Samsung NX2000 20.3MP CMOS Smart WiFi Compact Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 20-50mm Lens and 3.7" Touch Screen LCD (Black)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I have tested my new Samsung NX2000 for 2 weeks and its overall performance and picture quality is not bad, actually very good. I was shopping a DSLR like mirrorless compact camera that provide light weight, changeable lens and good picture quality camera. I have two choices either Sony NEX5T (just released this month) or the Samsung NX2000. Believe me, you won't find too much reviews and details info on the website because both cameras are new. Some info and spec I found on line actually was incorrect and the reviewers did not really done a hand on review. Most of them were just review the camera spec sheet and criticize its good and bad. I concluded Sony NEX5T is a better mirror less camera than NX2000 but its price tag still consider steep when adding up the optional lens, accessory flashlight. It will cost more than a grand. If budget is also a factor of consideration, the NX2000 can fit in perfectly. The NX bundle lens kit cost less than $800.

So far the operation and picture quality of the NX2000 are pretty good. Its APS-C sensor definitely can react to more lights. The high ISO performance is very good below 6400 without noise. It is still tolerable if higher than 6400. The noise reduction from this camera is very good. The contrast AF is not bad, believe me it is not fast but really not bad. The 8fps continue shoot was surprising fast and perfect for motion sport. 20-50mm kit lens without image stabilization performs pretty well and the 50-200mm zoom lens with OIS is excellent.

Pro:

Price fits budget buyer who wants good quality picture and changeable lens compact camera.

Easy and clear in camera menu and touch screen with less button (I consider less button is a pro but some user don't)

Fast 8fps continue shooting with high accuracy to catch the perfect moment.

Big APS-C sensor gives better quality pictures. Combines with the high ISO low noise reduction, this camera can shoot without flash.

Many optional Samsung lens to choose ( I prefer buying the 16mm wide angle lens too)

Con:

Contrast AF not Phase detection (the speed is still acceptable to me)

No optional EVF, it is very difficult to see the screen under sun light. Samsung, how can we take a good photo under the sun light when the LCD screen is totally invisible by the reflection. I think Samsung needs to consider an option EVF that can be attached to the hot shoe like Sony did on the NEX.

Battery life is also unacceptable. I highly suggest purchase 2 or 4 for back up and you need a aftermarket wall charger.



Update Oct 1 2013: After continue usage of this camera, I found out the LCD screen under the bright sun light is really a problem. Although I can adjust the LCD brighter to make it easier to see, it will drain the battery faster. Samsung really needs to make an optional EVF to attach it on the hotshoe as soon as possible. I don't mind to spend couple hundreds to buy an optional EVF for this camera but seems Samsung is not listening to the feedback of the consumers. No tilting LCD panel + no optional EVF made the outdoor bright light shooting not too much fun.



Update Dec 4 2014: When I keep using this camera everyday on street, indoor, outdoor sport and car show, this camera continues give me the good quality result. I have no idea why some people gave one or two stars on the review. Some said the price on Amazon is more expensive than Costco then gave one star to the product. It seems it is not fair to this product. Some complained the auto focus is slow, I know this camera doesn't have a super fast AF focus with phase detection, but the speed is not too bad at all. The point & shot cameras are no way to compare. Remember this camera is not P&S, it is a DSLR like mirrorless camera. If you don't know how to use the M,A,S,P mode and its setting, you either don't buy this camera or go to take a photography lesson. Because I am sure if you can't take good pictures with this camera, it is either your skill or haven't learned the full function of this camera.



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GE MWF SmartWater Compatible Water Filter Cartridge - Refrigerator

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I have a GE two door refrigerator and use to buy original filter cartridges but after some research I bought these filters and they are great for less price. Water tastes good and happy to use these filters.



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Koolatron Multi-Purpose Adapter 110AC to 12 Volts DC ( Model AC-16)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I purchased a Koolatron cooler and noted that the manual stated that non-Koolatron AC/DC adaptors should not be used and would void the warranty. Rather than take the chance with my old adaptor from a different brand electric cooler, I decided to order a new one. Koolatron offers its adaptor at its web site and I just about ordered it, but then compared Amazon's offering. The identical adaptor at Amazon is half the price of the one through Koolatron. I've used it a number of times and it works fine. It also has about twice the wattage capability of my old adaptor. One caution: the cooler cools or heats depending on how the adaptor or DC plug is connected to the cooler cord. Tell everyone who might use the cooler about this. I failed to tell my wife, and she thought she was cooling a load of food, when, in fact, she was heating it. Big mess.



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D810 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body

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GoPro HERO3+: Silver Edition

If you missed the boat on the last iteration of GoPro's HERO3, don't fret, you waited for just the right amount of time. With the HERO3+ Silver Edition, you'll find a reduced size and weight, faster Wi-Fi, enhanced low-light quality, a reduction in distortion, and a battery with 30% longer life. Good things happen for those who wait. Compared to the last HERO3, the HERO3+ Silver Edition has been reduced in size by 15%, and the camera weight was also reduced by 15%. In fact, the HERO3+ now tips the scales 2.21 ounces. The camera body retains the black backing treatment, and the front still boasts GoPro's accessible and progressive user interface. The new housing also enables the camera to be waterproof up to 131ft/40m. The lens makes features the same flat design with a waterproof housing. It's what GoPro calls a six-element aspherical lens. What does this mean? Simply put, the lens has been designed to operate evenly across more light conditions than ever before. For the camera nerds; it's an f/2.8 - 6.0 lens. So, you'll experience sharper image quality whether it's blisteringly bright or the sun has nearly disappeared. And with this iteration of the HERO, GoPro improved the camera's capturing quality in low-light conditions. Additionally, GoPro has taken steps to reduce distortion, while also improving image sharpness. The new lens also allows Ultra-wide, Medium, and Narrow field of view modes, and you can operate the White Balance in either auto or manual modes (3000k, 5500k, 6500k, Cam Raw). Now, you can expect crystal clear resolution from sunrise to sunset. And speaking of resolution, the HERO3+ Silver Edition boasts ultra-high resolution video modes with a processor that's twice as fast as the HERO3's. The frame rate is sharper than the HERO3, capturing at 1080p60, 960p60, and 720p120fps. Basically, if you love slow-motion shots, the HERO3+ is a godsend. And did we mention that all of these rates can be run from Ultra-Wide mode? Awesome. For ti...

• 15% smaller and lighter housing (waterproof to 131'/40m)


• 2x faster image processor enables 1080p60 and 720p120 fps video


• Enhanced low-light performance


• 30% longer battery life


• 
  

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Be aware when purchasing that there are some aspects to the new "improved" lens that may not be for everyone. This week it has been fairly well documented (and confirmed by GoPro) that while the new lens produces much sharper images under 4', they are blurrier at distances greater than 4'. It does NOT focus at infinity. For reasons not fully explained, they moved the focal point of the lens in close and sacrificed distance clarity.



Update at bottom.



You will get great shots under 4' and soft focus beyond that. Depending on what you want it for, this camera may not be for you and the regular H3 might be a better bet. Since this is an effect of the lens it applies to both stills and video. On the other hand, it's still a decent small action camera, and if you take a lot of video in motion you may not notice this at all. For YouTube uploads and streaming it may not matter, I haven't tested this myself. If you want better clarity in your images the 3B is a good choice. I personally will play with it this week before deciding if I should return it. (Update: it's going back.)



It boggles the mind that they have produced a camera that claims to have a better lens and ignored the fact that it is in fact worse for 90% of what you'll be filming. Great clarity on your handlebars but not so good on the scenery.



Edit: other pluses- the color is much better with the 3+ than the 3. Low light shooting is also better, although sometimes lens flare from lights is a little worse, sometimes better. No more chromatic aberration (yellow/purple fringing). Just do some reading before buying this, they made some trade-offs in the new lens.



Updated 10/17:



Well after comparing the two (3+B and 3B) this week, there are some more problems that have had me downgrade this to a 3 star. For one, the right and left sides of the images on the 3+ are smeared. I mean really distorted, and I'm not using SuperView. Additionally the contrast seems to be set too high, causing some loss of detail in the shadows and blowing out whites a bit. This at least is changeable with a firmware update if they choose to do so. The blurry edges put me over the edge and I'm returning it. It's too bad, it's almost a great camera, with some nice improvements, but the lens is a definite problem, and not necessarily an improvement... certainly not 33% sharper.



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Ion Air Pro Compatible with iPod/iPhone/iPad/Android Devices

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I own both this camera and a Go Pro Hero 2.



The good:



1. Easy to use: Slide switch forward, it records, slide switch backwards, stops recording. Nice and simple.

2. Has a standard 1/4 20 tripod mount. YES!!!!!!!

3. Doesn't need a separate case to make it waterproof.

4. The narrower shape of the camera is nice for mounting on things that are narrow like a bicycle top tube where you don't want your knees hitting it.

5. Good battery life (but battery is built in)

6. Auto Rotation - I frequently mount my camera upside down and it's nice to not have to flip the video in editing, but see the bad about this below.

7. It's lightweight.

8. Cheaper than my GoPro was.

9. Nicer looking than my GoPro Hero 2.

10. Solid feel



The okay:



1. Video quality is a decent, maybe not quite as good as my Hero 2, but close.

2. Audio is muffled but better than JVC Adixxion and Drift Innovation (both have horrible wind noise). Better than Hero 2 in its' waterproof case, but not as good as Hero 2 in its' skeleton case.

3. Must change settings (1080p/30fps vs. 720p/60fps) using PC software.

4. The helmet/handlebar mounts are fine, but I don't use them. I use RAM Mounts.

5. Tripod hole isn't quite in the center of the camera (length-wise) but it's okay with the mounts I have now, was rotating with a lousy handlebar mount I had.



The bad:



1. The Mac version of the software does not work so if you don't have a PC, you can't change the default settings on the camera and I don't remember what those were. I know I have it now to record 720p 60fps.

2. It records two files (one large high quality and one small lousy quality) every time you record a clip. This is super annoying as I never use the small files and need to delete them all before importing or with iMovie, where it's hard to tell prior to import, I need to import everything and not use the low res ones, which is super annoying.

3. The longer shape of the camera doesn't work well if you wanted to mount it on your body (like with a GoPro Hero chest mount).

4. Picture taking isn't straight forward.

5. Battery is built in. If out in the field, you can't pop in another battery, you need to find some place to charge the camera which takes 3 hours.

6. Twist off rear hatch is too easy to lose. I misplaced it once while charging the camera, but found it, however, I think it would be awful easy to lose for good.

7. Auto Rotation - there are 4 orientations this camera recognizes. If the camera is upright or upside down, the video comes out right side up and as you would expect. If the camera is at 90 or 270 degrees, the video comes out right side up, but is way narrow - like you get when you record while holding your iphone vertically instead of horizontally. Very annoying. I wish it recognized just right side up and upside down and not on it's side. Also, don't use Auto-Rotation if you're going to begin recording while you're moving - if I am riding my bike on a trail or rough road and have auto-rotate on, at least half the videos come out on their side - and I mean on their side - the camera thought it was on it's side, but it wasn't so it's really messed up. So - nice idea for a feature, but I always turn it off.



Despite all the bad, I find I'm actually using this camera way more than my GoPro because I find it easier to put on my bike, easier to use with the one slide switch rather than all the buttons on the GoPro and I like not having to put it in one case if it's rainy and another if it's nice, just so many pieces with the GoPro. This is nice and simple. I'm looking forward to getting the wifi version where hopefully you can change settings using the iPhone app - assuming it works.



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Danby DAR259BL 2.5-Cu. Ft. Designer Compact All Refrigerator, Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Bought one of these for my office to keep beverages cool and lunches fresh. Amazon Prime got it here (for free!) in 2 days in great shape. Plugged it in 7 months ago and have never had a single issue with it since.



Interior layout is pretty good - no freezer! Lower shelf is somewhat shallow, but top ones are plenty deep. About 1/2 of the door is designed to hold 12oz soda/beer cans, so if you don't have any, some space may be wasted. With all the shelving pulled out, the surfaces are pretty even and easy to clean.



Temperature adjustment is a simple knob. Seems to cool pretty quickly, and accidentally setting it too cold demonstrated that it had no problem freezing things. Hasn't apparantly struggled with the occasional 90 degree day.



In a shared office with half a dozen people, running computers, etc, it's virtually silent except for a half a moment of quiet whirr and gurgle when it comes on a few times an hour.



Door is easy to open from the top-mounted handle and looks reversible. Magnets stick to the sides, but not the front. Top is sturdy enough to stack other things on. Has had no issue staying cool being crammed into a corner, pushed within 1" of hitting both walls.



4.5 stars - minus 1/2 for the soda-can holder design.



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