Ultimate Gift Reviews » Physical Appearance

Microsoft LifeCam HD-5000 720p HD Webcam – Black

Admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:12:40 +0000

PRO:

1. High-definition 720p video at 30 fps

2. Sofware package for video tweaking and 3D effects

3. Stable and flexible base

4. Affordable

CON:

1. Camera CPU problems for pictures/videos taken at higher resolutions

2. Not compatible with Mac OS

3. Auto-focus is unstable

CONCLUSION:

If you are after HD-quality but don’t want to spend too much, then Microsoft LifeCam HD-5000 is an excellent choice. Even though you may encounter some system problems when capturing at a higher resolution, this camera is still better than most of the webcams available in the market at this price range. This camera is highly recommended to those who desire to improve their video-chatting experience.

OUR REVIEW:

Microsoft has guaranteed a real upgrade from the common stock web cameras currently saturating the market nowadays upon their release of LifeCam HD-5000. This webcam is actually the desktop version of the more expensive HD-6000 which is intended for laptops and other mobile devices. HD-5000 is generally designed for desktops which have gaming specs so one can definitely expect it to have problems especially when its 3D effects software is used.

At first glance, HD-5000 and HD-6000 have the same physical appearance: glossy-black with a button on its top to accesss Windows Messenger instantly. However, further inspection will reveal the little details that set apart HD-5000 from HD-6000. HD-6000 is lighter and smaller than HD-5000 primarily because it is designed for laptops. Moreover, since HD-5000 is really intended for desktop usage, its USB cable is longer than that of HD-6000 (since the top of desktop monitors covers a long distance from the CPU in most setups). HD-5000 has a stationary while HD-6000 has a mounted base that is capable of a full 360-degree swivel.

HD-5000 also has a bundled software utility which has to be installed first before the camera can be used. Users are advised to check for driver updates before actually using the camera for a better experience.
Sale Price:[productprice id=B002XN7C6W web=com]

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Polaroid CIA-1237RC 12MP CCD Digital Camera with 2.7-Inch LCD Display (Red)

Admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 01:50:07 +0000

It is almost unbelievable how Polaroid is able to manufacture a top-notch camera that has most of the features that one can only expect from an expensive model. Polaroid CIA-1237RC falls in the mid-range price category and yet it can be easily mistaken as a fairly costly digital camera by its physical appearance alone — so much more when one has already known of its sophisticated functions.

One of the most imposing features of CIA-1237RC is its auto-stabilization function which helps users do away from blurred and fuzzy shots due to mechanical tremor. This digital camera also has a “face-following” feature that allows the user to lock to a specific subject even while this subject is moving or is in the middle of a crowd.

Once the subject is caught smiling, the camera automatically takes the picture even without the user ever pressing the shutter button. Well, if these two features still cannot impress you, what do you think of an anti-red-eye feature? Sounds too good to be true for a mid-range camera? Not with Polaroid CIA-1237RC!

The camera also also equipped with a 3x optical zoom feature and if that is not enough, you can even go further by using its 4x digital zoom function. Capturing distant shots will not be much of a problem too because the camera also has a 2.7-inch LCD screen that would allow you to position your shots more precisely. Moreover, CIA-1237RC has a 32-MB internal storage capacity which can be expanded via SD or SDHC cards.

The camera runs using 2 AA batteries which can be charged using a USB cord that comes along the package.CIA-1237RC is also bundled to a software utility called Polaroid PoGo; this utility will help you sort, edit and share your photos effortlessly. It can also connect to the internet for faster sharing to any of your social networking sites.

However, if there is anything that is worth complaining about this camera, it is the complexity of some of its functions. An average user might need to spend some time to be able to really understand how these features work. The batteries are also easily depleted so users are advised to bring a lot of spare batteries with them. But beyond all these, CIA-1237RC is truly a must-have.

Sale Price:$49.99

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Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:48:38 +0000

Not everyone in this planet get the chance to try each and every DSLR camera in the market; so if you too feel that you don’t have the same chance and you are in a limited budget, might as well choose the best camera that you can afford. My personal recommendation is Nikon D90, the successor of Nikon D80 which was released last 2006.

Nikon D80 quickly rose into stardom because of its overall functionality and ease of use. After a few minutes in your hand, D80 will feel like it has been your camera since forever. Now, for whatever complaints and issues the old users of D80 have, D90 has promptly addressed.

D90 is a little heavier than D80 (about 35 grams), but this is not without reason. The newer release from the D-series has additional hardware parts which contributed to its weight. The camera is designed to meet movie-capturing needs flawlessly; for this reason, Nikon added three new holes on the front end of the camera. These holes are intended for the microphone for more audio-capturing power.

The improved microphone system is designed to complement the new movie-recording mode added by Nikon to D90. But apart from this, the apparent physical appearance of D90 and D80 are pretty much alike — both cameras basically have the same buttons which trigger the same functions as well. Both cameras also have the “autofocus screw drive” which allows them to drive autofocus lenses for older models and at the same time, accommodate newer releases.

With a more careful inspection, you will be able to notice the size difference of the LCD screen of D90 and D80. The latter one’s screen is a little bit smaller than D90’s. The screen displays of the two cameras also show different parameters.

D90 is powered by a 12.3 MP sensor making it better than the other professional DSLR released by Nikon like D300 and D3. The camera is also perfect for indoor or dim-light capturing through its wide ISO range (200 to 6400).

Fusing 12.3-megapixel image quality inherited from the award-winning D300 with groundbreaking features, the D90’s breathtaking, low-noise image quality is further advanced with EXPEED image processing. Split-second shutter response and continuous shooting at up to 4.5 frames-per-second provide the power to capture fast action and precise moments perfectly, while Nikon’s exclusive Scene Recognition System contributes to faster 11-area autofocus performance, finer white balance detection and more.

Overall, this camera is a total must-have especially to those who really desire to have a top quality DSLR camera.

Sale Price:Too low to display

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