Canon HV20 HDV Reviewed
Canon’s HV20 HDV is a high-def camcorder with a 2.96 megapixel CMOS image sensor, 10x optical zoom, DIGIC DV II image processor, Super-Range Optical Image Stabilization, 24p Cinema Mode, a 2.7 inch screen and HDMI ports. Trusted Reviews writes that “After a slow start with HDV, Canon is back on the form it had when the market was predominated by DV. Not only does the company now produce the best professional HDV camcorder currently available, the HX-A1, it has the most successfully realised HDV model for serious consumers as well. The HV20 may not have every feature the semi-professional might want, but it has the most important ones on offer, with excellent image quality to match.”
CNET writes “Despite our handful of gripes, the HV20 will likely be a big seller for Canon. We wouldn’t be surprised if it’s among the top-selling nonbudget camcorders this year, especially if retailers drop the price to less than $1,000. The HV20’s stunning high-definition video and comfortable operation make it a great choice for nonprofessional, HD-happy videographers.”
CamcorderInfo reports ” The Canon HV20 is that rare camcorder that bursts onto the scene, and sets a new standard in its niche. This is not a perfect camcorder by any means, but it has an intelligently assembled set of features that make it a viable tool for professionals, as well as a stellar point-and-shooter for enthusiasts stepping up to HDV. The camcorder’s physical handling is just mediocre, and most people will find the top-end cams from Sony, Panasonic, and JVC rest more comfortably in their hand. Some basic controls are awkwardly placed, and the zoom rocker feels like a first draft that somehow made it into production. The HV20’s manual control suite is also far from the most robust, or independently adjustable on the market. Unlike Canon, the aforementioned manufacturers offer independent iris and shutter speed control on their HD cams, and Panasonic adds gain control to the mix.
What the Canon has that these other contenders do not is a manual control suite and interface that was designed from the ground up with the shooter in mind. A handful of key image controls are always quickly accessible in any Recording Program mode, including: focus via the dial; exposure, audio levels, End Search, iris (Av mode) and shutter speed (Tv mode) via the joystick; and white balance, Recording Program settings, and Image Effects at the top level of the menu. The HV20 adds Focus Assist at the touch of a button, which combines peaking and magnification, and makes manually focusing an HD image (on a 2.7” screen!) feasible. Once you’ve learned your way around the control interface, you’ll find controlling your image is nearly as fast as on a full-bore prosumer cam. You’re operating in a confined space on the HV20, and options are more limited, but the important features are eminently usable. Sony seems to have missed the forest for the trees by equipping the HC7 with great handling – and a terrific feature set that’s a pain in the neck to actually use.”
Cable Organizer Products Review
I recently had the pleasure of reviewing a menagerie of items from Cable Organizer. Unsurprisingly, these gadgets all had to do with.. uh… organizing cables of some sort or another. Below is a shot of all the cable gizmos, including the Cable Turtles, Power Squid, PowerStation Traveller, and USB FireWire 5 in 1 QuickConnect.
The Cable Turtles were probably the cutest of all the gadgets. Their purpose is simple- to hide clutter by coiling up long cables within their “shells”, and thus make a computer station much more organized. I used these next to my desktop, and the mess greatly decreased because of them. However, because the mess of coils was mostly behind the desktop, it didn’t make that much of an impact on a day to day basis. Overall, these Cable Turtles are perfect for a neat geek, and are quite affordable too! Rating: 9.0/10
Below is the PowerStation Traveller [sic], which enables the user to charge up to three gadgets in the car via DC power.
You can adjust the sliders so that your gadgets won’t shift around while you’re traveling. After placing your gadgets in the PowerStation, you merely need to plug the gadgets into three hidden DC power connectors, and then plug the outside connector into the DC car jack. You can also use AC/DC power if you buy an adapter (for $17 more). Overall, I would use this product heavily during road trips, and for more effective charging. However, it is a bit expensive (more so if you include the AC/DC adapter), especially considering I could just charge the gadgets separately. Rating: 7.5/10.
Pictured below is the PowerSquid: a power multiplier that multiplies power to five different grounded outlets.
The PowerSquid is more aesthetically pleasing than other power multipliers that I’ve seen. Additionally, its flexible branches allow for easier connection. Overall the PowerSquid is a lovely product, and I would highly recommend it in place of a normal power multiplier. The only gripe I had was that it was sometimes difficult to plug in electronic devices. Rating: 9.5/10.
The last product that Cable Organizer sent me to review was the USB FireWire 5 in 1 QuickConnect Cable. The QuickConnect USB Cable is a multi-purpose cable connector that comes with five different USB configurations (USB A Male, USB B Male, Mini USB A Male, Mini USB B Male, USB A Female). This facilitates easy installation of USB software and products (scanners, cameras, external hard drives, etc).
Below you can see the USB FireWire QuickConnect Cable with two of the configurations attached. While the QuickConnect is a useful gadget to have around in case you lose a USB cord, or you buy a gadget that doesn’t come with a USB adapter, I personally have never had need of such a gadget. Nevertheless, this is a quality product that will work flawlessly if you need a five in one USB Cable. Rating: 7.0/10.
I enjoyed using the efficient products from Cable Organizer. So if you ever need to organize your cables, check it out!
DaysAgo Digital Counter Review
DaysAgo is a digital timer that shows you how many days (or hours) ago something was done. These DaysAgo timers can be used for practically everything-ranging from tracking how long ago you opened that can of salsa to how many days it’s been since you last fed your pet fish. Initially, the DaysAgo timer was created in order to help track the freshness of baby food, but now you can use it for a variety of purposes including (kitchen use, prescription reminders, exercise, plant waterings, and much, much more).
The timer is a small, attractive looking device that attaches to surfaces by magnets or suction cups. The DaysAgo timers are also reusable: simply reset the timer, and it will start counting up the days or hours, again. The winner of the Good House Keeping Good Buy Award 2007, DaysAgo is a useful device for those who wish to easily track the pass in time.
It was extraordinarily easy to figure out how to use the DaysAgo counter. You simply press the large button, and it begins counting up days. To switch to hours, you press the button again. After you’re done using it, you can reset the timer by holding down the button for five seconds.
I would heartily recommend the DaysAgo timer to those who have need of it. Simple, easy to use, and well designed, DaysAgo is sure to rescue you from the joys of expired left-overs. The DaysAgo timer is available in packs of two for $10 from howmanydaysago.com.
Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd Camera
Fujifilm’s FinePix Z5fd Camera has received glowing reviews from Trusted Reviews.
The FinePix Z5fd is a 6 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom, 6.2x digital zoom, a gorgeous 2.5 inch LCD display, 27 mb of internal memory, an xD slot, and ISO sensitivity up to 1600. The FinePix Camera can also record video at 30fps. Trusted Reviews gave the Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd an overall rating of 8/10, saying “Proving that you should never judge a book by its cover, the party-oriented Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd is a very accomplished little camera, capable of producing excellent results both indoors and out in a wide range of lighting conditions, as long as you keep your grubby fingers clear of the lens. It is stylish, well made, performs and handles well, and is very easy to use. The only real issue is the limited battery life, but if as long as you keep it charged up this shouldn’t be a problem.”
Casio Exilim EX-S770D Review
Casio’s Exilim EX-S770D is a 7.2 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom, a 2.8 inch screen, and DivX video recording. The Exilim S770D is the successor to Casio’s EX-S600D. The Casio EXILIM EX-S770D camera allows consumers to easily access the interoperable DivX ecosystem, to play, create and share high-quality video content across a range of devices and platforms. This includes DVD players, recorders and portable media players. Content created on the camera can be played on all PCs with DivX software installed and on DivX Certified consumer electronics devices from the world’s leading brands.
“I am very excited about the release of our new EXILIM® Card EX-S770D digital camera, which features the outstanding DivX technology that users appreciated so much in its predecessor, the EX-S600D,” said Susumu Takashima, director at Casio and head of the Digital Camera Unit. “Casio’s card-sized digital cameras are designed to deliver high performance in a compact, slim shape, and have been very well received by the market. Users are making the most of our cameras to take not only still images, but movies as well, all with the greatest of ease. Our latest card-sized model takes movies in DivX® format, and is being marketed in Europe where DivX is extremely popular. Compared to previous models, the EX-S770D also has a larger display. We look forward to countless users experiencing the joy of taking and viewing both still shots and movies.”
“By expanding their line of DivX Certified digital cameras, Casio is giving consumers the ability to create very high quality video that they can experience in a truly open and interoperable way,” said Jim Geison, Vice President of Worldwide Sales, DivX. “Users of the EX-S770D can easily share and distribute their personal content across a wide range of devices, an advantage that is not offered by other digital video technologies that are confined to the PC.”
