Sony RM-VD1 Remote Commander for Camcorder and DSC

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You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Continue …

Technical DataStorage Floppy Drive / TypeNoneTechnical DataDisplay (Projector) / TypeLCD displayTechnical DataDisplay (Projector) / Diagonal Sizein1.5Technical DataDisplay (Projector) / TechnologyTFT active matrixTechnical DataVideo Input / TypeCamcorderTechnical DataVideo Input / Digital Video FormatMPEG-4Technical DataAudio Input / TypeMicrophoneTechnical DataDimensions & Weight / Widthcm3.6Technical DataDimensions & Weight / Depthcm7.2Technical DataDimensions & Weight / Heightcm8.6Technical DataVideo Input / Still Image FormatJPEGTechnical DataOptical Sensor / Optical Sensor TypeCMOSTechnical DataViewfinder / Viewfinder TypeNoneTechnical DataHeader / Product LineAiptek Pocket DVTechnical DataHeader / ModelT100 LETechnical DataHeader / ManufacturerAIPTEKTechnical DataVideo Input / Digital Zoom4Technical DataHeader / Packaged Quantity1Technical DataLens System / TypeLensTechnical DataLens System / Lens ApertureF/3.0Technical DataLens System / Min Focal Lengthmm8.3Technical DataCamera Flash / TypeBuilt-inflashTechnical DataVideo Input / Special EffectsClassic FilmTechnical DataVideo Input / Shooting ModesDigital photo modeTechnical DataDisplay (Projector) / Display Form FactorFoldingTechnical DataBattery / Battery Form FactorStandard form factorTechnical DataBattery / Supported Battery Form FactorAATechnical DataOptical Sensor / Sensor QtyCMOS1Technical DataOptical Sensor / Camcorder Sensor ResolutionMpix3
Amazon Price: ?66.87
Customer Review: Simple and great value for money
Wasnt expecting much…I now use it all the time. Easy to use, records straight onto an SD card which then plays back in reasonable quality on my TV and my Windows Media Player. Takes both still pictures and video with ease. I probably use this more than my main camcorder as I do alot of You Tube clips and post them online. This is perfect the that!!
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Customer Review: Good Camcorder, but Noisy Motor!
It wasn’t so bad if you were recording in LP but in SP it was terrible and it was even bad filming outside. Apart from that it was very good filming in low light and excellent in day light and plus it took really good stills, upto 1600×1200. If the filming wasn’t so noisy i would have kept it and gave it 5 stars but sadly because of that i give it 3.
Customer Review: Noisy motor
I have just bought this camera from Amazon having read the reviews on the site, which seem to give the impression that its known motor problem might now be a thing of the past. If my model is anything to go by it isn't. When videoing a quiet room, the noise level from the motor is astonishing and it all transfers to the tape. I was taping over a recording from a Sony camera and when the JVC recording finished and the Sony part resumed, the difference was incredible. I'm surprised that it is still possible to buy cameras with this problem when it has been known about for over a year. It's quite a shame as the spec is exactly what I wanted, but I wouldn't be able to live with such intrusive camera noise.
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Panasonic - HDC-SD1 - High Definition SD Camcorder
High-definition video cameras deliver incredibly realistic images that draw the viewer into an exciting new world, and proprietary Panasonic technologies have reached new heights in HD quality. The beautiful images recorded by a Panasonic high-definition video camera will bring back the emotion of the moment again and again, even years from now. A new peak in HD image quality. Experience it in DVD or SD/SDHC Memory Card style.

The compact design makes the HDC-SD1 easy to carry about, and with its smart styling you’ll want to take it everywhere.

In the AVCHD format you can record onto an SD or SDHC Memory Card and get up to about 90 minutes of continuous recording.

In Quick Start mode, the SD1 begins recording in just 1.7 seconds from the time the LCD is opened. This lets you shoot those sudden shooting opportunities.

Customer Review: Brilliant camcorder - best i’ve ever owned
I have had this camera for just unter a month now and it just keeps on amazing me after owning mini dv cameras in the past the picture quality on this is absolutely brilliant and the camera is so quite so you dont get any annoying noises on the soundtrack

Very fast focusing and Light adjustment includes the usefull zebra mode to warn you of over exposure.

only word of warning is software provided is near to useless with basic editing and upload software.

on the other hand if you own a mac get yourself a copy of the new ilife’08 package and you are sorted. I am also reliably informed that a recent update to final cut studio 2 allows for the editing of AVCHD footage.

and for ?603 this camera is a bargain
Customer Review: Scrimped on the basics
Yes this a very nice compact high definition camcorder, but for the money wouldn’t you expect a little more?

For example where is the camera case? -I can understand there not being a high quality leather one, but not even a vinyl case? What about a lens cover? And wouldn’t a HDMI cable (so you can connect it up to your high definition tv) be a nice addition?

Some decent software (that you could edit movies with) would be nice too.

Finally, a viewfinder so that you are not TOTALLY reliant on the LCD view screen would be neat.

Nice machine Panasonic, but you’ve scrimped so much on it, that the package as a whole suffers.

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Hybrid DVD/HDD Camcorder with 30GB Hard Drive, Multi Format DVD, 30x Optical Zoom
Amazon Price: ?289.99
Continue …

You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Continue …

You will receive one Power Rechargeable Battery. This Rechargeable Battery 100% fits and is properly matching !

Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (originally packaged factory-new merchandise)

This high capacity rechargeable battery definitely disposes of more power than the original rechargeable battery included in delivery of the unit. This rechargeable battery can be used instead of the original rechargeable battery without any problems and can be recharged with the available standard power supply. The rechargeable battery is protected and secured against overcharge and short-circuits.

Features of this rechargeable battery:

• safety due to heat and overcharge protection
• real lithium-ion rechargeable battery, more power than the original rechargeable battery
• no memory effect recharge your battery whenever you like
• excellent fitting accuracy, certified quality merchandise, not an original accessory
• the standard battery charger can still be used

Continue …

Removing a Textured Pattern from a Scanned Photo - 5 Minute Digital Fix

One of the most common problems when dealing with scanned photographs as part of a digital restoration activity is that after scanning, the digital image appears to have a textured pattern to it.

This is often caused by the fact that the photograph in question has been printed on textured photographic paper.

This article will show you how to remove the un-desirable pattern effect without significantly loosing any of the important image detail.

The problematic photo may well be an old black and white, sepia, or even a more modern colour photograph.

(I remember Kodak introducing their “Silk finish” prints many years ago printed on a silky sheen textured paper!).

The example image on our web-site is an old black and white wedding photograph that has been printed on a textured paper.

If you look closely at the white cornice behind the bride and groom you can clearly see that the textured pattern of the photographic paper has been faithfully re-produced during the scanning of the photo.

Before we commence any major restoration work we would like to remove as much of the un-desirable textured pattern as is possible.

Step 1

Open the image up in Adobe Photoshop and the first step is to create a duplicate (copy) layer of the original image by selecting Layer-> Duplicate Layer .. and give the new layer an appropriate name.

Zoom in close enough to get an appreciation of how severe the textured pattern is, but keep some picture detail visible (especially people’s faces) so that you can easily judge how well the texture removal is proceeding without loosing too much important picture detail.

Step 2

With the duplicate layer active apply a Gaussian Blur by selecting Filter->Blur->Gaussian Blur …

A pop-up option box will allow you to set the amount of Gaussian blur to apply to the image.

I generally start with a Radius = 1.5 and work up from there, constantly looking at the image to see the affect as I increase the blur radius.

Anything over a Radius = 5.0 will usually be far too harsh, so in the example on the web-site the required outcome is to “minimise” the texture pattern effect without compromising the important detail in the photo.

For our web-site example image I found I was able to set Radius = 3.5 without any significant loss of detail.

The example image is starting to “soften”, but the textured pattern has clearly diminished.

Step 3

Zooming out to have a look at the complete photo reveals that the un-desirable textured pattern has all but vanished with only minor softening of the important image detail.

Each photo you work on will have to be judged on its own merits when determining the amount of blur to apply.

But all is not lost on retaining that important image detail!!

Step 4

Remember … the Gaussian blur has been applied to the duplicate layer we created at the start of the exercise.

The original image, complete with texture, is sitting under the duplicate layer.

By using Photoshop’s Layer Blending Modes and Layer Opacity we can produce an image made up of a combination of both layers with some of the detail from the lower original layer showing through.

Again, each photo will be judged on its own merits and the setting I finalised on for our example image on the web-site may not be the same as you will find most suitable for your own images.

Try experimenting with the different blending modes and layer opacity settings.

I finally settled on a blending mode of “Luminosity” and Opacity of 85% for the Gaussian Blur layer.

Step 5

To finalise the image I then “flattened” the two layers into a single image layer by selecting Layer->Flatten Image.

Step 6

I then checked the tonal range of our combined layered image using the Levels command by selecting Image->Adjustment->Levels … and fine tuned the black, white and grey points.

Step 7

And last but not least, we can still bring a little bit more “sharpness” out of the image by finally applying a small amount of Unsharp Mask by selecting Filter->Sharpen->Unsharp Mask …

Experimenting with the various settings, I was able to settle upon Amount = 185%; Radius = 2.5 pixels; and Threshold = 50 levels.

And there you have it … the removal of an un-desirable textured pattern without significantly sacrificing important image detail.

If you find the steps being taken are a little hard to understand in this text based article, you can click on the link at the end of this article to see the same method explained on our website with the aid of example graphical images.

? Gary Wilkinson 2005 - All Rights Reserved

You can see this method complete with example images at Removing a textured pattern from a scanned photo

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are retained as-is.

Gary Wilkinson is a photographer, photographic restorer and the owner of a photographic retail business. He is also the publisher of the http://www.restoring-photos-made-easy.com website, where other methods of correcting common photographic restoration problems are discussed.
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CES 2008: Alongside the NV24HD, Samsung also launched three new NV cameras without the high definition recording capability but featuring the latest processing technology for improved image quality and faster operation. First up is the NV40 - 10 megapixels and a 3x zoom are backed up with dual image stabilization. The display is a generous 2.5" and adapts to changing light conditions whilst the controls take the grid form known as ‘Smart Touch’. The NV30 drops the pixel count to 8 million and omits the optical stabilization in favor of an all-electronic system. The ‘baby’ NV4 has a non-protruding 3x zoom lens and 8 megapixels and also uses a more conventional button arrangement. All three will be available from February 2008 priced at £149, £179 and £199 for the NV4, NV30 and NV40 respectively. Continue …

Ex-Pro Card Reader - Reads SD Digital Card, SDHC Format supported, Multi Media Card, Memory Stick, Smart Media Card, Compact FlashCard, XD Cards, IBM Micro Drive - ALL CARDS - Read’s all subsidiary card via adapters - Mini SD, Transflash, Micro SD, Duo, Duo Prom RS-MMC and more.
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CES 2008: Casio has launched the world’s slimmest 10 megapixel camera today in the form of the EXILIM EX-S10. A mere 15mm thick, this latest ‘Wearable Card Camera’ sports a 3x optical zoom and the usual complement of Casio scene modes including YouTube™ Capture Mode, using H.264 encoding for high quality movies with small file sizes. A 2.7", 230k screen fills the rear of the camera and a shutter release control ensures camera shake has subsided before taking a picture. You may also set smile detection and have the shutter trip based on the quality of your subject’s grin. The EX-S10 will be available in Red, Blue, Silver and Black when it hits US shores in February priced at $249.99. Continue …

Removing Spot Scratches in Your Treasured Photos - 5 Minute Digital Fix

Probably one of the most common problems you will be faced with in doing any type of digital photo restoration work will be to do with spot scratches on your old photos.

When we first look at those old black and white or early colour photos they often have small scratch marks and spots on them from being stored incorrectly.

These small spot scratches are easily perceived by your eye when you are looking at the photo, detracting from the overall subject matter.

Here is a very easy quick fix using Adobe Photoshop’s History Brush tool.

Our example “before” image on our web-site has numerous small spot scratches on the old sepia toned photograph.

The basic removal method described here can quickly and effortlessly bring those scratched photos back to (almost) their former glory using the History Brush Tool found in Photoshop.

This basic technique works extremely well for those types of images that have spot scratches in areas of the photo that do not contain a lot of detail.

As you can see in our example image on the web-site, the spots tend to be primarily on the background of the photo, making it ideal for this correction method.

Step - 1

Having opened up the image in Photoshop we will first apply the Dust and Scratches filter by selecting Filter->Noise->Dust & Scratches …

Set the Threshold to between 1 and 4 (I generally start with 1) and then increase the Radius until you see the spot scratches disappear.

Our example image on the web-site finally made the largest spot scratch on the left hand side of the photo disappear at a Threshold of 3 and Radius of 10.

All well and good but our image is now totally blurred!! Not really what we wanted to see is it?

This is where the History Brush tool comes into play.

Step - 2

Open up the History Palette by selecting Window->History if you cannot see the window already open.

We are going to create a “Snapshot” of the current state of the image in question by clicking on what looks like a little image of a camera at the bottom of the History Palette window (see the red arrow on the web-site image).

After clicking you will notice that the History Palette now shows an extra image icon called “Snapshot 1″.

This is a snapshot of the image that includes the effect of apply the Dust & Scratches Filter in Step 1.

Now click on the little square box to the left of Snapshot 1.

You will see a little “brush” icon appear which is now telling us that the “Snapshot 1″ image will be used as our “source” when we paint with the History Brush.

Remember … this snapshot image actually has none of the spot scratches on it because we made them disappear by applying the Dust & Scratches filter in Step 1.

Step - 3

Make the original (un-touched) history snapshot active by clicking on it (in the case of our example image this is “Restore-Before-Image.jpg”).

Select the History Brush from the main toolbar (this has the same icon as the little “brush” icon that appeared in the History Palette window).

We are now ready to “paint away” those spot scratches!!

Step - 4

I’m going to zoom in on the largest scratch on the left hand side of the photo to show you how we use the History Brush.

We selected the History Brush in Step 3.

Select an appropriate brush size and soft edges.

We now need to decide how to apply the brush to the scratches in question.

You will notice that the scratches in our example image are “lighter” than the surrounding image.

Step - 5

We need to paint “darker” pixels and as such we set the History Brush Mode: to “Darken” (Top Menu Bar option when you have the History Brush as the active tool).

This has the effect of “telling the History Brush” to only replace pixels on the original image with pixels from our snapshot if the snapshot pixel is darker.

Start to paint over the scratches and see what happens.

The scratches start to miraculously disappear as you paint over them.

They are being replaced with the underlying snapshot image pixels you created in Step 1.

The benefit of using this techniques is that you have complete control over which parts of the original image you “paint over” so as not to blur important details of the image had you just applied a Dust & Scratches filter to the whole image.

Now what if your scratches are darker than the surrounding image, I hear you ask?

Easy!! … just use a History Brush Mode: of “Lighten” instead of “Darken”.

You can experiment with all of the History Brush options - Mode, Opacity and Flow until you get the desired result.

The resulting “After” image has had all of the spot scratches removed easily without compromising on the photographic detail of the image.

And there you have it!!Less than five minutes of digital image manipulation to remove those unwanted spot scratches.

If you find the steps taking are a little hard to understand in this text based article, you can click on the link at the end of this article to see the same method explained on our website with the aid of example graphical images.

? Gary Wilkinson 2005 - All Rights Reserved

You can see this removal method complete with example images at Basic removal of Spot Scratches in Photos

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are retained as-is.

Gary Wilkinson is a photographer, photographic restorer and the owner of a photographic retail business.

He is also the publisher of the http://www.restoring-photos-made-easy.com website, where other methods of correcting common photographic restoration problems are discussed.
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Hand-made beautifully made from the finest quality soft Napa leather. Includes many features, namely a removable swivel belt-clip, and carabineer, memory card storage. All with i-nique branding, white contrast overstitch with i-nique Classic trademark metal button.Lifetime guarantee, to meet the exact specifications of your camera
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This ultra wide angle zoom lens offers 122 degree super wide angle of view along the diagonal axis. Four Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements are provided for effective compensation of colour aberration, which is a common problem with super-wide angle lenses. Two pieces of molded glass and three aspherical lenses, including two molded glass aspherical lens elements, offer excellent correction for linear distortion as well as all types of aberration. It is an ideal lens for Digital SLR Cameras as well as film SLR cameras. Equipped with Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) for Sigma, Nikon and Canon. It is easy to revert to Manual Focus by simply turning the focusing ring and overriding the AF. An inner focus system provides high performance and convenience. The non-rotating lens barrel perfectly suits the matched, built-in petal shaped lens hood.
List Price: ?569.99
Amazon Price: ?432.81
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The black Cyber-shot H7B - Get closer to the action with the impressive ZEISS 15x optical zoom lens manual controls 8.1 effective megapixels double anti-blur and face detection technologies HD output 2.5-inch LCD screen and electronic viewfinder. Image Resolution: 8.1 megapixels Lens: Carl-Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens Digital Zoom: 30x Optical Zoom: 15x Optical Zoom Length (f=35mm conversion): TBC Movie Mode: Yes (MPEG) Internal Memory: 31MB Memory Card Compatibility: TBC LCD Size: 2.5 LCD screen Power Options: TBC Interface: USB Pictbridge Enabled: Yes Box Contents: Rechargeable battery Charger AV and USB cables Remote control Lens adaptor ring Lens hood Lens cap Shoulder strap and software. Warranty: 1 years warranty
Amazon Price: ?205.00
Used Price: ?170.99
Customer Review: Serious piece of Wow Kit!
I took this camera out of its box, and before even shooting a photo with it, it was instant appeal, the camera is very light, not cumbersome to hold, so easy to shoot in tight spaces….which was the subject of my first shot….our cat in her Cleo chair behind a sofa and aside the dining table, a tight spot space wise, and in just a few seconds I had a great, clear shot of our cat, and all without even reading the instructions, its so easy to use, easy to set up, huge bundle of stunning features and for the money it is the best value for money in my opinion. This came after I had bought 2 Sony Bravia HD ready TV’s so the camera is compatible with connecting up to those, and two of these I bought from Amazon who have for sure made this Christmas look to be thee best ever! This camera is a must have, it looks pro, yet is just that without all the fuss! Great accessories came with it but no memory stick so just ordered an 8GB from Amazon, all so easy to do, and all set now for a fantastic photographic experience. If you want a camera packed full of amazing features, easy to install software and easy of use for a great price, this is the one to go for. I bought one for my teenage daughter and one for myself and we are both in 7th heaven here today! Thanks Sony and Thanks Amazon! No go grab one for yourself before they go and leave you behind!
Customer Review: Disappointing
I am hugely disappointed in this camera. It has a great “paper” specification but in practice it just doesn’t deliver. There are 2 main problems:- 1) Image quality - fine if you just want 6×4 prints but once you enlarge photos the quality disappears with purple fringing everywhere (a purple edge where dark areas meet lighter ares). The 8 megapixels just don’t deliver - my former 2 megapixel camera takes just as good if not better photos. 2) The top control dial is very easily accidentally moved so you have to check every time you shoot. Very frustrating - could easily have been fixed with a security button to press before you can move the dial. In addition, if you use macro you have to make sure you switch it off for the next photo. Again annoying. Like other buyers, you can’t get a 74mm filter for love or money. On the plus side the zoom is excellent and build quality and general feel is good. However it just isn’t enough. Wish I had bought a Fuji or Canon around the same price. Sony could do so much better than this!
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