Review : Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD/2GB, Retail Package)

"This review is for the Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD/2GB). I received this memory card free as a bonus from Amazon when I bought my digital camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8K. I have been putting this chip through its paces for weeks now and I have to say it holds a LOT of pictures and is extremely reliable. I have not had any issues with my camera loading images into the memory nor have I had any problems pulling them back out onto my pc. For around 20 bucks, this is a fantastic memory card at a great price... I highly recommend this product"

"This item came in a package with my Pentax *ist DS - my first digital camera - and I wondered how others rated it and what the replacement cost would be. Too bad I am the first to review it. While Kingston has a mediocre reputation, I have had absolutely no problems with my 1GB card, it has worked flawlessly for four months and many hundreds of pictures. The working volume (after formatting, device files etc.) is 980M and this is enough to allow me to take 94 shots of EXTREMELY high quality - ~2000x3000 pixels and ~10.2M per shot - or - over 2000 shots at the lowest quality! I would not hesitate to go on a two week vacation with only two of these cards. The card physically is not much larger than a postage stamp and has a tiny slide that allows you to "lock" it, so that no pictures will be erased. I use an inexpensive card reader (USB 2.0) and can load 500MB into my computer in under ten minutes, so the speed is good. I am very pleased"

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Review : Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8K 7.2MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

"I have used quite a variety of point and shoot digital cameras over the years and for not much more money this camera is infinitely better than all of them. I really appreciate the size and quality feel of this camera's construction, the intuitive controls, and all of the included accessories (Leica lens, lens adapter, lens hood, etc). I was able to figure out the controls and start taking great pictures within a half hour of opening the box. As a novice but "improving" photographer, I love the adaptability of this camera. Many light conditions can be overcome with just a few tweaks to the settings. The shutter speed is also a godsend as compared to the Canon point-and-shoot models. Just hold the button down and the rapid-fire shots pour into this camera. I am also absolutely thrilled with the battery life - hundreds of pics on one charge! This is a crucial improvement over the older cameras that absolutely devoured AA batteries. On the downside, this camera is bigger than a point and shoot so carrying it can be an issue. Also, the internal memory is a joke, so I recommend that you buy a 2 gig memory card immediately. With that card installed I can store well over 500 high quality shots. Basically if you are a no-fuss user, set it on simple mode and take a lot of great pics. If you are more advanced and take the time to figure out ISO seetings, you can set up some VERY good shots with this camera. I would never call it the be-all end-all digital camera but you will not find an equally good set of features without spending hundreds more. Highly recommended!"

"I just got this last week and the quality of the photos are excellent! The videos are really good as well! No complaints so far. This is perfect for point-and-shoot folks but then the camera features a whole a lot more if you want to get creative. Just be careful in buying SD cards larger than 2Gb, but just make sure the SD card has 'SDHC' stamped on it. I made the mistake of buying a regular 4Gb SD card and it did not work on the camera. Good thing the SD card worked on my Nikon D50. Live and learn!"

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Review : Tamrac 5210 Explorer 10 Camera Bag (Black)

"This bag ended up being a little larger than I wanted to carry around. I bought it for my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8K. The camera fits, but due to the design, it "sticks" a little when you are trying to get it in and out (strips of velcro on the inside get in the way). It just seems like sort of an odd size - too big for just the camera & a couple of memory cards, but too small for all of the accessories that come with the camera. It's a fine case, but just didn't work well for me. I found a Case Logic case that ended up working much better."

I bought this bag as it was the Amazon recommended bag for the new Panasonic Lumix FZ8 camera I bought at the same time. Shortly after receipt, I took both on a 10 day vacation to Hawaii. I found the bag to work well when carrying the camera and a few basic accessories. But the bag was too small for carry additional accessories such as a small 5" tripod and those same basic items. I ended up carrying the tripod tied to the shoulder strap where it was easy to use.

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