Canon Powershot A2200 14.1 MP Review

The A2200 will suit casual photographers to a tee, while the inclusion of HD video and plenty of shooting modes make great additions to this entry-level camera.

There's always a market for decent and cheap compact cameras, a niche which Canon seems to fill admirably with its A series of PowerShot cameras. Traditionally, the range ran on AA batteries, though the new 2011 range shifts to use rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries.

Design and features

Apart from the battery change, which means the camera is lighter and slimmer than previous versions, the A2200 also comes with a big drawcard — HD video at 720p. While it's not likely to replace a dedicated video camera or SLR with video functionality, we applaud Canon for including this feature on its cheapest range. The A2200 uses a 14.1-megapixel CCD sensor and the lens is a respectable 4x optical zoom at f/2.8-5.9 at the wide (28mm) to telephoto end respectively.
Elsewhere, photographers get ample controls from the mode dial located at the top of the camera, including a program mode, full automatic and movie modes. Other interesting inclusions are Live View control, which allows you to change variables on a sliding scale (ranging from dark to light, neutral to vivid, cool to warm) and view the effects directly on the screen. There is also an easy mode, scene modes which include fisheye, miniature, toy camera, monochrome, super vivid and poster effects to be applied to images. Finally, a discreet mode turns off all sound effects and the flash for quiet operation. Even the AF assist light gets turned off for those situations where you're not allowed to use a camera (but everyone does anyway).

 The 2.7-inch LCD screen (at 230,000 dots) is adequate for a camera of this size, plus all the physical buttons are well placed and have pleasing feedback. Connectivity options are limited to an AV-out port to connect the camera to a computer via USB and an AV cable (both provided in the box) that connects the camera to a television.

Image quality

Pictures from the A2200 are very good, considering it's an entry-level camera. They have the usual Canon punchy colour rendition particularly in the green and red channels, and sharpness at the centre of the frame is decent (though as with any cheap lens it drops off towards the edge of the frame). The lens also produces some barrel distortions at the wide end and a fair amount of fringing on high contrast areas — particularly noticeable at 100 per cent magnification.

Fortunately, the A2200 is limited to ISO 1600, which means that images taken at high ISO levels aren't covered in noise — perhaps just a heavy sprinkle. In emergency situations you would be able to get away with using them at low resolutions, particularly for web display.
Video quality is acceptable for a camera of this class, and while HD it doesn't necessarily reflect the level of detail we are used to seeing from other Canon cameras that are HD-ready, like the excellent PowerShot S95. Still, it's usable for quick clips. Bear in mind there is no optical zoom while filming and audio recording is in mono. There are a few options for tinkering with the visual side of videos, such as white balance adjustments, miniature effect and colour changes.

Syma S107/S107G R/C Helicopter Reviews

Me and a few of my friends have this helicopter and I thought I would put our reviews here so you can see how cool it is.

Review 1: Ted

 I ordered this helicopter along with 3 other helicopters. 3 from Syma and one off brand helicopter. I ordered multiple helicopters because the only ones I have flown have been 2 channel and if one broke I would have backup. I ordered the Syma S107 and S105 at the same time, and the S107 arrived first and the S105 arrived the next day. On my frist flight of the S107 I was suprised how stable and smooth the flight was. The box says 14 and up but I think anyone could control this helicopter. It goes up, down, left, right, forward, and backwards, all at a balanced speed thats good for indoor flight. It is not too slow to be boring or too fast that you can't controll it. The trim button on the controller is pretty much not needed because it does not spin out of control. I still havnt adjusted the trim after about 20 flights. Also, both Syma helicopters are VERY durable since they are made of metal and hard plastic. The blades are also durable. There are some differences in the S107 and S105. The S105 is slightly wider and slightly longer. It also has two LED lights on each side and one in the front, a total of 6, which can be cool or annoying, it just depends on preference. The s107 has a single light on the front. The S105 seems to spin out more than the S107 and is more difficult to trim. This is an obvious flaw that was addressed with the newer S107, because it does not spin out at all. They both can be charged with the controller or through a USB port on your computer which is good if you don't want to waste your batteries on your controller. They both use 6 AA batteries in the controller. Both helicopters are extremely durable and have been crashed several times. My only complaint with them is the flight time is only around 5 minutes, although I don't have anything to compare it to because the other 2 helicopters I ordered are still not here yet after about a week and a half. Also, the only option for shipping is standard shipping. Overall I would recommend the S107 over the S105 because of the trim issue with the S105, but both are excellent helicopters and they are a very good price.

Review 2: Kelly

  The thing is a breeze to fly! Mine arrived in perfect condition, and with 3 days of flights w- no crashes the helicopter stopped lifting off & the controller was acting crazy, even after a battery change. Found out the lower rotor shaft has slipped out of place and was not rotating at full speed. A small piece of duct tape has secured the rotor shaft back in place. The rotor shaft thing has been reported in other RC group sites, so buyers should be aware that this may happen to them as well. Now lift off is working again, and will have to see how well the controller works. Overall the best flying helicopter in the price range, but made in China so quality may be questionable.

Review 3: Kevin

I've been looking for something like this for many years. I took my birthday money from a grandparent and spent it on the helicopter. Everything was fine other than the counter weights on the stabilizer bar on top of the rotor. Evidently, when the toy was manufactured...they tightened the mounting screws in the plastic too hard and cracked it. So, when the toy arrived I had to use duct tape to hold it together before I could use it. When it was charged and flying it was and ABSOLUTE BLAST!!! Very responsive, and EASY to control. I got the toy on a friday and by the time the following Monday rolled around the battery would NOT charge right and hold a charge. It would charge for a few minutes and give a green light that it was done, but the charge was not enough to fly the toy for more than a minute or two. Another thing that I must note, is the helicopter DID NOT come with a USB charger. I looked back at all the advertising as well as the marketing on the box that it arrived in...and everything indicated there was a USB charging cable to use with a computer. Nothing. I had to call FRY'S electronics to see if they had something I could use. The remote for the toy is cheap plastic junk. Mine sounded like it had loose parts rattling around every time I picked it up.

The bottom line is the toy didn't last the weekend and I had to try out the AMAZON return policy for the very first time. I've been shopping with them since the beginning and never had to send back anything. I got a full refund as the toy didn't qualify for a replacement. I have to say, I was SUPER excited to get this helicopter...but tremendously let down when it didn't make it through the first weekend. When it did fly, it was wonderful. This item is highly susceptible to variations in air movement as well as when flying too close to walls and other things. When learning to use it, I highly suggest flying it in a carpeted room with little to no obstacles.  

iPhone 4S Review - Great Phone

With Apple's new range of iPhone's selling out yet again in shops, I ask, is it worth paying the extra money for this elitist gadget?

 

I've had my iPhone 4GS for three weeks now, I got it on a 3 contract after much discussion on prices. It hasn't broken, failed or exploded yet, so I can safely say you're paying into something that will not die the first few weeks after buying it.
But I'm guessing you're not concerned about the life of an iPhone - you really want to know what new goodies you'll get and if it's worth buying.
iPhone's have always been a controversial gadget - with the price of the phone being at an all time high, it certainly does need to tick most of the boxes we, the consumer, want it to.

    

In this blog, we'll go through five items which may interest you into the purchase of an iPhone.

Item one: i.OS5

The i.OS5, like all Apple releases, was held in very high regards. Everyone was saying this is 'the future' of Operating Systems. With i.OS5, you get iCloud - a new shipping and storage device for all your purchases, media and apps. Basically, once you've downloaded something, you can wirelessly send it to your computer. This is a neat tool, but not one you'll use very often. Like all Apple adverts, your life doesn't seem as hectic as the chap that needs to use iCloud.
We then come to the big star, well, in Apple's view – Siri, a robot butler that is waiting for you to tell him what to do and has an endless amount of answers, to your many questions. Too bad it cannot find businesses outside the US! Lets take that out of the equation though, is Siri really what Apple built it up to be? Yes. It does tell you a heck of a lot of stuff and if you forget what you're doing today, it will remind you. The one negative is, again, it's a pointless tool unless you're a very busy businessman. I can do everything I need with the touch-pad and I've got the internet for research. Siri isn't really needed or used - he's also very bad at understanding my accent.
News-stand is a new application, where you can read your favourite magazines. While this may sound great, it isn't that good when almost every magazine costs £5.00 per week. If it had some freebies, or even some cheap ones, I would consider using it.
With all these cool but pointless tools, I may as well throw in another - iMessage. This a messaging tool where two friends can interact through text for free. Only problem, it's only for iPhone's, so most of your friends who don't have an iPhone won't be included. At least this can be used by everyone, not just busy businessmen.
So, on the whole, a decent but boring and useless bounty of tools - 4/10

  

Item 2: The Camera

The camera offers 8 megapixels; which is very generous compared to some other phones on the market - with a front camera for those little unexpected pictures. It also boasts a 1080HD camera for video recording; which is substantially better than the older versions.
With new editing on pictures, including red-eye remover and crop tools, you'll be able not only to take the perfect picture - but to render it to your perfect image.
All in all, the camera has been vigorously improved from previous designs and is one of the best on the market. 8/10

Item 3: Connectivity

With iPhone 4G's problems connecting at home and in offices, Apple had their work cut out trying to fix this. While this may not be seen on the outside, there are four small slits on the sides of the iPhone; which enhance the connectivity of the device. So far, it's the same old unpredictable connection. When I'm in school, I normally find myself waiting hours for it to work, or bewildered when it actually works. 5/10

Item 4: Graphics' Core

With this new '7 times better' Graphics Core, you would expect the game pops out of the screen. Unfortunately, the iPhone isn't that developed yet, but the new graphics advancement does give a better design on all games. When you've just came from an iPhone 3GS, you can feel the graphic enhancement. 7/10

Item 5: Battery Life

This has always been a big downside of the iPhone, with some earlier versions not being able to last a day without charge. The 4GS' battery is not great, but better than previous phones. It can keep you going for a full day, even with all the games/messages and calls you may need to make. It's a big step for the iPhone - one which I hope will be improved again. 6/10

Worth it?

Most of the people that buy Apple's new products buy them because they want the newest of the new. It's not just a case of "what's on", it's a case of "I want the best. Now."
That being said, if you want to shell out extra money for half decent but pointless tools - a better camera and some new graphical advantages, then go ahead. But I'm disappointed I paid all my money and got only these tools.