5 comments about Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera.

1. Great lens. Be aware that it is a DT lens and therefore will only work on APS-C sensors. Basically, if you are never going to shoot old Minolta 35mm SLRs or the upcoming A900 body ($2500+ probably), don't worry about it.
   
   Best Buy had this on sale, free shipping, for $400 early Feb. 2008.
   So look for that number or lower on this lens for best price.



2. Solid, sharp and virtually distortion-free wide angle zoom for Sony Alpha. However, non-para-focal construction handicaps usability because of variable aperture. Come on Sony, surely you've got the resources to design a constant f/4 aperture wide-angle zoom at this price point.



3. For a while, I thought that the 18mm of my Sony 18-250 (that I rated 5 stars too) were enough.
   Then I decided to give a try to the ultra wide angle. Now, I have to admit I love it very much. The couple Alpha 700/Sony 11-18 is very fast. The pictures are sharp, the color are rather accurate (I get what I see) and there is no barrel distortion (depending how you compose the picture, of course).
   My idea was to carry only one camera with a "standard" lens (18-250) and bring others lenses according to my needs. Well, I am afraid I got two "standard" lenses.



4. This combination macro and medium range telephoto has been used three times and produced excellent pictures. It's expensive in relation to the cost of a camera but, as professionals will tell you, you can get so much more out of a camera with a good lens that the kit lens can't deliver. There are a lot of lenses available so know what you want to do before you spend the big bucks for one.



5. I read many user reviews and some "official" ones about the Sony 11-18mm lens, many of which were negative. Despite these reviews, I went ahead and bought the lens (through Amazon.com). I have had it for a few weeks now, have taken several hundred pictures with it, and I really love the results. It produces sharp images in my opinion and the super wide angle pictures are awesome. To me, it is well built. Whoever is reading this review, stop reading it, stop reading "official" lens ratings and resolution test results on the Sony 11-18mm super wide angle zoom lens and go get one, and you will not be disappointed. Note: I have been a photo hobbyist since 1968 and have owned and used many 35mm cameras, developed my own slides etc. I went digital about 5 years ago and have no plans of going back to film. I have owned the Sony A100 DSLR for less than a year and love it. It has tons of features that I like and use. The Sony 11-18mm super wide is a great addition to my digital photographic system.

5 comments about Lowepro Lens Case 4 (Black).

1. I have been trying to find a way to easily carry a lot of camera equipment for quite some time. I have tried backpacks, shoulder bags, duffel bags, but none of them really worked all that well. Then I saw the Lowepro Street and Field system with completely customizable pouches, vests, belts, and accessories. It works great, you only get the pouches you need so there is no waisted space and you can organize them however you want according to how often they are used (put frequently used items in easier to access places.)
   
   The variety alone of this system is worth the investment, but the quality and ease of use is also very high which is a big plus. You can get a case for any lens, camera body, or accessory you have. I even have cases for my cell phone and water bottle. One word of caution, be sure to measure your lens with the lens hood on backwards if you use them to make sure that the entire thing will fit into the pouch, because sometimes the lens will fit, but then the lens with the lens hood will not. I often carry 5-6 lenses, extension tubes, teleconverters, extra memory cards and batteries, and a bunch of cleaning supplies and other gadgets, which weights a ton. But when they are evenly distributed on this vest/belt Lowepro system it is actually very manageable.
   
   The only down side is that everyone will be staring at you because you have thousands of dollars of camera equipment strapped to your body. But if you can overlook that, this is the way to go. I have used this system at many zoos without ever having problems, in fact just unzipping a single lens and switching seems safer to me than opening an entire bag of equipment every time you want to switch lenses. Many of the cases also come with a built in rain/snow cover so if the weather changes all of your equipment is not destroyed. You can also put just a few pouches on a normal belt when you are just going to take photos in the back yard or don't need to take all of your equipment, which is nice. I really can't say enough about how much easier this makes traveling with a lot of equipment, if you have been hopelessly searching for a better solution, consider this, you won't regret it.



2. I recently purchased a used Canon 300mm f4 L and it didn't have a case. This lightweight case was perfect for this lens. It fits snugly, but not too tight.
   
   The case is lined with about 1/2" of high density foam. I'm pretty sure that this case would adequately protect a heavy L series lens in a 4-5 foot fall. The case can be used with my Tamarac MAS bag, but most of the time I sling the lens and case over my shoulder using the attached shoulder strap.
   
   This is a very secure, reasonably priced lens case that provides excellent protection for your valuable lenses.



3. The Lowepro Case 4 is a great case for a long telephoto. It's well padded, well-built and protects the lens very well. However, I tried to use it with a small Lowepro Rezo 190 AW and found that (even using the SlipLock attachment) it completely unbalanced the bag. It was so uncomfortable and unpredictable, that I finally gave up and bought a Lowepro AW Magnum (where all the gear I use fits inside the bag) to replace both. I now just use the Case 4 for storage purposes or to bring the telephoto along in the car when I'm "hand-carrying". I believe it would work much better as an attachment on a medium size bag where another lens case could be hung on the other side of the bag to better balance the weight.



4. Its a well built lens bag. I bought it to fit my Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS. It is very snug with the len's tripod ring & hood. It will also fit the my 17-40 with hood and the 24-105 with hood. I bought the lens bag because it can be attached to my Lowepro Reporter 400AW, OffRoad, and Toploader 75AW. Overall I'm very happy with it.



5. Look at it. That's what it is. Want one? Or not? It's up to you, kiddo.

No comments about Zina 300K Mini Digital Keychain Camera (Silver).

5 comments about Sony DSC-V1 Cyber-shot 5MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom.

1. I have owned Sony DSC-V1 for 3 years, and have overall been quite satisfied. You just need to be aware of the limitations of this camera and try not to push it beyond of what it was designed to do. Hey, it is a point and shooter, not an SLR. Outside, in good lighting, DSC-V1 knows few rivals. The pictures uniformly come out sharp and clean, with realistic colors. F2.8 stop should theoretically blur some of the background, but I have never been able to achieve this effect. Inside photography with DSC-V1 is possible provided:
   1) you do not come too close to the subject (the flash is somewhat overpowered) and
   2) you know how to utilize manual controls to your advantage.
   The quality of manufacturing is impeccable, as could be expected from Sony with a Zeiss lens.
   In 2006, there are better options on the market, but this one remains a solid choice, if you get a bargain price.



2. I own this camera for 3 years now and I found that this camera has some real cool features. Photos are really good. The only problem with the camera is flash. If you ask somebody to take the photos, you have to particularly tell them not to put their fingure on the flash. Orelse, flash does not popup. Also, you cannot take pictures continously on flash because it takes some time for recharge. This is annoying me allot and I'm thinking of buying a Nikon camera because of this damn flash thing.



3. So many little annoying things about this camera! Everytime anyone else takes a picture, I have to tell them not to put their finger on the flash which is placed in the worst place possible. Takes really bad indoor pictures. If the object (say kids)is even slightly moving the picture is soooooo blury! The flash takes so much time to recharge the by the time you want to take another picture the moments has come and gone! Thank goodness for photoshop because I am constantly ajusting the color quality, and red eye. It is so bulky compared to most cameras! The battery doesnt last more than 30 minutes. I would give this camera no stars but it wasn't an option! Don't waste your money. Buy a cannon!



4. I do not agree with the negative comments regarding picture quality on the DSC-V1 as posted by other reviewers. I do agree, however, with the comments about the flash recharge time and how lousy that performance is. I got past that by purchasing an external flash and attaching it to the hot shoe on top of the camera (How many other digital cameras in the point and shoot class have a hot shoe????? Huge Plus for the DSC-V1 there).
   
   Now, this camera was affected by the CCD issue that affected many camera families (not just Sony) over that last few years. Sony offered a free replacement of the CCD and I took advantage of it. I knew I was going to be without the camera for a few weeks, while the repair and shipping took place. But I had a vacation trip planned during that time, and I needed a camera.
   
   So I went out and bought a Sony DSC-T30 7.2 megapixel camera to use for the trip. It seemed like a great camera, and it's actually pretty capable. But the DSC-V1 just crushes it in photo quality. The color shading on the V1, and the depth of field are so much better -- and that surprised me based on the 5 megapixel vs. 7.2 megapixel specs. My wife still likes the T30 for the size, as it's case fits in her pocketbook nicely. But I use the DSC-V1 almost exclusively. The external flash took care of the ONLY negative I could come up with. I feel I hit a home run with that purchase.



5. I have owned my DSC-V1 for at least 5 years and remembered paying over $500 for it new.
   So why am I writing this review in 2008? Well the camera has survived many world trips, drops and still works great but I convinced my wife that it was time for a new one. So we started our research and bought the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K since the reviews were awesome.
   Then we took our first picture - we looked at each other and thought - our Sony takes better pictures. But I really wanted to love and keep this Lumix with HD video and all, so I took a slew of pictures with both cameras and asked my wife to tell me which ones she preferred - 90% of the time the Sony photo was preferred. So we visited her friend that owned the same Lumix (maybe we got a defective one) and compared more photos (even swapped memory cards) and again the photo quality from the Sony was better.
   So how can all those reviewers get it wrong? Because in most cases they never do a photo comparison but if you did, boy would you be confused - I think it is easier to just be happier in your bliss.
   We also tried a Canon SD850 and go the same results.
   So I still have my DSC-V1 because I feel like I would have to go with a DSLR to find better photo quality. You can read all the reviews and specs until you eyes and head spin but in the end the proof is in the picture.
   I rated the camera 4 stars but I agree with the reviewers about the speed and flash placement but if you want a camera that takes great quality photos, is durable and very affordable then look no further.

No comments about Canon PowerShot SD990 IS 14.7MP Digital Camera with 3.7x Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) + NB-5L Battery + 8GB Card + Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit.

1 comments about Sealife Mini Wide Angle Lens SL960.

1. to attach a string from the wide-angle lense to the camera.
   
   Due to the lense blocking out the flash you will need to take the lense off frequently in order to take flash pictures. If you don't attach it to the camera it is fairly easy to re-mount it incorrectly and have it fall off.
   
   Fortunately someone else on my dive found mine and returned it.

5 comments about Nikon D70S 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only).

1. I bought this camera 3 years ago, and it worked beautifully until on a long trip in Yellowstone. After changing the memory card, the mirror locked up, as other posts mention, making the camera completely useless. Since I was past the warranty period, Nikon told me I would be charged, even though they had (have) a vague-enough-to-weasel-out-of service advisory out for this problem. The way the service works is to receive the camera, have a front desk monkey put it into a cost-to-repair category, which you must then authorize payment for before they will proceed to actually see what is wrong with the camera. When I asked how they knew what it would cost and why it wasn't covered under the service advisory when they didn't know what the specific problem was, they just told me they always hear the same complaint (should be a warning to them), but that's the way they'd always done it. I should have bought a Canon. Their service is well-known to be top-notch in the industry, and the cameras are good quality for a lower price. I highly recommend AGAINST Nikon, unless you're buying lenses and flashes.



2. Have had this camera for over 3 years, have had it on ski trips, to Costa Rica 3 time, baseball tournaments, paintball tournaments, boating and fishing. This camera is a work horse as far as I'm concerned. I stopped counting at 100,000 pictures and it's still taking great shots without ANY problems. Have had many a Canon owners say they wished they had the Nikon. Waiting to purchase the new D90 when it comes out mainly for the faster fps. Gonna give my D70 to my 14 yo son. Can't say enough good things about his camera and the quality pictures I've taken!



3. The Nikon D70S is a very good beginner to intermediate digi slr. Easy to use but also has a lot of options and manual settings. Battery life is amazing. Taken at least 500+ photos in raw format and still have half battery. Well built, strong body. 6.1MP is decent. Everyone now a days thinks more is better more is better however 6.1 is plenty for me. It all comes down to the photographer anyways. Good for people who are beginning digital photography, def. worth the extra money over the D40.



4. I am an amateur photographer who stretched a few years back to buy a Nikon D70 based on Nikon's reputation for quality and durability. The camera has taken great photos, but recently had a shutter failure that Nikon is charging over $200 to fix. Research shows this is a known issue with the Nikon D-series - no matter how good the images, if the camera only lasts a couple of years in light use, you do NOT want to spend a lot of money on it. Forget Nikon - buy a Canon!



5. I got this camera as a kit purchased off the Internet from an online merchant (not Amazon) in 2004. It dodn't come with the same equipment as this one, but it did include the camera body, 2 lenses, cleaning kit, sunshade, 3 filters, a macro lens, a charger and 2 extra batteries, a mini and compact tripod, a soft case and hard travel case.
   
   Even though it came with all these accessories (the compact tripod was junk, as was the charger, the batteries didn't fit in it, and the macro lens was low-quality), the lenses weren't the same Nikkor 'DX' AF-S IF ED lenses this one comes with. My camera came with the lower quality AF-S 'G' line lenses (no ED glass elements or IF focusing).
   
   There's a lot to like about the D70S, which is an upgraded version of the D70. It was recommended to me by a freelance photographer who does work for a popular magazine (National Geographic), so I bought it on their recommendation. If I had a choice, I'd have got the Canon Digital Rebel, but this one hasn't dissapointed me. It's got all the features of a modern SLR, but with the convenience of a digital camera. Everything on this camera is adjustible: F-stop, exposure, focusing, focal lengths, white balance, shutter speeds, flash profiles, you name it. Although not as critical for beginner photographers (it does have an 'auto' mode, no tweaking requiried), there are several manual modes which allow you to adjust things.
   
   It takes great pictures for 6.1 megapixels on its own in the 'Auto' function, but if you can use the manual modes, they only get better.
   
   My only gripes with the D70S are the low MP rating (it's advertised as 6.1, the comparable Canon's are 8-10), smallish LCD display (only 2"), and the size/weight (it wenghs almost 2 lbs for the body only-Canon's Rebels are much more compact and lightweight). Another minor complaint is that it also takes Compact Flash (CF) memory cards. They're more expensive than SD or SDHC cards as far as capacity, and larger. It's not very user-friendly either; it has taken me a while to get all the particulars of this camera down to the point they are useful.
   
   To be fair, the feature-set was advanced and the norm for 2004, but Canon makes a better camera (lighter weight, smaller, more user-friendly, easier to use).
   
   Pluses are the nearly infinite adjustibility (albeit there's a learning curve), high quality, fast start-up times, and the wide variety of lenses you can use with it. If you can afford it, avoid the standard Nikkor lenses and go for the DX line with the ED glass elements and improved IF functions or image-stabilization.
   
   Although I prefer and recommend Canon for cameras, this is a good-enough camera that once you figure out how to use it, you can start shooting pictures just like the big gun photographers!

No comments about Canon Powershot SD1100 IS Digital Silver Camera kit. with 2GB SD Memory Card, Camera Case, Spare NB-4L Type Lithium-ion Battery, Table Top Tripod.

No comments about VIVITAR 3.0 Megapixel 4X Digital Zoom Digital Camera.

No comments about Polaroid 8.0MP Digital Camera - Black Cherry (T831).