I have never really read any biographies or auto-biographies for that matter. I do read a lot of fiction, and especially science fiction from authors like Greg Bear, Arthur C Clarke, Isaac Asimov, David Brin, Orson Scott Card, and occationally also some from Stephen King, William Gibson
and Tom Clancy.

In the beginning of the book I was a little annoyed with all the people that got mentioned all the time. It felt like it was an attempt to not leave out anyone that might have played a role in his life. I did not think that really added much to the book. But it was captivating enough to keep going, and maybe after about a third of the book, one was hooked to finish it. I must say that Nelson Mandela really "sacrificed" a good part of his life for a bigger cause. Not something many of us can, nor want, to do. You really got a sense of what he had been going through, and towards the end, felt part of various emotional highs and lows that came. I would absolutely recommend the book. Don't give up in the beginning, it is more rewarding after a little (was for me at least).

There is one particular quote that I felt had a real point. Maybe a third into the book he writes:

"It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones"

Now, I have never seen a prison from the inside and I have no desire to, but living in California, it is impossible to not know that our prison system is at a point of failure. Occupancy rates are twice, or more, to what they were built for, and there is little effort (or maybe I should say funds?) to really fill the time served with preparation for a better inclusion with society after they come out. I guess it is not fair to compare the political prisoners of South Africa during the apartheid with "normal" criminals here, but still. I guess there seems to be no solution to that problem coming soon. Anyway, that is not really the takeaway from the book, there is more than that.

TX7 - Same sensor as HX5?

2010-01-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

I think I have seen that the sensor use in Sony DSC-TX7 is the same one that "my" upcoming new Sony DSC-HX5V.

Today I found this link where some sample photos from TX7 can be found. I hope to find full size ISO test series and raw video from either camera soon. And when I get mine, I will post some here...

Sony? HX5V looks interesting

2010-01-13T20:21:00.000-08:00

Just stumbled on a few posts about the Sony DSC-HX5V camera soon to be released. The specs seems very nice.

10Mpixels
25mm(wide!)-250mm lens
Small pocket size
HD video (MP4), 1080i I think
GPS
10 frames per second, full 10Mpixels
Image stabilization

Just to name a few. Even SD card support, nice of Sony. Image stabilization and zoom seems to be supported during video.

I think I will order one :) Done.... But I guess it is not scheduled to sell until March. Check back for samples as I will be on lookout for them. Here is a video of the camera.

Canon XSi - some new shots

2010-01-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

Some new shots from my Canon XSi from today. All were taken with Sigma 105mm EX.

The first one is a close macro and I really like how perfectly round all the dew is and then the captured "rock" for some contrast.

Next one is also a macro of some kind of mushroom on a tree trunk.

And then some trees.... in the fog.

New gadget review - Mini Lenovo multimedia remote

2010-01-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

As probably many of you have, I too have a HTPC (Home Theatre PC). In my case it is my old Dell desktop. This is used to watch some shows on Hulu and in sometimes for the kids to play on. Nothing heavy duty. I have not been satisfied with the wired USB keyboard and mouse that I have to control the PC with. It looks messy and how is one to use a mouse for HTPC?

I bought a Lenovo Multimedia Remote with keyboard and just got it. It was smaller than I though it would be. I guess that is a plus in the case that I do not need to type much on the keyboard. I suspect it will pretty much be just to start a browser and then enter a URL. The rest will be the trackball...

At first I (since I never read manuals unless I get really stuck) almost panicked as I could not find the wireless dongle to put into the computer. I thought that "great, now I need to deal with customer service and so...". But then I discovered that they had "hidden" the USB dongle in the battery compartment. Pretty neat.

So, no need to find out how good the Lenovo customer service is :) To judge the size, check out this photo:

I mean, we all have some "AAA" batteries and tape, right? Anyway, before I bought it, the comments online was at best that the remote what "fugly" and in some cases out right ugly. But with the size so small, I find it ok. I will hide well in your pile of remotes :)

A bonus with the "fugly" shape, is that left hand, or right hand operation is probably both supported just as well. That is not always the case. I have pretty large hands, and the keys really feel small. But maybe that's just because I do not have a Blackberry or other smart phone. The keyboard will be navigated using your thumbs.

So, I plugged in the dongle, and after a minute or so, my Windows XP PC was now controlled by the Lenovo Remote. Both keyboard and trackball working as they should. Now that is actually working plug and play in action. Nice. Ok, time for some surfing. Ok, done :) I already can summarize the first ~30 min of use with this list.

(+) Nice to hold, trackball seems good to use
(+) Easy installation, small size
(-) The "mouse" buttons are over the trackball (see below), in my case they should have been below...
(-) Top right key is "delete" and not "backspace" (backspace is one below). Not what I would prefer
(-) In a dark room, the black remote and small letters makes it hard to type. Should have some backlight. At least on the play/rewind/volume buttons. Too bad.

Here is the trackball and the buttons. For me it is easy to accidentally "hit" the trackball when I want to (single handed) press a mouse button.

In a while I will give an update on how it has been working out, how long the battery works and so on. Keep tuned. In case you need it, here is also the bottom of the remote. The Model number is N5901.

Smoking flash - SD1200

2010-01-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

Wow, this I had not seen before. When I was taking some photos earlier today and the flash (auto) was on, I saw smoke come from the flash after use. Not much but some, enough to make me worried, not enough to make me stop using the camera. Everything seems to work fine still, but in situations where the flash is needing to go full strength, smoke is coming. Just check out this video taken a few minutes back....

What do you think? That's not normal, not in my book. I guess I will be calling Canon tech support tomorrow to see what they have to say. Have you ever seen this? Please comment and pass along....

Update 1/4/10 Called Canon and a friendly and nice guy said that it is likely some dirt, grease, or lotion on the Flash that makes the smoke. Previously this has been fixed with an easy external cleaning of the Flash. I tried, but it still gives off the smoke and when looking very closely, the surface of the Flash seems damaged. Camera is now sent to Canon for evaluation and hopefully paid warranty repair.

Update 1/14/10 Canon got the camera 4 days ago, and today it was logged online as "repair complete" covered by warranty. I guess in a few days I will see what they did as I have no idea. No call or questions has been asked.

Update 1/21/10 Camera back. Read here

Just a snapshot - SD1200

2010-01-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

Just a macro snapshot from a walk today. Taken with the SD1200IS. Looks kind of an alien planet, I think.

DSLR beginner recommendations

2009-12-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

During the holidays, my sister-in-law asked for advice on what camera gear was required to get the nice photos that I took with my camera. What she was talking about is portraits with bounced flash and nicely blurred background, like this:

This was taken with Canon XTi, Canon 420EX flash, and Canon EF 35mm f/2.0 (at f/2.2). In my opinion what you need is a prime lens with fast aperture (F/2 or faster), a DSLR, and a flash that can be bounced. Today, the cheapest you can get away with I think is the following.

Canon	Price	Nikon	Price
Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)	About $450	Nikon D3000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens	About $500
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens	About $100	Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras	About $200
Canon Speedlite 270EX Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras	About $130	Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras	About $120
	About $680		About $820

Now, some might complain about this Nikon/Canon comparison. The Nikon has a nicer prime lens, as it is 35mm instead of Canons 50mm. The 50mm will be a little long to use indoors, but on the other hand, 50mm is going to create a nicer blur on the background when used at f/1.8-2.8 or so. Nikon has a cheaper 50mm lens, but it does not auto focus with the D3000 and D5000. Then the other comment would be that the AF chip on the Canon XS is maybe not handling f/1.8 lenses as good as the Nikon will. And if the XS is swapped for XSi or T1i, then the price for the Nikon will probably be less than Canon. Also, Canon does have a 35mm lens, but it is almost $300 and quite old design. If you really want 35mm on the Canon, I would probably go with a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens, but it is around $400. As you see, this can become expensive very quickly. You could try buying just the body and kit lens (18-55mm) and the external flash. That will be a nice start and will give you really nice indoor shots. And if you think that the background is not blurred enough, or the ISO is creating noise that bothers you, you can add the prime lens later to take care of that.

One note about the flashes for both cameras that I suggest here is that they are only able to bounce in the "landscape" orientation. If you use your camera in the "portrait" orientation, and still want to bounce the flash, you will need the Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash or Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash. Both are around $230 or so. These can both tilt and swivel.

Anyway, you can also keep an eye on sites like Craigslist for used equipment. You can save quite a lot, but be aware, there are also many that sells at almost new prices, and might say "blank warranty card". But warranty cards are useless unless you also get a copy of the sales receipt stating where and when the camera was purchased. If you buy new at sites like Amazon, you get 30day or longer hassle free return right, and will not have a problem with the manufacturers warranty. I would recommend to buy from Amazon, with Amazon as the seller.

Another example of bounced flash with prime lens.

XSi Lizard

2009-12-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

When I took a hike in the woods to a waterfall with my kids, we stumbled upon this beautiful (water?) lizard. The Canon XSi and Sigma 105mm did a good job. Check out the sharpness in the 100% crop... The XSi is on sale at Amazon and if you add the Canon EF-S 55-250mm (please note that you need to select Amazon as the seller) $200 will be deducted in the cart giving you a two lens combo for just ~$55 more than a single lens. Not bad.

After the rain

2009-12-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

So we had the cold weather, and then now we have a weekend of rain. Overcast, almost no wind, and a drizzle. Makes for good weather for photos, even if my Canon XSi does not qualify as weather proofed. Oh well.

Enjoy these photos...

100% crop - quite sharp and low noise (ISO200)

Frost/Nixon or Frost/XSi

2009-12-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

Your pick, take Frost/Nixon or why not Frost/XSi :). I recommend both :) My new camera came today and has already been out for a spin. We have had exceptional cold nights here in Northern California with about 24F when I woke up. Made up for some nice photos with the new camera and the old Sigma 105mm macro lens. Kind of like an alien landscape, I think.

Canon XSi on the way...

2009-12-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

So, I finally got around to upgrading my Canon 10D. I have now a Canon XSi on the way. I hope that for my macro shots, the live-view will come in handy, and in general, the speedier operation will be appreciated.

However, I really doubt that it will do much for the images that will be captured in the end. Here are two recent 10D shots.

Canon G11 - Ghost from the past :)

2009-11-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

From Canon G11

Well, I guess I will not be writing more about the Canon G11 here. I managed to sell mine on Craigslist, just before the price dropped. So, I only spent $25 to try that camera (bought at $500 and sold for $475). That's not too bad. I did enjoy it more than those $25 so I guess I come out ahead.

Why? Well, I had a few serious problems with this camera (also keep in mind that I do have an old G2 and a 10D...)

The size and placement of the control wheel and the 4-way controller made my (large?) fingers hit the wrong thing way too many times
To be the latest camera, I really found the auto focus to be both slow and often (especially in Macro) not focus properly
This camera, as well as some of the previous G models, only support manual flash control of E-TTL flash (like 420EX, 430EX) in manual mode. My old G2 works just like the DSLRs and I like that much more.

All in all, I just did not feel that the new camera was worth the $500. I mean, many of the photos would be ok with the compact Canon SD1200 that I still have and love. It is not a G11 replacement, but it will hold me over until I find what's next. My short list for potential candidates are:

Canon S90IS - same sensor, compact design (would replace SD1200 for me)
Canon T1i - Sure would not replace the SD1200... but would replace the old 10D
Panasonic DMC-GF1 with 20mm f/1.7 - Size probably more like G11, but without compromise. Sounds too expensive though
A Canon 50D or Canon XS - I would get this through the Canon loyalty program (see here)

Lego - Power functions on sale

2009-11-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

I think I have never seen much Lego on real sale, and especially the power functions, like battery box, motor, and so. On Amazon right now (as of 11/28 pm) the power functions set (#8293) is $24 shipped... That is a really good price. Do I hear Christmas gift?

Old style - Canon 10D with Sigma 105mm

2009-11-12T22:32:00.000-08:00

Canon 10D still doing a good job with the Sigma 105mm, I think. Here are some fall photos to enjoy.

From Canon 10D fall photos

Hydrogen rocket

2009-11-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

I just have to share this video. I found a $1 hydrogen rocket at a garage sale. At the time I thought it was air or water pressure driven, but learned at home that it was a tad more complex. A little web research and soldering and....

Canon G11 IS photos - and new price!

2009-11-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

The Canon G11 just got a lower price at $450 over at Amazon.com. Unfortunately mine does not see much use as the days are shorter and work is busy. Here are a few new snaps I managed to take.

Canon XSi sale also

2009-11-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

On Amazon, add the two following items to your cart.

After they are added, go to checkout and note you got a $200 discount!!! That is a total of $645 for both!! Or thereabouts.

Canon T1i rebates on Amazon

2009-11-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

Amazon has the

for $1256 - $400 Mail In Rebate = $857 with free shipping. That's a pretty good deal. Read the mail-in rebate carefully and make sure you fulfill all the conditions. Make sure the seller is Amazon on all items and not a third party. Otherwise the rebate will not be valid.

Powershot shootout - G2 vs G11

2009-11-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

Yeah, maybe silly to even try this... And raise the iso to 400+ and there is no reason what-so-ever to even do it at all. The Canon G11 will walk all over the G2 there. But at base ISO (50 for G2 and 100 for G11) it is not clear to me that so many generations (G3, G5, G6, G7, G9, G10) has passed in between the G2 and G11.

Below are some (semi-) identical shots from the G2 and G11. No retoouching, directly out of cameras. Then after the photo, there are links to look at the JPEGs out of camera, untouched.

Direct out of camera JPG: G2 - G11

Direct out of camera JPG: G2 - G11

Direct out of camera JPG: G2 - G11

Direct out of camera JPG: G2 - G11

Direct out of camera JPG: G2 - G11

Direct out of camera JPG: G2 - G11

Anyway, like I said, the older cameras did not really do an ok job for ISO400 and above. For Canon G11 I think both ISO400 and ISO800 work ok. That is not bad at all.

Canon G11 - more photos

2009-10-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

Real busy at work lately, so not time to take photos. But today I got a chance to grab the Canon G11 and go on a short walk to the store. I think they turned out quite nice. Click on image for larger size (original).

From Canon G11

Canon Powershot G11 - first impressions

2009-10-22T22:31:00.000-07:00

Too busy with work and life to have had a real chance to test the new Canon G11. But I have used it some, and here is my current, list of good and bad.

Good:

Swiwel screen, and nice one. Makes camera easy to use in any position
Nice menus and button layout and nice top wheel giving ISO, exposure compensation, and mode access
Good high (ISO800) ISO performance, excellent ISO400 and below
Overall good image quality and sharp lens

Bad:

The wheel around the 4-way controller is way to small and hard to turn without pressing something else
The zoom lever is also tiny and easy to "miss"
Shot-to-shot performance seems a little low for 2009 and 10Mpix

Pretty short lists, but that's really what I feel right now. I am pleased with the photos it takes (lens/sensor/processing) but I am annoyed by the design of the wheel around the 4-way controller and the zoom lever. I do not know if it will just go away, I sure hope so, but the little I have used the Canon G11 so far, almost every time I need to use them, they have annoyed me.

Here are some more sample photos. Full zoom "macro".

From Canon G11

For next one, there is one ISO200 and one ISO800 in the album.

From Canon G11

Birds in fog.

From Canon G11

Trees in fog.

From Canon G11

Pins on table.

From Canon G11

Pens on table.

From Canon G11

Photos from Canon G11

2009-10-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

So it finally arrived. My new Canon G11. And here are some sample photos, more "review" to follow... These were taken close to Soledad, CA. So far I like the camera and love the swivel screen.

From Canon G11

Lower price on Kindle, and Canon S90 reported in US

2009-10-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

Today Amazon has lowered the price of the Kindle to a new low of US $259. They also introduced a new International Kindle with which the wireless is working world wide. We still have and love our Kindle that we paid some $359 for... oh well. My "review" is here and here.

Now the Canon S90IS that use the same sensor as the Canon G11 that I am waiting for. That probably means that both cameras will be shipping very soon. They guy in the US picked up the S90 from Best Buy, but some others have reported Best Buy associates saying that they are not allowed to sell it until Sunday Oct 11... Anyway, not much longer until I have my G11... :)

Canon G11 released???!!!!

2009-09-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Canon G11 might have been released now and would be coming to stores (and Amazon) soon. Check out this link... It says "Delivery Time: immediate upon confirmation"... Not sure how good the web-site is.

It is getting closer - Soon Canon G11 here

2009-09-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

The new "G" series Canon camera, the Canon G11 is about to be released. Over at DP review they have posted a gallery of shots, and if one reads the discussions, some seem to have info that Sept 28th (i.e. tomorrow) it should start to be shipped to stores. Who knows what they really know, but Canon's own info page is still saying "September 2009". So why not. You can preorder yours already now at Amazon.

Casio video

2009-09-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Yet another video example using the Casio EX-FS10. In this video the fact that auto focus and zoom is working is demonstrated. Maybe even more impressive is the fact that during normal (not the high frame rate ones, only the 30FPS) one can take up to 10 full 6Mpixel photos during the video without interrupting the video. There is a counter that tells you how many more stills you can save. It starts at 10, and once it is at 0, you can no longer take any more photos without first stopping the video. Pretty cool...

New Casio EX-FS10 slow motion video

2009-09-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

More Casio Exlim shots

2009-09-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

Today I took the new Casio EX-FS10 to the driving range for some test shots. Taking the videos was ok by my self, but to take a 30FPS burst I needed help. I got some, but unfortunately the person did not capture more than 20 frames as she let go of the button to quickly.

Here is a collage of the 20 images, and after that the links to each original file. Click on it for larger size. This should give you a good idea of what 30FPS really means in a photo burst.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.

And then the videos. Each one with an embedded YouTube video and also a link to the direct file from the camera. And, yes, for these videos I used a plain vanilla Sandisk SD card that probably was not up to specs, so there are some hickups, at least in the 210FPS video.

30 FPS standard resolution (original file here)

30 FPS HD resolution (original file here)

210 FPS (original file here)

420 FPS (original file here)

1000 FPS (original file here)

High speed Casio Exlim cameras at Amazon:

New test of the Canon G11

2009-09-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

A Polish(?) site has a review/preview of the soon to be released Canon G11. Go here to check it out. I figured you want it in English instead of Polish :)

Here is a ISO200 sample from their site:

Casio Exilim EX-FS10 sample photos

2009-09-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Here are some sample shots taken with my new Casio EX-FS10.

ISO100:

ISO400, taken from 30FPS 6Mpix burst:

Link to album where you can zoom in 100% here.

Help me do reviews on this site by ordering your EX-FS10 from Amazon here.

Another Casio EX-FS10 video - In HD

2009-09-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

Casio Exilim EX-FS10

2009-09-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

So what does a camera freak like me do while waiting for the new Canon G11? Well, I do not wait, but since funds are not unlimited (*sigh*) one has to do some sacrifice also. I sold the Canon SD1200IS on craigslist as I still have the Canon SD1100IS. I would rather have kept the Canon SD1200IS but as the SD1100 was water damaged at some time, I would not get much for it even if it works fine. The sale gave enough money to buy a new Casio EX-FS10. Why you could rightfully ask as I am very happy with the SD1200? Well, the plan is that the upcoming Canon G11 will become the sole used camera (for a while at least), and I have been intrigued since the press release by the specs of the Casio.... The 210/420/1000 FPS (frames per second, normal is 30) video modes just sounded so cool. Not sure what I would shoot with them, but still.

So here it is:

I have not been able to do a full "review" yet, but I am working on testing it out. So far these are my likes and dislikes.

Good:

Slim (thinner than SD1200 and about same size)
Good layout on buttons (better than SD780IS)
Useful and cool 30 6Mpixel shots in one second - Really has to see it to believe it
Good image quality at ISO 200 and below, ok at ISO 400 (SD1200/SD780 is better)
HD video, and all the high-speed modes
Optical zoom working while taking video
AF still working in video mode (if continuous AF focus is selected)
Non-extending lens (good for dust and makes the camera less fragile)

Bad:

Slight delay when power on, and when staring a high speed video
Slow lens (F/3.9 is the best at wide)
Annoying small power on/off button
Poor macro magnification (at least compared to the SD1200/SD780)
No image stabilization

More to come. Here is a quick video (no sound in the high speed ones) showing the video mode where one can go between 30FPS (normal) and 210FPS with a push of a button.

More photos and videos to come...

More Canon G11 photos

2009-09-07T13:24:00.001-07:00

On Canon Korea site, there are a few new Canon G11 sample photos. All at ISO80. Here are the links:

I think these looks pretty good. Good enough for me to keep my pre-order for the camera at Amazon (Order yours here)

Roku - Streaming Netflix Player

2009-08-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

So, this blog being about gadgets, it might seem like it is mostly cameras that I fancy. Certainly true, but sometimes other stuff comes on the radar. This time I bought a Roku Digital Video Player to be able to do Netflix and Amazon video on demand to my TVs... I did a quick "video review" that you can watch here, or click here to view it at the YouTube site. The video was taken with the Canon SD780IS.

I did struggle for a while if it would be better to get a combined blu-ray and Netflix player, like the LG BD 370 Network Blu-ray Disc Player. I do not own any blu-ray movies, but that seems to be the future. But what made me get the Roku Digital Video Player instead was:

Small size
Built in WiFi
Cheaper price ($99)
Ability to play both Netflix and Amazon Video on demand (unbox)

I am not disappointed so far. We have two main TVs, and it really is effortless to move this one box between both TVs. The only "drawback" is that once you plug it in, it takes a little over a minute to "boot". I guess they probably did not expect it to be portable and did not focus on getting down this time. I am really hoping that they will be able to add Hulu and YouTube support. But for $99, I am happy with what they got. The Netflix videos available for streaming is a little limited at this time, but I am sure that this is the future, so this does not concern me at all.

You can buy your player here:

Oink oink - SD780 snapshot

2009-08-28T20:10:00.001-07:00

Taken with Canon SD780IS

Canon G11 ISO1600 sample

2009-08-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

Not found much on the web for the coming Canon G11 yet. But here is a full size ISO1600 sample. And here is a ISO80 RAW file, ISO1600 RAW. These might be removed as they probably are not allowed to post them by Canon.

Actually, here is the full ISO series. If the links are broken, they probably removed them... JPEG : ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600.

A few new ones at Canon UK's site here.

Pre-order Canon G11 at Amazon!

Special G11 and S90 sites

2009-08-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

Seems like Canon Japan has launched two sites for the new Canon G11 and Canon S90IS. On the pages, which are in Japanese, there are some samples, including high ISO. Unfortunately the are only screen size, not full size.

The Canon S90IS is here and the Canon PowerShot G11 is here.

Here is a example of one ISO800 image on that site:

I have placed my pre-order on Amazon to get in line for the Canon G11, but maybe the Canon S90IS with the F/2.0 28mm lens and the compact format would suit me better... hmmm...

Here are some other sample images (full size): S90, image 1, G11, image 2, G11, image 3.

Canon G11 at ISO1600?

2009-08-21T14:42:00.001-07:00

Possible high ISO samples here.

Pre-order Canon G11

2009-08-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

I just put in my order for the new Canon PowerShot G11. It goes for $499 at Amazon and you can get in line (after me :) right now... I guess the specs are a little different than in the fake photo, but still sounds really good. 5x zoom starting at 28mm, 10mpixels (yes, less than what the G10 has), adjustable LCD, and more.

Sample images right here. Unfortunately only at ISO80 so far.

Canon G11 (or GX1)?

2009-08-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I read a lot on the DP review forums, especially the Canon forum as I like their cameras. Being a camera-holic means that one is never happy (enough) with what one has, but always wants something newer and better. So come around August/September Canon has some history of releasing new camera models. The top of the line "compact cameras", the Canon Powershot G10 is maybe due to be replaced some speculate. And today I found this photo:

where the "old" G10 is compared next to the next one, the "G11" or whatever it will be called. But why would anyone with a G10 really have a reason to get the G11? I mean, the reviews are out there and photos to back it up, it is a great camera. Maybe the 15 mega pixels was an overkill, but anyway.

I think this is more a proper comparison:

I photoshopped in my old Canon PowerShot G2 next to the new "G11". That's more like it. Maybe I should be looking at this upgrade. The G2 takes really great 4 mega pixel photos, no doubt about it. I have photos to back it up, check the two in this post. They are taken just a month or so ago. This camera actually sees some use. But it is dead slow, really. I mean it is like a snail next to a new camera. Everything is slow. And it is fairly bulky and heavy. I guess I should look into this "G11". I would guess this photo is a fake, but time will tell.

Just a macro - SD1200

2009-08-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Just a macro taken with the SD1200IS. This dragonfly was sitting just outside the entrance to my work. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Price drop on SD1200 and SD780

2009-08-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

Looks like Canon is lowering the prices. The Canon PowerShot SD1200IS is now also lower at Amazon with free shipping. Right now when I checked it was $149.95. And I bought it at $220... Well, I guess that proves that one should never buy anything directly when it comes out.

Andt he Canon PowerShot SD780IS has dropped to a new low of $199.

Check out the prices here:

And here are some photos from yesterday taken with the very same SD1200:

Do I need to point out that I live in California? It is pretty dry here now.

Price alert!!! $209 for SD780 at Amazon

2009-07-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Canon PowerShot SD780IS is on sale at Amazon. Lowest price I have seen so far, "just" $209 for the silver version with free shipping. Not sure how long this price will last. Click below to check it out.

More SD1100 vs SD1200

2009-07-22T22:19:00.001-07:00

The battle continues between the SD1100IS and the SD1200IS. I have taken some shots directly after each other with both cameras. Default colors, shot only IS, max resolution, min compression, and the rest as default. In the crops below, SD1100IS is always on the top, and SD1200IS on the bottom. Enough said.

First shot, roses indoors at ISO80, all zoomed in:

Direct out of camera JPGs are here: SD1100IS and SD1200IS.

Crop (SD1100IS on the top and SD1200IS on bottom):

Next shot, landscape taken in ISO 80, wide angle:

Direct out of camera JPGs are here: SD1100IS and SD1200IS.

Crop (SD1100IS on the top and SD1200IS on bottom):

Next shot, landscape taken in ISO 80, wide angle:

Direct out of camera JPGs are here: SD1100IS and SD1200IS.

Crop (SD1100IS on the top and SD1200IS on bottom):

Next shot, close up taken in ISO 80, full zoom:

Direct out of camera JPGs are here: SD1100IS and SD1200IS.

Crop (SD1100IS on the top and SD1200IS on bottom):

I am not sure that I have that much to add. Contrast seems better for SD1100IS, but it is just to dail it up one in the custom colors and they would probably be the same. In one of the shots, I seem to see some softness to the lower right corner for the SD1100IS, but it probably varies from camera to camera anyway. I say they are pretty much equal when used in ISO80.

I also took a outdoor video. There are four clips, the first one is SD1100 at wide ange, then the SD1200 also at wide angle, then the SD1100 at tele and last SD1200 at tele. As you can hear, it is pretty clear that both camera lack even basic wind noise reduction...

Slightly larger - SD890

2009-07-22T07:55:00.001-07:00

Just FYI, the Canon SD890IS is on sale at $170 on Amazon right now (probably will not last long).

Canon SD1100 vs SD1200

2009-07-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

I had a bit of luck today. I found a SD1100IS on Craigslist that was listed as damaged and possibly not working. I emailed the guy and long story short, I gave him a used ink jet that I was getting rid of anyway, and I got a new camera. After a little fiddling, it seems to be fully functional again. Yeah... :) Only "problem" seems to be some dust creating a blob on the right side sometimes (like dust in a DSLR).

So, I thought why not do some testing to compare it with the new sibling, the SD1200IS. And that's what I did. I will in the next few posts do some more testing, outdoors, but right now it will be a side by side, indoors.

First a few more product shots (nice, don't you think):

What I did was to do a silly, but for some very interesting, ISO series using a tripod, 2 second delay, IS off, Standard colors for both cameras at the highest quality setting. The camera were at the widest setting (not zoomed in). This is how the scene looks like:

And here are links to the full size, directly out of the camera shots:

SD1100IS: ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600.
SD1200IS: ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600.

Now, if you do not have the energy to look download and look at all of them, well, here is one sample comparison for you. It is a 200x400 pixel area of the ISO400 shot. In my opinion, ISO 400 is where I would stop with both cameras, although ISO800 with the SD1200 could be acceptable also. SD1100IS on the left.

Then I zoomed in as much as possible, and redid the test. This is what the scene looked like:

And here are links to the full size, directly out of the camera shots:

SD1100IS: ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600.
SD1200IS: ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600.

Again, if you do not have the energy or will to download all, here is a sample of ISO800 for you. SD1200IS to the right.

As you can see, the SD1200IS has a little bit better noise reduction, I think. I would not want to use the SD1100IS on the ISO800 setting, if one can avoid it.

The last thing I had energy for was to shoot a short video, side by side, and since it was late, I figured a low light one was best. In the next few days I can try an outdoor one, maybe. The SD1100IS comes first and the SD1200IS after. Sorry for the bad music selection, it was old files on my old Xbox...

The raw video files from both camera can be downloaded here for the SD1100IS and here for the SD1200IS.

I guess I do not need to tell you, that if you found this useful, and want to buy one of these cameras, please click through the links to Amazon for either camera :) Thanx!

Canon SD1200IS photos from today

2009-07-19T18:48:00.001-07:00

Nothing new, just a few photos taken with the SD1200 during two walks today. Enjoy.

Kindle 1.0 - only $199

2009-07-17T09:35:00.001-07:00

Amazon has refurbished Kindle for only $199 right now. Some users seems to prefer 1.0 as it has a SD card slot for more storage.

Kindle - Browsing examples, Facebook and more

2009-07-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

So the "new" Kindle 2.0 got cheaper (now $299) and maybe more people are interested in getting it. I guess one thing is clear, it is a book reader. That's why you should get it, not because of something else.

But if you do get it, there is an additional, free, thing you can do. You can do basic web surfing with the built in 3G modem (uses Sprint/Verizons network I think). This is at no extra cost. This is the same way that you download and buy books on the Kindle.

Click on the menu button, go to "experimental" and then "Basic web". That starts the browser. There are two modes in the browser, basic mode and advanced mode. I do not know the exact differences, but one big one is that in basic mode there is no support for javascript. There are probably more things, but as my screen shots will show you, things look nicer in advanced mode. The browser handles cookies just fine and will keep you logged in to your favorite page (e.g. facebook et.al) between sessions so you do not need to re-enter your user name and password.

The settings you can do for the browser are:

Now, let's look at some web-sites. All sites will be tried with basic mode first, and then advanced. In some cases there will be two screen shots as the first page is not showing much. Just look at the top of the kindle to see what web-site and what mode it is in.

Remember that you can click on the photos to make them larger and then you can zoom in even more. Use the browser "back" button to come back here.

Here is ESPN in basic mode on the Kindle:

ESPN in advanced mode on the Kindle:

Facebook in basic mode on the Kindle:

Facebook in advanced mode on the Kindle:

CNN in basic mode, page 1 on the Kindle:

CNN in basic mode, page 2 on the Kindle:

CNN in advanced mode, page 1 on the Kindle:

Google News in basic mode on the Kindle:

Google News in advanced mode on the Kindle:

My yahoo in basic mode (not logged in) on the Kindle:

My yahoo in advanced mode (not logged in) on the Kindle:

DP review (one of my favorites) in basic mode, page 1 on the Kindle:

DP review in basic mode, page 2 on the Kindle:

DP review in advanced mode, page 1 on the Kindle:

DP review in advanced mode, page 2 on the Kindle:

As you can see the Kindle is not always that great, but overall it does an ok job. It is not a speed daemon either, so you really should buy it for the books and take this web-browsing as an extra. That being said, it is quite possible that they improve the browser (it is just software, right) to make the pages look better.

Support me and my site here by clicking on the links if you are going to buy the Kindle. Remember that Amazon has a quite generous 30-day return policy... and the Kindle, unlike other devices, cannot be tried in store. My review blog post of the Kindle is here.

Lensbaby? On sale at Amazon

2009-07-14T06:47:00.001-07:00

For a long time I have seen and heard about a special type of lens for Canon (or Nikon) DSLR called "lensbaby". It's a full manual type of lens that makes it possible to tilt the lens anyway to give selective focus. They have been prices too high (like $200) for me consider, but now the 2.0 version for Canon seems to be listed at Amazon for "just" ~$76. Here's the link Lensbaby 2.0 for the Canon one, and this one for Nikon for the same price (at least now).

Anyone have some experience to share how useful they are? Here is a review of the 2.0 vs the old one. Look for the sample photos in the end for examples of what you can do.

Vegetable brain?

2009-07-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

Not quite true, but out on a walk today I stumbled over something that kind of looks like a brain (although I have never really seen one in real life :). The color is not right, but don't you think this looks kind of like it? Maybe this is a real smart plant? Taken with Canon 10D and Sigma 105mm EX lens.

UFO in the sky? No, it's a sun dog...

2009-07-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

So I was out taking a walk before the sun was setting (in Marin, CA, USA) and I saw this weird light (no, it was not an UFO :) to the right of the sun, maybe 15-20 degrees to the right. It looked pretty bright and I managed to get some shots of it. I only had my 10D with 50mm and 105mm so my field of view was pretty limited. This first shot (yes, nothing to save...) is trying to give you an idea of how the location of the sun (to the very left) was compared with the "bright spot", to the left. Taken with 50mm.

Now for the interesting, and somewhat better (still nothing to save...) shot with same 50mm of the bright spot:

And swap the lens (also walked a bit for better view) to 105mm:

Ever seen this before? I can only think that the thin cloud must have had some kind of special ice crystal and I was right in the right spot to see them.

Well, that did not take long. I found out that it is a "sun dog". See here for details.

Kindle 2.0 price drop today - $299 now

2009-07-08T12:45:00.001-07:00

The "new" Kindle 2.0 just dropped in price from $359 to $299. I got one at $359 and love it, so now it would be even easier to motivate. Keep in mind that with the wireless connection (with no monthly charges) you can also do some browsing and checking email (I check gmail). And my wife loves the ability to "sample" the 1st chapter of a book before you buy. So maybe it's time to check it out now, while on sale?

If you bought one in the last 30 days, you can contact Amazon to get a $60 refund.

Walking in a cave with SD1200

2009-07-07T22:50:00.000-07:00

We were close to the Pinnacles National Park last weekend and I took a hike there one day. Went on the Balconies hike that takes you through the caves there. As I only had my Sony Ericsson phone with a build in flash light, I was not quite sure if it was so wise to hike through it. Add to it the stupid idea to shoot it with the Canon SD1200IS and you know that it could have ended worse. All is fine, but for a little I really felt disoriented. Here's the video:

Now that must qualify as a real low light video test, or?

Buy SD1200 : Light gray, Dark gray, Pink, Blue, Green, Orange.

Time for LEGO?

2009-07-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

So, when I grew up we (me and my older brother) had lots and lots of LEGO. Thinking about it now, as a parent with kids of my own, I guess I am impressed with the quantity we had. Sure was fun to play with and it does have a huge re-use factor unlike other toys like the Quercetti Skyrail Rollercoaster with Elevator that my son(s) really wanted and got as a gift when they managed to sleep in their own beds and stay dry without diaper for a week. They still have fun playing with it, but the re-use factor and the stow-away factor are really not there.

A few weeks ago my wife found this LEGO place in San Anselmo and we sure had fun there. But, at home, we do not have much LEGO and especially no motorized LEGOs. As I am a gadget and computer geek, I have been searching ebay and Craigslist for used Mindstorm kits (the robot kits with a computer). But they are rare and go for almost new price. So when I saw that the new LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 kit is now available, I am wondering if it is time to oder one. Like I said, this price, $279 for the brand new one is really jusy $20-50 more than you would need to pay for a used one. The older kits also have the disadvantage of needing a serial port (RS-232, for RCX 1.0) and cannot be controlled by neat things like bluetooth (check here for what cell phones can be used as a remote, very cool).

Here is a preview of the new kit:

Can anyone provide a comment on the age range this is fun for, if the boy is really good at technical stuff and interested in anything that has a motor :)

Canon Powershot SD1200IS video improvment

2009-07-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

One test that I had not done before was to test the SD1200 (and SD780) in video mode for the annoying "light bleeding". If you have an older (a year or more :) Canon camera and use it for video, you have probably seen this. It happens when you have bright lights in the video, like the sun, lamps or reflections. A vertical line is formed up and down from the light. Here's a video capture from SD800:

On SD1200 this is almost gone. I suspect all Canon cameras with the new DIGIC-4 chip will see this improvement. I have owned S3IS, SD700IS and they also had the bleeding. If you use video, this is a good reason to upgrade. Here is a video example of how it looks.

SD1200IS at Amazon: Light gray, Dark gray, Pink, Blue, Green, Orange.

Airplane thoughts

2009-06-30T21:39:00.001-07:00

So, when I drive to work everyday, I tend to listen to NPR podcasts on my iPod nano. I really enjoy doing that. My normal order of listening is to start with "7AM ET News summary" and then "Most emailed stories". That usually takes me to work, give or take.

Today on the news summary they had the story of the crashed Yemen plane. And I do not know why, but I started thinking about that it seems like the airplane seats and seat belts have not developed much in the last, what, 30 years or so. I guess 30 years ago many drove cars without seatbelts and childseats, well, they did not look like they did today, if you happened to have one. Not that it is a fair comparison, a plane and a car, but still. Remember that plane that crashed into the Hudson river? Well, there all, or almost all, were safe. Not to say that the rest of this blog entry would have necessarily saved anyone in a crash...

So, back to the thought... I am wondering why the airplane seats are not facing backwards instead of forwards. I have always thought that if one do get into a crashlanding, then it seems like a really bad idea to sit and have the next seat like 2 feet or less from your face. And let's face it, it's not like a plane will ever go backwards. So if the seats were facing backwards, one could have support on the whole back, neck and all, if one were unlucky enough to experience a mishap.

I can understand that some people needs to face forward when riding a train or bus, but in a plane, it is not much one sees out the window, so that should not be a big argument. And the planes should be good to go as the seats today are secured on some kind of rails. So it should not matter for the plane. The seats might need some modification I guess. Now, could someone working at Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, or Airbus, help me out here. Why would it be worse to sit and look backwards in a plane. I cannot think of any reason, can you?

Panasonic ZS1 ISO test series

2009-06-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

I admit that this can be a little silly and not really what you do in normal use, but having a good ISO series of the same scene makes it possible to judge how good, or bad, the camera is going to be. This is taken in "normal mode" on the mode dial, on a tripod, IS off, 2 second timer, "normal colors", 10M low compression. The scene at 25mm looks like this (ISO 80). Sorry for the mess, this is the "kids" area:

Here are the JPEGs directly out of the camera, not processed. Some have a processed small crop after.

25mm ISO 80 (crop)
25mm ISO 100
25mm ISO 200 (crop)
25mm ISO 400
25mm ISO 800 (crop)
25mm ISO 1600

And here is how (from the same position) the 300mm scene looks like:

Here are the JPEGs directly out of the camera, not processed. Some have a processed small crop after.

300mm ISO 80 (crop)
300mm ISO 100
300mm ISO 200 (crop)
300mm ISO 400
300mm ISO 800 (crop)
300mm ISO 1600

I must say that although I think the high ISO ones looks ok for a compact with small sensor, I am not sure if I like how the lower ISO looks like. Maybe it is more the lens than noise reduction artifacts. Check the ISO80 and ISO 200 crops from the 25mm scene. Are you happy with those?

Anyway, if you want to check out the prices on Amazon, go here: Panasonic DMC-ZS1, Panasonic DMC-ZS3, Canon SD1200IS.

Panasonic DMC-ZS1 hands on...

2009-06-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I could not keep my hands off this one. I picked up a Panasonic DMC-ZS1 today and I have made some preliminary conclusions already. I hoped that the somewhat larger camera would be justified with that so intriguing 25-300mm zoom range, and the possibility to use it even when shooting video.

But first some views of the camera:

Nice and shiny, indeed. Not too much larger than the Canon SD1200IS.

For you to be able to check out some photos, I have posted some full size 10Mpixels photos, and three videos, all directly from camera, and provide links here.

Photos:
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Videos:
Video 1, VGA
Video 2, WVGA
Video 3, WVGA

I guess if you are interested, you have probably seen all of them by now. My short summary of the pros and cons, at this time, would be:

Pros

Fairly compact for a 25-300mm zoom range
Nice wide 25mm lens
Zoom while shooting video works
Autofocus keeps working during video (not true for SD1200)

Cons

Soft photos from long end of zoom (at least on my camera)
Quite slow zoom operation in general. More so in video.
Slow autofocus when taking photos
My first impression is that the face tracking autofocus is much better on SD1200
Mechanical button for review, shooting not possible without flip of that button
Mode dial (on top) has few settings, and turns really easy (easy to do by mistake)
Sound in video is sampled at 16kHz. Canon is 44kHz which makes it sound a lot better

I guess what I am trying to say, is that if you ask me right now, I am not that impressed with the Panasonic DMC-ZS1. I guess my Canon SD1200IS feels like a better overall camera. But, it is not fair to come to that conclusion already. I have to give it some more time...

You can check out the cameras at Amazon here: Panasonic DMC-ZS1, Panasonic DMC-ZS3, Canon SD1200IS.

Camera temptation...

2009-06-26T20:50:00.001-07:00

It's not like I am unhappy with what I have, it is just that I seem to always want to test new stuff out. I recently saw Panasonic DMC-ZS1 on a Costco flyer and when I saw the details I got interested.

25-300mm zoom
Zoom while shooting video
Fairly compact

25mm is sweet. I had a Kodak v570 one time. It was the funky dual lens one that had one fixed 23mm lens and one 39-105mm or so lens. I just loved that wide angle, but on the kodak, one could not adjust the JPEG quality and the compression was quite high. And a 12x zoom lens starting at 25mm in a compact format just sounds really interesting. Well, I tried looking for reviews, but there is little to be found. DP review has a brief compact superzoom review where it is, but it is really brief. Get good marks though. It does not have HD video, but the more expensive, feature packed, Panasonic DMC-ZS3 has HD video. I guess ZS1 would be good enough for me. Question is just if I can motivate a purchase....

Macro - SD1200IS

2009-06-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

I must say that I am very impressed with the Canon SD1200IS, and also its more feature packed sibling the SD780IS , capability to take macros.

I love macros and I have had a good macro lens for quite some time for my various DSLRs that I have had (right now I have a Canon 10D and Sigma 105mm EX, both bought used), and I appreciate how hard it can be to get good macros even with good, or maybe especially with good, equipment. With the tiny Canon point-and-shoot, the IS and the lens makes it possible to take a decent macro without any practice. Prior to Digic-4 (the imagine chip in the camera) one had at least to turn on the macro focus, but now, in auto mode, even that is automatically done. Just point and shoot :). Here's a sample for you of an unknown but very colorful beetle. And then a crop. Keep in mind that this happened to be ISO 250, so there's going to be some noise and noise reduction artifacts.

~100% crop or nearly so:

Buy SD1200 : Light gray, Dark gray, Pink, Blue, Green, Orange.

iPod Touch and free $25 gift card deal

2009-06-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have been considering getting an iPod Touch 8 GB and now Amazon has an offer where you get a free $25 Amazon.com gift card when you order one. I would use the iPod both as a iPod and then also run the free Kindle app on it as one can share the Kindle books between the iPod and the Kindle.

Just add one of these:

Apple iPod touch 8 GB (2nd Generation) LATEST MODEL
Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) LATEST MODEL
Apple iPod touch 32 GB (2nd Generation) LATEST MODEL

and then the gift card and the gift card should be free during checkout. Please make sure you see the -$25 deduction on the final confirmation page. Think the deal is good until June 20th. Now, is it time or not? I am not sure just yet.