Minolta Maxxum HTsi Plus 35mm SLR Camera Kit w/ 28-80mm Lens Review

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(More customer reviews)I made my choice of the HTsi Plus after a comprehensive search of the various SLR bodies, weighing their features and their reviews in camera magazines. Within its price range, the HTsi principally competes with the Canon EOS Rebel 2000 and the Nikon N60, both of which are excellent cameras, but which lack the full panoply of features found on the HTsi Plus. For example, the HTsi plus combines Bulb exposure (the ability to hold the shutter open manually), remote shutter control, 1/4000 maximum shutter speed, a full shutter-priority mode, and a well-respected 14-segment light meter. As with the Canon and Nikon, the HTsi's body is plastic, an aspect about which some photographers express reservations, but the plastic seems extremely durable, and remember that a light camera is a joy to carry (and if you do not carry the camera, you are never going to get those perfect but fleeting shots). The only thing missing on the HTsi is a depth-of-field preview feature, which is available on the Canon. Were it not for that, I would find little future need to upgrade. Regardless, for an amateur just getting into photography again, the HTsi has been perfect.
For adaptability, the HTsi has three essential levels of complexity. Use P mode for fully automatic snapshots -- great for when you need someone else to take your picture. Use the Creative Exposure Mode for a bit more customization and to adjust it to one of five situations (portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, and night). Finally, use either the Aperture-Priority, Shutter-Priority, or fully manual modes to bring out the real photographer in you. After all, playing with f-stops and shutter speeds is where the fun of photography is anyway. I admittedly spend most of my time in this last mode, but the flexibility is highly appreciated (sometimes, one just does not have the time to fuss with dials).
The results from the HTsi have been fabulous. The flash seems to respond well to the darkest of conditions, and the 28-80 zoom lens offers the flexibility needed for a budding photographer. My only criticism is that the autofocus can be slow to respond in some lighting conditions. So far, I have taken rolls of photos for my organization, and everyone seems impressed with the results. I also bought a set of Tiffen close-up filters for doing macro photography, and the results have been quite stunning.
A final word. Amazon offers one of the best deals on the Net with service and peace-of-mind that you simply cannot beat. Believe me, I checked. I tried one of those mail order camera stores that advertise ultra low prices. By the time they "upgraded" me to what they viewed was an acceptable camera and charged me their exorbitant shipping fee, the price was higher than here. And guess what? Amazon's package already had all of those so-called "upgrades" -- without the hassle. Thanks Amazon!

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The Maxxum HTsi is an autofocus SLR camera uniquely designed for both beginner and amateur photographers. Controls for beginners are located on the top right side of the camera body, and the function dial for the more advanced operations (for experienced photographers) is positioned on the top left. You can switch from one mode to another instantly, and back again. The ease of use, high performance, and creative control makes the Maxxum HTsi the best choice for demanding consumers and comparison shoppers who want the most value for their dollar.

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Vivitar V-4000 35mm SLR Camera Kit w/ 35-70mm Lens Review

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(More customer reviews)In my day (15 years ago), a typical manual SLR had a max of 1/1000 shutter speed and a 50mm lens. Today, most manual SLR's have a max of 1/2000 and a zoom lens. The Vivitar V4000 camera is a modern-day entry-level SLR. The K-mount lens mount was developed by Pentax and incorporated in the extremely popular Pentax K-1000 released in the 1970s and sold as new until being discontinued by Pentax recently. The K-mount is pretty much THE lens mount for manual focus lenses and is shared across several manufacturer's lines: Pentax, Vivitar, Olympus, and Chinon to name a few, so you can expect to find a variety of lenses (new and used) at just about every camera shop in town. A K-mount lens made in the '80s will fit a '00s K-mount camera.
As you look at the camera front, the knob on the right at the top is the film rewinder. The flash shoe is in the middle, the knob next to it on the left is the film speed and shutter speed selector, and the film winder is on the far left. A ring around the base of the lens sets the aperture, from f3 to f22 (or maybe f16, I can't recall exactly). Hands-off shutter cable release is the inexpensive screw-in type, widely used and available everywhere.
Light metering is 3 LED lights - 1 red over, 1 green in, 1 red under, and averages the frame (I don't believe center-weighted is available but I could be wrong). The batteries power the meter only, so you can still use the camera if the batteries die (something that autofocus cameras can't do).
If you missed your chance to get a Pentax K-1000 fresh from the Asahi factory, you'll be pleased to know you can get the updated competitive product now.

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This manual single-lens reflex camera and detachable lens combo kit is well suited to beginning photographers or those who prefer manual cameras without frills. This camera provides all the features you need to frame perfect shots without distracting you with fancy automatic settings. Its straightforward operation enables users to learn the art of photography from the ground up.
The Vivitar V-4000 offers a hot-shoe connection for a detachable flash unit (not included). With the manual-focus 35-70mm zoom lens, images can be brought in twice as close as with the wide-angle setting. Users set the shutter speed between bulb and 1/2,000 second manually. The bright viewfinder with LED display allows users to see the image they are shooting and adjust camera settings for precisely the exposure they wish to create. The quick-release K-type bayonet mount enables users to switch lenses on the fly. This camera is powered by two 1.5-volt alkaline (LR44) or silver oxide (SR44) batteries.

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Nikon F80 QD Quartz Databack = N80QD 35mm SLR Camera Body Only, Silver (F80 QD = N80 QD) *Requires Lens* Review

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(More customer reviews)Shipping was fast, the product was new so it arrived in great condition. I had never used a film SLR before owning this camera and it is fun to use. I prefer to shoot transparency film and I get different results then from my digital SLR. I know that may sound obvious to people experienced in photography but to me this new dynamic makes taking pictures allot more fun. Low light and in doors I still prefer digital, but when I am outside on nice days I always use this camera.

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Nikon F80 QD Quartz Databack = N80QD 35mm SLR Camera Body Only, Silver (F80 QD = N80 QD) *Requires Lens.* The features of the F80 QD include: Single and continues AF, focus tracking to 2.5 FPS, multiple AF sensors as well as manual focus, aperture priority, shutter priority, program mode and manual. This product has been discontinued by the manufacturer; however it is factory-fresh, brand new, and carries a 1-year warranty via Ace Photo Digital.

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Nikon Coolpix P50 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)For me the equation was simple: I wanted a good camera at a good price. Nikon has a strong reputation for its optics, and they have produced high quality cameras. My wife and I owned an earlier CoolPix camera that took very good pictures, but was poorly constructed. The P50 truly lives up to its Nikon heritage. The camera is small, but has the heft and feel of a solid instrument yet it is easy to handle. The large Nikkor lens captures the light without a trace of distortion. The menus are intuitive, and the features are just right for a serious amateur photographer. Experimenting with the macro feature on camera, I inadvertently caught a bee in mid flight. The P50 captured the details of the cilia on the bee's head and thorax, and almost stopped its wings in mid beat. This is a fantastic little camera at a fantastic price. Above all, this is a camera that lives up to the Nikon reputation for quality.

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YN-560 Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon Review

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(More customer reviews)I haven't shot enough with it to determine consistency, but I'm pleased so far. Flash is a bit large for the output, but it is still decent. I did some test shots and was getting f8 at 18 ft. This tells me that the GN is just about 144. The specs put it at just 58. (Maybe that was supposed to be meters and not feet). This is almost as good as I got from the Sunpak PZ42XC at full on manual.
Build is similar to the Sunpak flashes. Swivel and bounce feel no less solid and click into place just fine without shifting. The built in diffuser AND mini bounce card are nice although small. My sunpak PZ42XC doesn't have that. There is a PC sync and a power supply connection on the side which my sunpak doesn't have either. Then there is the optical slave which works well with two levels of sensitivity and of course my sunpak lacks that as well.
With all of that said, this flash isn't for just anybody. This is just a plain dumb manual flash without TTL or even a thyristor. THERE IS NO AUTO FUNCTION. If your intent is to use this as a camera mounted flash for candids, forget it unless you know how to manually setup for every shot by adjusting your aperture as needed. It is not intended for that purpose.
The flash came with a base that has a threaded hole in the bottom so it can be mounted to a stand. It would do a terrific job providing fill or backlight capability. It swivels 180 degrees and straight up so bouncing into an umbrella or through a diffuser while the slave sensor faces forward for a stationary photo shoot are ideal uses of this flash. So is placing it behind a subject for a backlight. My Lumiquest gel holder fits very tight due to the large flash head, but it fits.
The controls and lights on the back seem a bit confusing and the manual isn't a lot of help since the translation from Chinese to English is about the same quality as you get from Google translate..... I was able to figure it out but it took some time experimenting with the unit.
Recharge is quick - even at full power. I was very impressed. Of course it has less output than the Sunpak and uses the same number of batteries but still, I was pleased.
One other note. When i first tried to turn it on it wouldn't do anything and I was immediately afraid it was DOA. I found that to turn it on, you must hold the on-off button for a couple seconds. When you press it down, the lights on the bar progress from left to right and if you don't hold it down till the lights get to the far right, it just shuts off. Awkward, but easy to deal with if you are aware of it.
Altogether, I'm quite pleased with what I have assuming it lasts a a while. The build seems solid so I'll just have to wait and see. I'm confident enough in the product that I'm going to buy a second one so I can have one for fill and the other for a backlight for impromptu studio shots.
If you need a slave flash with some power and manual controls I really think this is the best thing out there. Almost everything else in this price range is a single power or auto-flash without the ability to make manual output adjustments. You can get this output with no slave, the slave with no manual,or you can spend twice as much. But if you need a speedlight with auto functions for camera mounted shots, get something with auto functions.

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*Guide number:58 at ISO100, 105MM. *Super speed of charging recycle:It only takes 3 seconds in charging after full power output. Even without new batteries, you can get the super charging speed that it only needs 4-5 seconds, you can completely get rid of the nightmare of anxious waiting for charging,. In addition, you can use the external power pack to accelerate the charging speed once more. *Supporting high speed continuous shooting:Under the ouput level of 1/8 or below, YN-560 can support the 8FPS high speed continuous shooting. *The Improved power saving mode:In the power saving mode, the flash keep sidle for 3 minutes and then it will setp into the dormancy state in order to save power. and it will automatically shutdown aftger keeping idle for 15 minutes. If you disabled the power saving mode, the power saving indicator will be on, the flash won't step into the dormancy state aftger being stopped. It will be automatically shut down after 30 minutes. *The more fine output control: The adjustment range of YN-560 output level is 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128, there are 8 levels of putput and each level has 8 ine tuning stalls. *The automatic setting saving:It can automatically save your current setting. *Overheating protection*Maually set the zooming position:The coverd focal length of the flash will switch in circel of 14 / 28 / 35 / 50 / 70 / 80 / 105mm by pressing the button. Advanced Application: 1. Fine tuning the out put power2. Multi-flash Lighting Application3. Buttons are effective immediately4. The use of external charging box5. High-speed continuous shooting6. Rear-curtain Sync7. Reflection Flash8. Using the built-in Bounce Card9. Using the built-in Wide-angle DiffuseThis item is 100% Brand New. Never used. It comes with 3 Months Warranty by Seller.

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NIKON FM10 35mm Camera Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)I really hope that this short review is of some help to those who are out there searching for a nice and affordable camera to buy. There are so many to choose from and so many different ways, especially with shopping via the Internet, to purchase cameras that it helps to have someone help out. You'll find that the Nikon FM-10 is lightweight, but as durable as some cameras that are much more expensive.
I am an avid photographer and I love two brands of cameras, Canon and Nikon. The Nikon FM10 is a durable and dependable 35mm film camera. The kit comes complete with everything you will need to begin your new photographic adventure. My only concern for people that are not VERY familiar with cameras, is that you might now realize that this model is not automatic like the newer versions. If you have the time to spend focusing your subject-then this is a camera that will perform consistently for you. If you are brand new to photography and would like for your camera to do all of the focusing and other adjustments, you're likely better off at least reviewing the newer versions of this SAME camera.
I have used this camera over and over and over again. In all honesty, it's as good a camera as any at this level. The photos are always crisp and predictable and the body of the camera has held up well for over 7 years. I've found myself taking photographs and then the rain would come and soak myself and the camera. Even without proper water protection, the camera has not shown any problems or any sign of rusting.
You'll find it easy to load your film and quite easy to get used to taking great pictures. The lens that is included with the Camera Kit is a very good one and will serve most of your needs. There is a great array of additional lenses and other products that you can buy to add to you Nikon FM10.
The camera was launched to the public, as the Nikon FM-10 in 1995. A magazine that I like to read, Popular Photography, felt that Nikon could have done a bit better with this camera outfit-but that was ONLY their opinion. But In 1996, an automatic version of the lightweight FM10, the Nikon FE-10 was also being introduced as a continuation model to the discontinued Nikon FE-2. The FE-2 was retired in 1986. For many Nikon fans, mixed feelings were abundant about the original launch of the NIKON FM-10. But few could argue that the general mechanics of the camera are good to outstanding.
Take your time in researching the right camera for you. I think that this would be a great camera for students who are taking an introductory photography class. With Automatic-Everything Cameras, it's too easy to swith to "AUTO" when you're learning how to take photographs in a class. The Nikon FM10 would allow the new student to "focus" on the true and important elements of photography that are extremely helpful to an aspiring photographer.
I hope this was helpful at least in part. It was a pleasure to share information with you and I'd be happy to entertain questions about anything that I've missed in this review.
Happy Picture Taking!
Peter Cannice
Scottsdale, Arizona

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For the individual who likes to take total control, the FM10 lets you make the choices

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