Does the Sony SEL55210 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 Telephoto Lens work with the NEX series (i.e. E mount lens)?
Pentax X-5 Manual:
http://c758710.r10.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/support/manual/1350505629_X-5%20Manual%20(English).pdf
Here’s all the links and information (manuals, downloads, reviews, etc.) on that el-cheapo BenQ G1 “premium compact” from last week’s Woot:
http://electronics.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5813074
I’ll try to report back if mine ever ships 
Yes, I realize that using “el-cheapo” and “premium” in the same sentence creates a bit of an oxymoron… but this little thing does look like a pretty good deal for $50.
- Backside CMOS,
- Full manual controls (PASM), [*]Flip & rotate LCD,
- Neat retro leather case, and [*]Charges via micro-USB… just a like a cellphone.
It also appears to use the same mini-HDMI connector as lot of Android tablets. So, if you have a lot of Android gear, this might plunk right into your work flow with ease and save you some cash on extra cables, chargers, and what not.
And, hey, for $50… it reminds me of the “craptastic” no-name products Woot offered during their early days.
Yes. That is an E-Mount lens.
Tiger Direct has the 32GB CLass 10 MicroSD card on sale with a coupon for $14.97 and free shipping, vs Woot! price of $23.99 after shipping (not including tax in either case).
While I will grant you that the Tiger Direct Model# is S1-MSDHC10 and the Woot! model# is S0-MSDHC10, the S1 model that Tiger Direct lists is what is listed on the manufacturer’s own website, therefore I would infer that S1 is the current model while S0 may be an older model.
Come on Woot, you can do better than this!
Perhaps you think this is woot of 3 years ago. Welcome to 2014
TIL BenQ makes cameras.
Could just be bad timing, especially considering that TD coupon is ONLY for today. This Woot sale will last longer than that.
I understand the “Woot sucks” circlejerk, but I just saved $40 on an item that has incredible reviews, so it’s a bit unwarranted.
The old Woot had fantastic deals, the new Woot has OK deals sometimes. Kind of similar to Amazon Lightning or Gold Box sales.
Looking at the Sony A7 that price is about $100 lower than elsewhere (though you definitely have to pay tax here). So it’s “better” but not necessarily a “must buy” like they use to be.
I guess the big difference now is that you have to check around to compare prices before buying something interesting on Woot whereas before you just pushed the big button without worrying about whether or not it was a deal.
The BenQ G2 is a great camera…just got mine. It is a no-name inn the USA but look at their site…not a fly-by-night firm.
The 1.8 lens is fantastic and the controls allowing MANUAL exposure (shutter/aperture) is the best I’ve seen in a compact.
$49.95 is a very good deal.
However, be advised that these cameras are “gray” market, apparently imported by someone other than the offical source.
The warranty information is for the middle east and the CHARGER has a plug that will not fit in an American socket. EDIT: it will work on 110-220, so if you can find a simple adapter, you are good to go.
Woot offers a one year warranty and I wonder what they will do if the camera dies in six months. Money back?
IF you have a higher amp USB charger, you can use that. I use a universal charger by Intertek (USC-003) to charge lithium cells.
If you do NOT have a charger and are concerned about the warranty, you may want to spend a bit more if you can find a G2 officially imported.
But it is very feature-filled camera for 50 bucks!
See my post about the non-USA charger.
Also note that the UK reviews are based on a price a LOT higher than here.
Just go mine and got TWO more, one for my wife and a second for me (if for no other reason than to get a spare battery!).
It will be interesting to find the “back story” behind BenQ’s adventure into the jungle of digital cameras. The “big four” of Canon/Nikon/Panasonic/Sony seem to have the market and distribution locked in pretty well.
I don’t think so, at least not well. The E-mounts for this model are designated FE
The Sonnar 35mm and 50mm FE lenses are absolutely amazing or so I hear.
LOL. I was thinking of doing the same thing… ordering another just to get the spare battery (and have spare unit if the first camera dies). However, I am still waiting on my first unit to arrive. Before making the call to order another, I really want to see the thing first.
With coupons, I can grab another one HERE for $40, which is pretty close to the cost of an OEM battery these days.
Without a coupon, Woot is still the cheapest place to pick up this weird little grey-market treasure.
You are right - I’m delusional and clinging to the past. I should have given Woot a Viking funeral a long time ago, and just can’t let go.
Link to some discussion on dpreview.com for the BenQ G1
A decent review on photographyblog.com as well.
For those of you that were trying to grab downloads from various BenQ sites yesterday, note that as of this morning their Europe FTP site is back up.
You can grab the firmware update and instructions by searching for the G1 on BenQ Europe:
And the manual and datasheet are available on the BenQ UK site.
Also, the “BenQ Photo Club”, which looks like a promotional and educational site by BenQ, has some really nice content on the G1, including:
- BenQ G1 Review
- Using the BenQ G1 to get interesting pictures
- Getting to know the BenQ G1 - manual modes
- Notes on using a bright lens
- Views along the roadside
- Shooting Colorful images in Shangri-La
- 4 Tips to Take Stunning Portraits
- How to Use Camera to Lay Out Stories
And all that content culminates into this nice little multimedia photo story (complete with broken, but genuine, English): http://www.benqphotoclub.com/BenQ-G1-girl.html
All-in-all, a nice effort by BenQ.
Enjoy!
ftp://10.95.128.110/camera/firmware/g1/g1_fw_update.pdf
WEBPAGE NOT AVAILABLE (at least from my computer)
I wonder if it is a regional thing?
Can some kind soul put these two files (firmware and PDF) on their site or send me a note to “editor” at the web addess below with the files or a link? Thanks!
Hmmm. Let’s try this then…
This is a ZIP of the files mentioned above (FW & docs) from the EU and UK sites respectively. Since BenQ’s site just does not want to stay up (I guess I must be overloading it), I put them here for convenience.
Apologies to Woot if linking to this violates rules. In my defense, I’m trying to help support a product you guys are selling, and an obscure one at that.
Getting a little philosophical here about digital cameras and peoples’ needs.
When considering buying a camera, what questions do you ask yourself?
Here are some ideas:
- What do I want to do with the camera? (Simple vacation shots, parties, etc., are easy with almost ANY of today’s cameras, even the $50 one.
Ultra action, ultra tele, ultra low light may require some real investigation into the limits of the camera.)
-
How long do I intend to keep using the camera? (Cameras improve at a very rapid rate. The $300 camera of today will be no match for the $300 camera a year from now. If buying a true DSLR, think about investing in quality lenses that you can use on the next body you buy.)
-
Will I get the full value of the camera by the time a newer, better one that I really like comes along? (Depends on your use and wants. My first expensive camera was $1,200. Within a few years it was $50 on eBay. I did not get $1,200 of use out of it during that time. Your situation may be totally different.
A pro friend has a $3,000 camera body -and the same high quality lenses he has used for years- and EASILY has gotten his $$$ worth from using it. Plus, it will become a “backup” camera when he buys a new one.)
Bottom line: It may be smarter for some to buy a series of ever-improving $100-$200 cameras every year or so and others to invest in quality lenses and replace bodies as needed.
My 2 cents. (Of course if you are a total gadget lover, these ideas may not apply!)
Many thanks! Since I will soon own three of these, I want to get them updated.
If it ever stops raining here, I will try to get some shots and make them available to others. Lots of fun using a f/1.8 lens and some of the built-in SXF are nice. BTW, the included editing software is the typical Arcsoft stuff…no big deal.
I have an article on my site about five free editing programs, but I am taking a second look now that Windows 8.1 is finally grabbing hold. There are some apps there and (understandably) the authors of the free software may not yet be up to speed with updates.