Nikon D700 - WOW

After implementing the full frame D700 this season... all I can say is "Wow.... it blows me away!" This fall I will post a little more about it... obviously it's been around for a while so this won't be "breaking news".

Here's a sneak peak...

What does it do better? ..... EVERYTHING

3 Hours with the Fuji Finepix XP10 Waterproof Camera

The Fuji Finepix xp10 is their latest waterproof, shock proof, dust proof, freeze proof camera. I was eying up the z33 which is only waterproof, but when this one was released, the price of the z33 went from $100 to about $130... go figure. I found this xp10 at Sears for only $160 (on sale, as of May 1, 2010), so I decided in it's favor since it is also shock and dust proof.
I've only had this camera for a couple hours and have just finished some VERY basic tests.
The build quality seems excellent, very sturdy, and solid feel. Especially for the price.
Keep in mind, this camera packs in a lot of bang for the buck. A sub $200 sticker, being waterproof, shock proof, dust proof and freeze proof. It also offers 720p high deff video.
The internal features are nice, face detection and automatic red eye removal. The auto scene mode is nice, though hard to gauge it's accuracy. I used Program mode for most of my shots.

Macro mode does a nice job.

But let's face it, the real reason I got this camera is because I wanted to get it wet. It will be great for the beach, boating, pool, waterslides, etc. So as long as it preforms well under those circumstances, I don't really care about anything else.
Unfortunately, the only thing I could use for a test right now was the bath tub, in a very poorly lit bathroom. So I will have to wait in getting some usable samples up.
But the good news is... it is waterproof. And it goes against every instinct to submerge this camera, or run it under tap water to rinse it off.... it's bizarre.
The downside so far... Microphone placement! It's retarded. Right on the top corner beside the lens, exactly the same spot everyone I know puts their finger on a small camera. I took a few videos and without even knowing it, I'm blocking the mic. The sound quality in and out of the water is the same. It seems like the mic gets plugged coming in and out of the water. Another minor annoyance, during video playback you can hear a small "hum" from the camera. But I digress, it's only a $170 camera and is already loaded with features to be well worth the price.
Durability... No I haven't dropped it to test this out, nor do I plan to. However, knowing my daughter can use it, and not worry about her dropping it, is peace of mind of me.

Here is a terrible sample of the video from a very, very, poorly lit bathroom, in a warm bathtub with soapy water (sorry, no nudity).


And here is a normal outdoor video...


I will post what I can when the lake warms up :)

Palm Pre now does Video

Hell ya! I've been waiting for a couple of months for this to be true, and with the latest 1.4 update... IT'S HERE!
You can even edit the start and stop times afterward, upload directly to youtube or facebook or share it via mms or email. The mic is a little on the quite end though, but hey, it's a cell phone video camera.

Pentax K-7 Update

After using this camera for just under a year now, I definitely need another one! Although I'm trying to resist the urge to go full frame (I don't want to switch brands at this point, I really enjoy the in house stabilization!).
I use it a lot for weddings, and it does very well. Of course it doesn't offer the 25,000 ISO capabilities of the big dogs, but I don't think the image quality at that level is much better than mine at 3200.
I have re-calibrated my Dell Ultra Sharp 2408 monitor with the eye one display 2 calibrator, and my "slight hue issues" from before are now gone (so it wasn't the camera).
The size and weight have been great.
Video - although barely used, is excellent (mic is not).

Auto focus Shocker!
My dad just got the Canon 7d, an awesome camera no doubt. And I'm sure it beats circles around the k7d in a number of ways, but not auto focus!
Here is our unofficial test:
In our dimly lit kitchen (sorry no lumens to report, just a dimmer switch about half way down on 3 60W bulbs, and it was dark outside so no ambient window light), we each used our respective cameras with a Tamron 18-200mm zoom (same version) with the same camera settings (can't remember what they where though). I had my wife walk towards us a number of times and we set our auto to continuous, and fired away. After each pass we would compare how many in-focus shots we had. And to my surprise it was THE SAME! I thought I would be blown out of the water and have only 1 or 2 usable shots compared to his 5 or more, I couldn't believe it.
Here I am always wishing for the newest, latest and greatest and I keep hearing how Pentax sucks at autofocus. But in a real life side by side, it holds it's own.

Palm Pre Update

OK, now that I've had the phone for over 6 months (and considering I got it when it was first released), I've seen a lot of updates. This phone always kicked ass, and now it just kicks more ass!!
The app catalog is filling up nicely. I just downloaded the free asphalt racing game, which rocks on the Pre (plays like an iphone game).
Flash is due out any week now, which will be huge. Making sites like Hulu and Sling available on the Pre.
The biggest improvement by far, has been the battery life. Sprint and Palm have released a number of firmware adjustments that have made a HUGE difference in battery life. You can easily go an entire day doing all your normal phone, web, camera stuff and be just fine. My wife left her Pre on (in airplane mode) while on vacation, and it still showed 90% battery life after 3 WEEKS!!!
And now that you can get one for next to nothing on Sprint or Verizon... GET ONE!
Indecently, Sprint service has been fantastic! No issues here in the Twin Cities or even traveling up through middle Manitoba, Canada. And the unlimited data plan is awesome!