Velbon DF-40 Deluxe Lightweight Photo/Video Tripod with 3-Way Panhead and Quick Release Shoe Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using an old metal tripod for over twenty years and wanted something modern, lightweight and affordable. The DF-40 is all three of the things for which I asked. However, in hindsight I see now that I needed to add criteria such as "well-made" or "quality" to the list I was using to determine my purchase.
The stand itself is adequate and what I expected for the price but the plastic head feels quite flimsy and even when locked down still has a bit of wobble to it. Enough so that shooting without a cable release or IR remote may well cause an unintended motion blur which kind of defeats the reason for using a tripod. All of the knobs and levers feel equally frail and I am willing to bet that something breaks on this tripod within the first half dozen uses. When I first mounted my D-80 to it, I was a little hesitant to move my hands away because the weight seemed a bit much for the head.
It seemed like a good value as the next major price point is significantly higher, but now that I have received it and given it a thorough look, I would not have purchased the DF-40 had I been able to see and touch it first.
EDIT (Please Read) - I've now had the product for about four months now and it has held up far better than I anticipated. The fragile knobs I thought would break still feel fragile, but they haven't broken yet and I carried the tripod in a backpack for about two weeks and it held up fine. Thus I feel it necessary to upgrade my review - I now believe the product to be a good buy and although the page won't let me change my star rating, I would now give this tripod 4 stars.


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Velbon's DF40/F Tripod with 2-Way Panhead is a solid, portable aluminum tripod with an all-black finish, a 2-way panhead and 3-section legs with rubber feet. The center column is geared and has a hand crank for precision adjustment of height. The DF-40 has a maximum height of 4.75' (1.45 m).

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GE A730 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the GE A730 because it has by far the best feature set of any camera in its class at an unbelievable price. It's pocket-sized, with image stabilization, manual controls, a useful 35-140mm lens (35mm equivalent), a one-thirds grid on the LCD to help with composition and keep horizons straight, and on and on. It also has the best user manual I've ever seen. When I got it home, however, I immediately discovered its Achilles heel. I could not use the LCD in full sunlight, even at its brightest setting, and the A730 does not have an optical viewfinder. Also, the LCD is so reflective that the reflection of your own image blurs the screen even further, even in less than full sunlight. Besides that, I found that the automatic focus tended to hunt in almost all lighting conditions--though, in fairness, that could be just a flaw in the particular camera I bought, or "pilot error" due to my lack of experience, and not a general flaw in all A730s. I returned the camera for a refund and called GE Customer Service. I had called them once before with questions about the camera and they were savvy, polite, patient, and eager to please. When I told the person who answered about the problems I had with the A730, I could hear him typing it into his computer. He thanked me, said GE's R&D department wanted as much feedback as possible, whether good or bad, and said he was forwarding my remarks to them "as we speak." Except for the LCD (and perhaps the hunting AF) the A730 is a landmark point-and-shoot with superb features, at an unbeatable price, supported by excellent customer service. Despite my disappointing experience, I'm not giving up on GE cameras. Almost all new products have "bugs" in them that have to be worked out. The company seems more than willing to correct flaws, and if it does, there won't be a camera in the A730's class that can touch it. I'll watch with great interest to see if GE follows through on the feedback, and am looking forward to the release of their E850, which has a 28-140mm equivalent lens, a bit more resolution and all the other fine features of the A730. I hope GE makes the necessary corrections. They are just "this close" to producing a camera, backed by a customer support system, that all others will be measured by.

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GE Digital Camera 7MP 3X Optical Zoom 2.5"LCD with advanced features like Face Tracking Image Stabilization Panorama Stitching and Red Eye Removal. Black

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Zeikos ZE-TR201P 77-Inch Full Size Tripod Review

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(More customer reviews)Tripod head is all metal, no plastic parts to break or strip so camera weight is not an issue. Joints and machine screws came factory lubricated and hold true in any position. Head is removable and quick release mount is spring loaded and locks solid (also metal). Legs lock in place with plastic compression clamps that are quite sturdy. Elevator gear moves flawless after a few squirts of DW 40 or Silicone. No spikes on feet. Weight hook is plastic, flimsy and worthless. All in all having a metal head with your tripod is worth the price. Most tripods are junk but they made this one right! You should buy it. Comes with a great bag.

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The Zeikos 77-Inch heavy duty photo and video tripod features a 360Degree Swivel Fluid Head and Pro-Non Slip Foam on the legs for an easy grip. It has a mid-level beacing system for added stability and includes 2 Handles for a professional operation. It comes with a Deluxe soft case and has a 10 year limited warranty.

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Deluxe Digital SLR Camera/Camcorder Sling Backpack (Black/Blue) For The Nikon D40, D40X, D60 Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently got this bag for my Nikon D60 to house a couple of lenses and multiple other accessories. I wanted to replace my "lunch box" looking bag for a while, but all of the nicer camera bags seemed to be in the $70-$90 range. I found this one to be similar but much cheaper, and I was skeptical... but I had purchased other items form this seller and was satisfied, so I went for it. Wow, am I glad that I did. You don't even notice you're carrying the bag around. and it's very easy to swivel to the front & gain access to the camera in a hurry so you can still capture the moment. The only drawback is that there's no place to pop the camera manual. It would be cool if the part of the bag that goes against your back had a pocket for it or any other field guide. Other than that, which really isn't necessary, I'd say this is the perfect camera bag!

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If you require serious protection for your equipment, convenient access to your gear, and exceptional comfort all in a compact package, then the Zeikos Deluxe Backpack is the perfect case for you! Made from high-quality, water-resistant materials, this case is designed to provide the wearer with a truly versatile storage solution when taking photography gear on the road.Key Features:* Tough, water-resistant construction* Fully-padded camera compartment* Adjustable velcro dividers for lens storage* Sling design for quick access to equipment* Several pockets for storing a variety of accessories* Comfortable, soft mesh back and padded shoulder strap* Quick release buckles for easy removal* Built-in microfiber cloth* Accommodates one digital SLR camera/camcorder with zoom lens attached, plus 2-4 lenses and accessories* Dimensions (WxHxD): 10 x 16 x 5.5 inches (25.4 x 40.6 x 14 cm)* Lifetime Warranty

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StudioHut 4 channel Wireless Hot Shoe Flash Trigger Receiver kit with Umbrella Holder for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus & Pentax Flashes Review

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(More customer reviews)Recently I purchased the StudioHut 4 channel Wireless Hot Shoe Flash Trigger Receiver kit - with umbrella holder for my Canon 430 EX II flash unit. I wanted to be able to move the flash around my subject as I was shooting outdoors but needed the ability to use a "fixed" umbrella rather than having an assistant hold a reflector. PRESTO! Used it this weekend and it worked great. This gives me a whole new ability for taking my creative "studio" lighting anywhere in the field!

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This 4 channel Wireless Hot Shoe Slave Flash Trigger is a great way to add versatility to outdoor or indoor photography shooting. 4 channel DIP selection allows the capability to work in a multi-studio environment. Each kit can be used to wirelessly trigger flash lights or strobes. The receiver is plugged into a single flash or strobe and needs 2 AAA batteries for operation (not included in kit). The transmitter can be mounted either on a cameras hotshoe or connected to the cameras PC socket with the cord supplied. Using the PC socket connection (if your camera has one) allows simultaneous use of a hotshoe-mounted flash unit and off-camera flashes with this radio trigger set. There is a test button on the top of the transmitter for test firing. The receiver has a built in umbrella mount.Works with most speedlight flash such as Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Sigma etc. Not compatible with Minolta or Sony.Kit Includes:Transmitter (battery installed)Receiver with built in umbrella mountMini-Phone plug adaptor for receiverAccessory PC to Mini-Phone Plug sync cord

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CowboyStudio NPT-04 4 Channel Wireless Hot Shoe Flash Trigger Receiver for Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus & Pentax Flashes Other products by cowboystudio Review

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(More customer reviews)OK, 5 star rating. As many people have already said, they just work. Believe me, I wish a lot of things I buy `just worked'. LOL
I wanted to comment just to state the obvious... obvious to some, maybe not so obvious to others. But before ordering these I emailed Cowboy Studio's with a couple simple questions... then never got back to me. In fact, it was like I sent my email into space... don't expect this company to be on top of customer service via email. I suggest calling them, although, when I DID call them I got an answering machine (yes, like... and answering machine). I bought these triggers anyway... so I figured I'd answer my own questions in case others had the same questions.
Q1.) Do they work only if they can clearly see each other (ie. line of sight) or will they work if the flash is hidden somewhere, like in a softbox or just around a corner somewhere?
A1.) They indeed do NOT need to `see' each other. My first test I had the flash in my kitchen, then I walked 3 rooms away behind my fireplace. Not only was I 3 rooms away, but in between were the standard walls made of plaster as well as a brick wall from the fire place. Yup... it fired perfectly. Next, I put my flash inside one of my wife's leather pocketbook's. I figured if it would fire inside a closed leather pocketbook, it would have no trouble inside a cloth softbox. Indeed, the flash fired perfectly.
Q2.) Does it work like TTL... or... can I at least adjust the flash power from the back of the camera?
A2.) No and no. However, if you set your flash to M, you can adjust the power this way. If you set your flash to 1/2 in M mode, it'll fire at 1/2 power. If you set it to 1/4 in M mode, it'll fire at 1/4 power.... you get the point. If you have the flash on any setting other than M, it will still fire, but it'll fire at full power. So at first I had my flash setup as a slave to fire from the camera's commander mode. With these triggers on the camera, it fires the flash, but only at full power. I then set my flash to TTL mode. Again, the triggers fired the flash, but only at full power. Now, I read somewhere that these triggers only fire the flash at full power... this isn't true... you have to set the flash to Manual and adjust the flash power from the flash itself. I didn't realize this at first... and it wasn't written anywhere since these triggers come with instructions in Chinese (at least it looks like it's written in Chinese, I don't know).
Q3.) Do I have to change any settings in the camera in order for these triggers to recognize and work.
A3.) Nope. Literally, just slide the thing on your hotshoe... that's it. In fact, it doesn't matter what setting your camera is set to. Same goes with the flash.
Summary: The range CAN be obstructed and the flash will still fire. Set your flash to manual mode and adjust the flash power from the flash itself. That's it.

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Includes:1 x Transmitter (with 23A 12V battery installed) 1 x Receiver (Powered by 2 x AAA, Battery is not included) 1 x Sync Wire Cable (no need to use it for most flashes) 4 channels with hot shoe connector for external flashes Transmitter Power: 23A 12V batteryReceiver Power: 2 AAA Battery (Not included) Maximum Working Distance: 30m (open area, without interference) Operates on Frequency: 433MHz Highest responding time up to 1/320s Triggering life: up to 20,000 timesCompatible with:Canon SpeedLite 580EX II, 580EX, 550EX, 540EZ, 520EZ, 430EZ,430EX, 430EX II, 420EX, 420EZ, 380EX;Nikon SpeedLite SB900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-28, SB-27, SB-26,SB-25, SB-24;Olympus FL-50R, FL-50, FL-36R, FL-36;Pentax AF-540 FGZ, AF-360 FGZ, AF-400 FT, AF-240 FT;Sigma EF-530 DG Super, EF-500 DG Super, EF-430;Sunpak Auto 2000DZ, 622 Pro, 433AF, 433D, 383, 355AF, 344D, 333D;Vivitar 285HV, DF-400MZ, DF-340MZ, 2700;Other flash models with a trigger voltage of 12V or lower

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