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You are here: Home / Archives for camera review

Garmin VIRB Action Camera: Capture Your Action-Packed Life!

March 25, 2014 by Beeb 23 Comments

Garmin VIRB Camera

Garmin VIRB Camera provided for review.

We all know how much parents love capturing those precious photos and videos of their children. When I was a kid, my mom filled scrapbooks with prints from our 110 film camera and got an 8MM video taken of me as a toddler that I still have never seen because, well, who has an 8MM player these days? Fortunately, the digital age has made it a lot easier for today’s parents to record those special memories. And with so many families being involved in sports and other outdoor activities, what could make a better gift for Father’s Day/Mother’s Day than a camera designed specifically to keep up with your busy lifestyle?

VIRB

The Garmin VIRB Action Camera is a tough camera designed specifically for athletic endeavors, with the capacity to absorb drops and shocks from hiking, kayaking, or your kids dropping it on the floor. 😉 From your own weekend warrior activities to filming your child’s soccer game, this little HD 1080p camera helps stabilize those shaky action shots and has all kinds of interactive features for daredevils, such as the ability to pair with other Garmin products to record information like speed, heartrate, location and elevation. One of the features I found most compelling is that the Garmin VIRB is waterproof up to 1 meter. I’ve never used a camera that could shoot video underwater before, so I was really anxious to check it out!

Filming at the estuary

Since we live on the Oregon coast, we have lots of great photo opportunities. The first day of Spring was gorgeous, so we headed down to the estuary and shot some footage in the water.

Haystack Rock

The next day, we headed down to Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach at low tide so that we could capture more underwater footage. The tidepools at Haystack Rock are home to a wealth of sea urchins, fish, crabs, and other creatures, so we thought this would make for a neat video.

VIRB Action Camera underwater

Once we had all the footage, I downloaded the VIRB Edit program, which is specifically designed to work with the VIRB to create fun videos that can utilize the optional information taken from other Garmin devices. Since we didn’t have this paired with another device, the video I created is very simple, compiling the test clips we shot of the camera filming underwater. The software is pretty basic, which makes it straightforward to use, but means that you won’t have elaborate transitions when stitching together clips. I didn’t see a way to save the project as I went, so I was a little nervous that I might lose my edits if something crashed before I was done. When I was finished, I could either save it to my computer or upload directly to YouTube, which was convenient! Here’s the finished product:

Another neat feature of the VIRB is that you can take videos in slow motion. Here’s one we shot of the family dog playing catch in slow-mo:

Of course, you can also use this camera to grab still images in addition to video:

Cherry blossoms

Click the image to view it full size

Other notable features of this video camera include:

  • 3 hour battery life
  • 1.4″ Chroma preview display
  • WideVĂź Lens
  • Large, easy-to-move recording switch (Perfect for turning on with ski gloves!)
  • Mount included to attach the VIRB to your bike/helmet/etc.

The VIRB Action Camera takes high-quality footage and is impressive in both what it can capture and withstand. The biggest downside to the VIRB is that the menu is not super intuitive, so it takes some figuring out to operate. There is also no memory card not included, so be sure you have one of your own to use. But overall, I think it’s a great little device and I’m excited to see what kind of footage I’ll be able to capture now that I couldn’t have before. I’m heading to Florida on Sunday for an action-packed vacation (Which you’ll be reading more about here on MomStart soon!), and I’m so happy that I’ll have a rugged camera that I can use to film my adventures without having to worry about getting it splashed with water or knocked around.

The VIRB Action Camera retails for $299.99 – learn more about this exciting gift idea at Garmin.com!

Filed Under: review, Tech Tagged With: Camera, camera review, Garmin, Underwater Video Camera, Video camera

Awesome Camera Under $500: Sony High Zoom H Series Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V

April 17, 2012 by Momstart 5 Comments

My favorite Sony cyber-shot for the zoom is the Sony High Zoom H Series Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V. This camera is spectacular and even better than my Canon just because I don’t have a lens that zooms this far. The Sony High Zoom H Series Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V zooms up to 30x optical zoom, 60x virtual zoom via Clear Image Zoom” technology. You will not believe the quality until you try it. Check out this view from my room:

“Full-featured, ultra high zoom (30x)”

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A little closer

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A whole lot closer:

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Here are more reasons to love the HIGH-ZOOM H SERIES CYBER-SHOT:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V

 

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The Features:

· Photo Creativity interface and 9 “Picture Effect” options for creating unique, custom-styled photos and video

Sad on my part, I didn’t know this camera had the picture effect features when it was my turn to use it. I should have explored the camera better while I was playing with it. I was so enamored with the zoom on this beauty that I never uncovered how much this camera could do. But with all the other cameras I used, I loved the photo creativity interface and this camera could have only been better than the others right?

¡ GPS geo-tagging functionality

I don’t always want people to know where we are, but when traveling this is data I love to have. Remember when looking at old photos, actual photos not digital, and you have to write the date and location on the photos, and the ones you didn’t write on you have no idea where they were taken. I look at old photos my parents have and have no clue where or when they were taken. Digital photos can store all kinds of information along with the photo, and this camera adds GPS tagging to your photos.  So I’ll always remember these trees were in Sedona.

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· 27mm equivalent Carl Zeiss™ Vaio Sonnar T lens with 30x optical zoom, 60x virtual zoom via “Clear Image Zoom” technology

As I mentioned above, AMAZING. I was so distracted by the zoom on this camera that I forgot about everything else the camera might be capable of doing.

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¡ Lightning-fast AF speed of approximately 0.1 second in daylight, 0.2 seconds in low-light

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¡ Full HD Movie Shooting capability (1920×1080/60p) and three-way Optical image stabilization with “Active Mode”

I took some video using the camera, I also took some 3D photos. I was sad to find out that I couldn’t view them unless I had a 3D TV.

Other Features you might find interesting

· 3.0-inch (8.3cm) Xtra Fine™ 921k dot LCD screen

· “Extra High Sensitivity” technology enhances low-light shooting capabilities

· Captures 13.5 MP still images while shooting video via “Dual-Record”

· 18 MP “Exmor R” CMOS sensor

¡ Manual Focus ring for adjusting focus accordingly

 

The Sony H Series Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V is available in black for approximately $480

 

Sony paid for all travel expenses to Sedona.

Filed Under: review, travel Tagged With: camera review, digital camera, Sedona, Sony, Sony High Zoom H Series Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V, travel

Our Favorite Little Point & Shoot: The Sony DSC-WX9 Cyber Shot Camera

December 29, 2011 by Momstart 12 Comments

I always joke about being remembered as the blogger with the big camera. I remember meeting people as I started traveling for MomStart and then people would say Oh yeah, you’re the blogger with the big camera. You see, I have a Canon 50D and I love it, but it’s huge and heavy, so I’m always looking for a little point and shoot camera that meets my needs but I’m always disappointed. Until I met the Sony DSC-WX9 Cyber Shot!

Sony’s DSC-WX9 Cyber-shot camera is as lightweight as it is functional. With easy-to-use features like automatic snapshots it is truly user-friendly and portable, perfect for those “mini-photographers” out there. This rechargeable WX9 prides itself on a high performance video mode, with features such as “Sweep Panorama” mode and a “Superior Auto” mode and has an ultra, high-resolution 921,000-dot screen for crystal clear images. The WX9 starts at $199.99 and comes in red, silver and black.

image

That’s the sales pitch and here’s what I like:

The Sony Cyber Shot takes great shots and works faster than any other point and shoot we’ve ever tested. My kids are used to the instant camera and getting them to sit still for other cameras is impossible. I love that we’re still able to capture them with this camera. I also love how small and compact it is. I can put it in my purse. The kids can carry it and they can take really great photos with it all by themselves. My husband’s favorite photo now is this one that my daughter took with the Sony Cyber-Shot.

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Plus Miles took this one

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The camera also performs very well at night. While I was out of town they all went to Bellevue for the snow, and captured great shots of the fun and sent them to me so I could see what they were up to. For low-light environments, the back-illuminated "Exmor R" CMOS sensor delivers stunning performance and increases sensitivity by 2x to reduce noise. With a built-in backlight correction feature, this camera intelligently analyzes the image and adjusts its settings automatically.Intelligent Sweep Panorama™ HR mode reaches beyond the traditional wide angle lens in incredibly detailed high resolution.

Basically the AUTO on this camera is amazing. The Auto on the Sony Cyber Shot is better than the AUTO on our Canon 50D.

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For my husband it’s great that it has the stabilization he has really shaky hands. The Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization uses a built-in gyro sensor to detect camera shake and automatically shifts the lens to help prevent blur without sacrificing image quality. In addition to the stabilization is the Anti-motion blur mode. When set in Anti-motion Blur Mode, the DSC-WX9 captures six images in a fraction of a second with higher shutter speed and combines the data from all six to create a single image of extraordinary detail and dramatically reduce subject blur, beyond the capability of traditional cameras.

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The Sony WX9 Cyber Shot actually takes great HD video too. you can transfer full 1080i clarity and smooth motion. You can record crystal clear movies at the highest resolution available with capabilities for 60i in 1080 AVCHD. This provides stunning, fast motion video with less distortion for playback on your HD TV.

 

Here’s what I don’t like.

Of course with any smaller point and shoot it’s going to be slower, but it is the fastest I’ve ever used
I also dislike the red eye that it seems to pick up and it doesn’t charge over USB, we think it should.

Overall we’re very happy with the Sony Cyber Shot! My husband loves this camera and whenever he LOVES a piece of technology I feel that’s a HUGE stamp of approval because he stays up to date with all things techy!

We received a camera to review from Sony.

Filed Under: review Tagged With: camera review, Cyber-shot, digital camera, DSC-WX9 Cyber Shot Camera, review, Sony

The Kodak Playtouch HD Video Camera Review and Giveaway

December 5, 2010 by Momstart 897 Comments

Kodak makes quite a few fun little products with their Easy Share technology. Of the newest being the Kodak Playtouch HD Video Camera. Kodak sent me the Playtouch to test out. So the first weekend we received it we took it on a trip with us. I went to Great Wolf Lodge with the family and took some video of all of us playing in the water. Now none of us want to be seen in our swimsuits so the video example I have for you is actually just some video of the Great Wolf Lodge Water Park grounds in Grand Mound. Check it out!

 

The pocket-size KODAK PLAYTOUCH Video Camera features a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen so consumers can easily glide through their HD videos with the swipe of a fingertip. Complementing its unique design, the KODAK PLAYTOUCH Video Camera boasts an array of features to help consumers capture their memories with clarity and precision, including built-in image stabilization, LCD glare shield, and an external microphone jack. To make sharing videos simpler, the PLAYTOUCH Video Camera has a built-in USB arm and Kodak’s Share Button lets consumers tag videos and pictures directly on the camera for automatic upload to popular social networking sites once they connect the camera to the computer.

KODAK PLAYTOUCH Video Camera Features:

* Share Button for easy video upload to YOUTUBE and FACEBOOK sites, and email
* 3-inch capacitive touchscreen LCD optimized for reviewing in landscape mode for the ultimate 1080p HD video sharing experience
* On-camera editing features to trim and extract still pictures from video
* 5 MP HD still pictures
* Sharper videos and less blur with built-in digital image stabilization
* Built-in USB arm for easy sharing, charging, and transferring
* Smart face tracking technology
* LCD glare shield feature
* External stereo microphone jack to add high-quality sound to videos or to plug in headphones for discreet playback*
* 4 capture effects, including B&W, sepia, high saturation, and ’70s film look
* HDMI output (HDMI cable included)
* Up to 10 hours of HD video** with expandable SD/SDHC card slot (up to 32 GB)
* Li-Ion rechargeable battery with in-camera charging
* PC and MAC iLIFE product compatibility

 

Kodak Playtouch HD Video Camera

So sharing just got easier! I love how you can just plug it into your computer over USB. The video quality is a little grainy in my opinion but I’m sure if you can hold it super still, have excellent lighting, the photos and video will turn out better. Oh yeah, here are a few of the photos from my trip:

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Remember Kodak is all about making your life simpler in catching those “Kodak” moments. And with all of us in the Dawn of Social Media and sharing our lives with the world Kodak has made it so easy to SHARE your media.

One-button upload—turn moments into memories

With the Share button and Kodak’s Share button app, sharing your pictures is amazingly simple.

  • Record your video or snap your picture
  • Press the Share button and tag it to KODAK Gallery, YouTube, FACEBOOK, FLICKR, and ORKUT sites, plus e-mail too
  • Connect your PLAYTOUCH to your computer, and with Kodak’s Share button app, your videos and pictures are automatically uploaded
  • Your pictures and videos are also automatically transferred to your computer

Learn even more about the KODAK PLAYTOUCH Video Camera.

Enter to Win:

The KODAK PLAYTOUCH Video Camera that you see in the photos above. You are winning the item I reviewed for Kodak.

To Enter:

Leave me a comment about how you plan on using it.

Extra Entries:

Tweet: RT @MomStart: The Kodak Playtouch HD Video Camera Review and Giveaway http://bit.ly/dUhP1i

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This giveaway ends December 20th. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Filed Under: 2010 Gift Guide, giveaway, review Tagged With: camera review, Grand Mound, Great Wolf Lodge, HD video camera, Kodak, Playtouch, Video camera review

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