2016 Pelican 3310PL – 378 Lumen Edition

Concept: 5 out of 5
Execution: 5 out of 5
Yeah, but: Pelican Ugly.

The Long Version: The Pelican 3310PL is the best flashlight ever created. It's probably also the least sexy flashlight ever created, but even that’s part of its appeal. There have been a few generations of the 3310PL, so make sure you're buying the new one with “378 Lumens” clearly marked on the packaging.

That headline feature, the 378 lumen output, is a tremendous output from such a small light. It’s easily the brightest light I own. But better than that, it also has the most useful light output of any I own. It combines a very tight long-throw beam with a very usable and smooth spill that's brighter than my favourite flood headlamp. It’s rare to find a light that gets one of these right, let alone both. Perfect for exploring a haunted house. And, sensibly, the light defaults to high power when it’s turned on, but has two more settings as well.

The low-powered setting on the 3310PL puts out 39 lumens, which is still better than the best efforts of so many lights from just a few years ago. That's enough for a huge range of tasks, and much better than the full output if you need to use it at close range. At this level it’s useful but not blinding, while the spill still provides enough oomph to light the peripheries. So whether I'm looking for a pair of shoes in the back of the closet, or lighting a stairwell in a power failure, the 3310 is effective and useful.

The third mode is a 1hz strobe. This is a bit unfortunate, since it needs to be clicked through when switching from low power to high, but at least it's a slow flash. It could be used as a location marker for an air drop or rescue attempt, reflecting the 3310's serious-yet-practical possibilities. My other flashlights might do a faster strobe, intended to disorient my enemies in combat, or a cutesy "SOS" pulsing pattern that I'd rather not use for a great many reasons. So while I would prefer not to have the strobe mode complicating things at all, it certainly could be worse, and perhaps some day it might actually be useful.

The three options in the "pick two" joke for flashlights are usually Bright, Small, and Long-Lasting. The Peli 3310 really does pull off all three. It's not small enough to be an “everyday carry” penlight, but it can be tucked in a back pocket easily enough when needed, and adding it to a jacket or a bag is trivial. And it can run on high for eight hours, which is amazing, and will last eight days on low power. Yes, days – or about two hundred hours. On just three AA batteries.

While the light doesn’t seem to have a regulator to keep its brightness level constant, there’s clearly still some kind of witchcraft involved in making this output and run time possible. Personally, I approve. And I don’t mind a light that gradually dims rather than suddenly dropping to nothing, especially when it’s this bright, for this long, and runs on batteries that are as cheap and abundant as AA’s. I have an eight-cell charger and fistfuls of low-discharge rechargeables, so forget those spendy and toxic specialty disposables.

So: about that appearance. Yes, it's ugly. But it's a flashlight that glows in the dark. That's freaking awesome.

Pelican, like knife maker Spyderco, isn't afraid to experiment with practical and functional designs that don't take aesthetics into account. That's awesome, because like knives, flashlights have a bad case of the Mall Ninjas. Frankly, too many lights are pandering to people who imagine themselves to be the last warriors standing on the brink of civilization, ready to wage a battle that only they can see coming. The result is a sea of toughguy-grade aluminum torches with serrated bezels that are designed for hitting people — as if that's ever a sensible life choice. Those who want Combat-Ready Tactical Lights will absolutely hate the look, feel, and construction of the polycarbonate 3310PL. And good riddance to them.

The 3310PL is ugly and amazingly practical. Its body has a flat profile that won't roll when it's put down. The photoluminescent plastic is a little smooth, so it has thick ridges that provide a solid grip, even with gloves, but it's only ridged on the edges so that they don't interfere with its pocket-friendly shape. The result is a light that’s nice to touch, durable, light, won’t scratch, and sealed against brief water immersion. The only way I'd change its design would be to give it a flat base so that it could tail-stand more easily. This light has ample power to light up a room, and enough run time to make that a practical option. But Pelican does know a bit more about flashlights than I do, and they probably concluded that even if the tail was flat the narrow body of the light wouldn’t properly balance the wider head, and they’re probably right.

Batteries load through the back of the light, which twists to open in a way that’s only slightly disconcerting. The back detaches, but remains tethered to the body, and the battery contacts move a little differently from the rest of the tailcap. The back also locks in place with a secondary mechanism, turned with a screw driver or the plastic tab on the lanyard, but this isn’t needed to keep it closed.

And have I mentioned that the entire body glows in the dark, which means it can be found immediately when the need suddenly arises? Try that with some black metal tacticool milspec battery-eater. There’s a reason why nobody sells those things with a case and hardware to mount it as an emergency lighting station for factories, which Pelican provides as the 3310ELS variant. This is a well-designed and mature light meant for real emergency preparedness, not just enthusiast preppers.

So how much would you pay to own the best flashlight yet made? Would you pay between $50-100? Most of my lights fall in this range, and the new 3310 comprehensively outperforms them all. How about over $100? It's easy to spend that much on a "serious" light if you want to. Over $200? There are lots at that level as well — there's really no upper limit. But the Pelican 3310PL costs less than $40. All that and it's one of the cheapest lights I own.

I want to buy one for every member of my family and every room in my house.

last updated 14 september 2016

NiteIze GearTie

Concept: 5 out of 5
Execution: 5 out of 5
Yeah, but: You had me at "Heavy Duty Rubber-Coated Twist Tie".

The Long Version: It's possible that the NiteIze GearTie is exactly what has been missing from your life. Godlike in its simplicity and angelic in its execution, the GearTie is a flexible wire that has been coated in grippy ridged plastic with knobby ends. And as if that wasn't enough, it's available in different colours, all of which are perfect.

To be honest I really just bought the GearTie because it's immensely cool and out-of-gamut fluorescent orange. And then I bought another set because the "Lime" is an excellent green, and that's Penny's favourite colour. And am I ever happy that I did – because it turns out to be perfect for the task I had in mind for it.

I need to stop the legs of my light stand from rattling when they're stowed. I use the stand to hold my audio recorder, and don't always have room on the sidewalk to set it up properly, and instead use it as the world's tallest monopod. Stopping incidental noise is critical. The GearTie is perfect for the job, and has no problem exerting enough pressure to keep everything in place. It's even easy to attach and remove, which is more than I can say for the elastic bungie-cord thing that I also tried, and its rubberized exterior means that it won't introduce rattles or noise of its own.

Given that the GearTie works perfectly for such an oddball task, it shouldn't be a surprise that it's generally handy, too. It's strong enough to make into a hook to hang things from, can be folded into an impromptu tablet stand, or bent around to substitute for that inevitable missing lock on the only cleanish public toilet. It's even washable. And of course there are all kinds of different sizes available, each with its own tasks to be suitable for. Small ones become cable organizers, midsize ones are bent into hangers to dangle things from a shelf. There's just no reason not to have a few of them around.

last updated 30 nov 2014

Sony PCM-M10 portable audio recorder

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 3 out of 5
Yeah, but: Doing as I say, as well as as I do.

The Long Version: I've been using a Sony PCM-D50 audio recorder for ages, so whenever someone asks me for buying advice, I've suggested its newer sibling, the PCM-M10. It's 80% of the D50 for half the price, and even exceeds the abilities of the bigger unit in some ways. My arguments in its favour were so compelling, in fact, that after a few years of recounting them I eventually succumbed and bought one myself.

The Sony M10 is a hand-size audio recorder with excellent electronics and supernatural battery life. Yes, you can use it with $500 monitor headphones if you want to, as long as they have a 3.5mm jack, but that's not really the point. Its pair of omnidirectional microphones are very tolerant of suboptimal use, at the expense of some soundstage crispness, so it's perfect for people who just want to record good audio without fussing over the minutia.

I'm primarily interested in field recording ambience and environments in the city, so I have different requirements than musicians or videographers. A low noise floor is always good, but an effective limiter that can handle loud transients is much more important. Stereo imaging matters, but so do forgiving microphones and quick startup times. And there's simply no way that I'm going to walk the streets with a blimp on a boom. For me getting the sound is more important than being able to record the highest possible fidelity, and that's where the Sony M10 comes in.

The PCM-M10 is, at its heart, consumer electronics. It doesn't have the metal heft of its higher-end siblings, and cuts some corners in its controls. The worst of this is the LCD backlight being set through the menu, rather than being toggled by a dedicated button, as it's hard to see the meter display when the light turns off. It's also brutally difficult to see the numerals on the levels dial, which are only stamped on its side without any contrasting markings – although I must note that some allegedly “serious” handy recorders lack a levels dial at all. The switches on the back of the unit are easy to move accidentally, which I've resolved with some gaffer tape. And the small size of the recorder makes it particularly ill-suited to having a wind screen, with nothing much to hold one in place and no way to avoid it obscuring the LCD display or LED metering guides. The M10 is not nearly as nice or as easy to use as my bigger Sony PCM-D50.

The PCM-M10 is, on its surface, consumer electronics. It's available in black, burgundy, or white plastic; all have a wide contrasting silver band around them. My burgundy model even has little metallic flecks in the plastic, although the Black is described as matte. The microphones are hidden within the body of the unit, with small grills to cover them and no protrusions. Only the track mark button is silver, with the tape-deck transport controls being body-colour, and a black row of secondary buttons is tucked into the black surround of the LCD bezel. No casual observer is going to mistake the M10 for A Serious Piece Of Gear, which most recorders come across as, or for a stun gun, which is a real danger with the Zooms. Instead it's just another hand-sized electronic gadget of no clear purpose, and even if it is recognized as a recorder, it looks like something a student might use to hold their place while they sleep through a lecture. The M10 is not nearly as noticeable or remarkable as my bigger Sony PCM-D50.

In my life "nondescript" and "inoffensive" are goals to be aspired to. The M10 fits in perfectly.

The best feature of the Sony recorders are their built-in limiters. These clever devices record a secondary track at a lower gain, -12dB for the M10 and -20dB for the D50 and D100, which they normalize and cut in seamlessly to avoid clipping. The M10's levels will just read "OVER" instead of giving a positive reading like the D50 would, giving less indication of if and how the levels should be adjusted, but the magic still works well enough.

The M10 also has the Sony five-second preroll buffer, and even comes with the wired remote that lets it start recording without any handling noise. That's great when lying in wait for sound, but enabling the buffer has another enormous practical advantage. Like many recorders, hitting record doesn't actually start the recorder recording. This is a solid opportunity to set the levels, but it's really easy to not notice that the pause button is still flashing and think that sound is being captured when it isn't. With the buffer turned off the display looks about the same whether it's paused or rolling, but with the preroll enabled the zeroed time counter is replaced by bold blocks that look vastly different. And that's why I keep the preroll enabled: it's an obvious indicator of the recording state right under the meters that I'm devoting my attention to.

Another Sony quirk is that there's no way to change the file name format in the recorder. It's always YYMMDD_XX, so my being in a multi-Sony environment means that using both recorders on the same day creates identical file names. (Although the M10 starts incrementing the _XX portion from _01, while the D50 starts at _00.) To get around this I've set the M10's date two decades into the future, which it accepts somewhat gullibly, even though that annoys my computer's 'list files by most recent' function. This may not be much of an issue for anyone else, anywhere, ever.

One of the strengths of the PCM-M10 is that its omnidirectional microphones are relatively immune to wind. Well, gentle breezes. Maybe immune to slight drafts is a better term. Outdoors it does need a screen on all but the calmest days, but when wind does hit the M10, the effect is relatively mild. And unlike the Sony D50, which loses its mind if someone walks past its unshielded microphones too quickly, the M10 can go naked indoors with near-impunity. This is another huge advantage in the effort to be nondescript and inoffensive.

When the M10 does need a hat I'll use the Røde Dead Kitten, which is originally designed for their Stereo Videomic, but also fits the D50 and similarly-sized recorders. This is pretty heavy-duty protection, and attenuates the high frequencies somewhat, but I haven't felt the need to add a lightweight screen. Sony's own M10-specific design costs almost as much as the recorder.

As an aside, I'm also a big fan of Joby's tripods. I can highly recommend their low-profile Micro 250, which permanently lives on the bottom of my M10, and the recorder still happily fits in a pocket or small camera case. This makes it easy to position it away from the surface of a table; for the brave it can even be used as a stand to prop up the recorder vertically, as it has for some of these photos. And it doesn't block the battery door, so I don't need to remove it when I swap the M10's two AA cells – which I do out of habit, not necessity, since I've never had the patience to actually run a set down.

The M10 has about the same footprint as a small phone – that's an iPhone 5 in the photo above – and weighs about as much as a large unpeeled banana. There's just no reason to not have it nearby. Its absurd battery life means that I keep it locked on 'hold' instead of turning it off, so it only needs a quick flip of the power switch to be instantly ready. I've lost count of the number of good sounds that I've caught with the M10 that I would otherwise have missed.

I bought the Sony M10 because I thought I would use it more than the on-paper-superior D50, and I was absolutely right. It's true that I will choose to carry and use my bigger D50, with its better stereo imaging and somewhat lower noise floor, when I know that I'll be dedicating significant time to audio recording and have the comfort level to use it. This is exactly the same as choosing when to carry and use a big DSLR instead of a smaller camera. And like having multiple cameras, there have been times when I've used the little M10 even though the D50 was also in my gear bag. I'm wincing just a little to say this, but if I could only keep one audio recorder – a horrible thought – I'd be better served by the versatile and inoffensive M10. Not that I'm known for making rational choices, but hopefully it never comes to that.

last updated 12 oct 2014

Victorinox Classic SD

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 2 out of 5
Yeah, but: Emergency tools for very small emergencies.

The Long Version: It's hard to know how to rate the Victorinox Classic Swiss Army Knife. "Classic" is a deserved title, not just a marketing term, but despite being adorable they're not without their limitations. Yet they're ubiquitous, popular, inexpensive, available in a huge array of colours and patterns, and make great gifts. That's enough to make the classic Classic SD into the SAK of the Month for December.

The Classic is the definitive keychain knife. Small and light, it only has a few tools: very small blade, nail file with screwdriver tip – the 'SD' part of its full name – and small scissors. The models with plastic scales, either nylon or Cellidor, have a toothpick and tweezers; the aluminum-scaled Alox Classic has neither.

As barely a two-layer knife, the Classic is fairly thin to begin with, while the Alox models are practically wafers. That doesn't really impact their usability – it's not as if these are serious cutting or prying tools to begin with. But the removal of the toothpick and tweezers does significantly cut down on the number of functions of these tools, so I tend to carry the Alox model only when I'm also carrying a SAK that includes them. They're very handy for threading wrist-straps on little cameras, among other things.

The nail file is the typical SAK match-striker, not the nicer full-width cutter found on the Executive, which I prefer. The driver tip is good for small screws that don't need much torque, but nobody's going to mistake this for a hard-core tool. Light switch and power outlet covers may fall before its might, but not if they've been painted over.

There are actually three Classics in my household; in addition to my Stayglow and Alox models pictured, Penny has one with clear green scales on her keychain. None of them see much use, but they're all appreciated. Mine mostly helps prevent me from losing my keys, especially the glow-in-the-dark version, since I almost always have at least one larger Swiss Army knife nearby. But they're nice to have, and can be useful in a pinch, which is all the excuse I need to own a few of them.

last updated 13 dec 2013

Hipstreet Pandora Standing Sleeve (iPad Mini)

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 3 out of 5
Yeah, but: Perhaps all the good names were already taken.

The Long Version: The point of having a small tablet is that it's small. I knew I would be buying an iPad Mini – MiniPad – at the end of the summer, so I had been looking at cases for a while. But most of the cases on the market are big: multi-layer folios, snap-on plastic backs with 'smart cover' integration, and crash-boxes designed for use by paratroopers. All I wanted was something that I could hold in my hand easily, protect the tablet when travelling, and let me prop the thing up when I wanted to regard it from afar.

I found the Hipstreet 'Pandora' sleeve in the clearance bin at Staples. It's a clever design with folding seams and stiffener panels that both protect the tablet and let the case be folded into a wedge shape to let it be used as a stand; magnets along the opening locks it in place as a stand and snug the sleeve closed when it's flat. There's a little sewn-on tab that catches the bottom of the tablet for use as a stand, and it will hold it in both landscape and portrait orientation.

The material is a not-unpleasant leather-like plastic, which provides plenty of grip for carrying the case, with a soft lining inside. After having mine for a couple of days I went back to Staples and bought a second one, which was lucky timing since the clearance bin was almost empty. It's fairly utilitarian, but it does a good job and has a very clever design. I may still buy something a little more colourful, but I'm glad that I have a spare in case I wear the first one out.


Updated: I've turned my miniPad into a little netbook by adding one of those Logitech Ultrathin keyboards to it. I'm pleased to say that the whole assembly is still able to squeeze into this sleeve.

last updated 3 nov 2013

Propel RC Stealth Flyer II

Concept: 2 out of 5
Execution: 4 out of 5
Yeah, but: Never too late for a happy kidhood.

The Long Version: Driving around in circles is just pretty dumb, and that's where all of my radio-controlled car purchases have ended up. So I've mostly learned to resist the siren call of toys that would amuse a 12-year-old, no matter how much I think I would really like one, and have missed out on the whole remote-controlled helicopter thing until now.

Concept: 2 out of 5
Execution: 4 out of 5
Yeah, but: Never too late for a happy kidhood.

The Long Version: Driving around in circles is just pretty dumb, and that's where all of my radio-controlled car purchases have ended up. So I've mostly learned to resist the siren call of toys that would amuse a 12-year-old, no matter how much I think I would really like one, and have missed out on the whole remote-controlled helicopter thing until now.

Penny went to Radio Shack and bought me the "Propel RC Stealth Flyer II" – hereafter 'toy helicopter' – for Christmas. This is a small and simple toy, being seven inches nose-to-tail with a six inch rotor span, weighing nothing, and with only throttle and direction controls. There's no ability to hover or control its speed, and it invariably turns quickly in one direction and slowly in the other, so even that expectation of left-right control is somewhat illusory. This is not a precision machine.

But complexity is not a prerequisite for enjoyment. The toy helicopter gives just enough control to influence its actions but not enough to be accountable for the results. When it crashes – and it will crash, and often – it's just an amusing little wince, and when a flight ends in a wheels-down landing I feel a completely unjustified sense of accomplishment.

The toy helicopter has a surprising amount of power, so it's very easy to over-do the throttle and send it crashing into something. Even a measured and controlled flight is likely to involve impacts, and I'm continually amazed at the incredible durability of this toy. It routinely sucks itself into the ceiling – the opposite of ground effect – and then tumbles to the floor, and/or crashes into walls, and seems to have a magical attraction to the back of the couch. I've worn the paint from its nose and scoured the top pair of rotor blades, but it still flies like a champ.

The easiest way to launch the helicopter is to hold it by the tail and run up the rotors until it's stable and generating enough lift to hold itself up. It's very easy to over-do the throttle, so this allows a measured beginning. This works best when the L/R trim controls have been adjusted for straight flight, because it does take a second or two to have both hands back on the remote.

Taking off from a hard, smooth surface is challenging. Despite the twin counter-rotating propellers the helicopter will still torque itself around and end up heading off in an unexpected direction. Couple that with the extra bolt of power needed to get airborne, and the necessity of throttling down in anticipation of its slow reaction times, and it's likely to end in tragedy. Or in amusement, depending on your perspective.

Launching from an upholstered surface that keeps the helicopter facing forward helps tremendously. One of the challenges that I set myself is to start from my desk chair, fly across the dining room, maybe throw in a quick circle of the living room, and then land on the couch. In the fifteen or twenty short flights that I manage on a charge maybe one will end in triumph, while the rest end in amusement.

The helicopter recharges by tethering it to the controller; the infrared controller runs on six AA batteries, and they last a surprisingly long time. As the helicopter's power runs down it gradually loses the ability to lift itself, so there's plenty of warning that it needs to recharge. By then it's usually time to put it away before someone gets hurt, so it's all for the best.

A nice touch with the helicopter is that it has white and blue LED running lights on the nose and tail, respectively, which makes it a lot of fun to fly in dimmer light. They're also quite practical, as otherwise it can be tough to see which way the helicopter is facing from one moment to the next. And given how quickly it can spin this can be very important.

The LED lights have another practical application as well. To sync up properly the helicopter needs to be turned on before the controller; when they're communicating the `copter's rear blue LED gives three quick flashes and then continues to blink. If the helicopter's unresponsive and the lights are solid, just flip the controller off and on again. Propel RC gets bonus points for combining 'fun' with 'functional' – how often does that happen for inexpensive electronic toys?

The toy helicopter is surprisingly loud; I can only use it when Penny's not home because just hearing it from another room – whirring away and abruptly crashing into things – stresses her out. The abrupt ends of each flight can be a little intimidating, but the combination of hinged rotor blades and extremely light weight means that the helicopter has yet to break anything. And yes, I've flown it into myself on occasion, and while it doesn't tickle, it also doesn't cut or bruise. The key is to cut power when there's an impending impact and let the helicopter fall where it may.

This toy helicopter has struck – if you'll pardon the pun – an excellent balance. It's durable and powerful enough to enjoy, and not so expensive that I'm concerned about hurting it. It gives enough control to be fun but not enough to be the helicopter equivalent of the predictability of driving around in circles. It's one of those rare times that something "better", in whatever way that means, probably wouldn't be an actual improvement. Two months after Christmas I'm still using and enjoying it, which is pretty awesome for a toy that's meant for a twelve-year-old.

last updated 25 feb 2013

Penny went to Radio Shack and bought me the "Propel RC Stealth Flyer II" – hereafter 'toy helicopter' – for Christmas. This is a small and simple toy, being seven inches nose-to-tail with a six inch rotor span, weighing nothing, and with only throttle and direction controls. There's no ability to hover or control its speed, and it invariably turns quickly in one direction and slowly in the other, so even that expectation of left-right control is somewhat illusory. This is not a precision machine.

But complexity is not a prerequisite for enjoyment. The toy helicopter gives just enough control to influence its actions but not enough to be accountable for the results. When it crashes – and it will crash, and often – it's just an amusing little wince, and when a flight ends in a wheels-down landing I feel a completely unjustified sense of accomplishment.

The toy helicopter has a surprising amount of power, so it's very easy to over-do the throttle and send it crashing into something. Even a measured and controlled flight is likely to involve impacts, and I'm continually amazed at the incredible durability of this toy. It routinely sucks itself into the ceiling – the opposite of ground effect – and then tumbles to the floor, and/or crashes into walls, and seems to have a magical attraction to the back of the couch. I've worn the paint from its nose and scoured the top pair of rotor blades, but it still flies like a champ.

The easiest way to launch the helicopter is to hold it by the tail and run up the rotors until it's stable and generating enough lift to hold itself up. It's very easy to over-do the throttle, so this allows a measured beginning. This works best when the L/R trim controls have been adjusted for straight flight, because it does take a second or two to have both hands back on the remote.

Taking off from a hard, smooth surface is challenging. Despite the twin counter-rotating propellers the helicopter will still torque itself around and end up heading off in an unexpected direction. Couple that with the extra bolt of power needed to get airborne, and the necessity of throttling down in anticipation of its slow reaction times, and it's likely to end in tragedy. Or in amusement, depending on your perspective.

Launching from an upholstered surface that keeps the helicopter facing forward helps tremendously. One of the challenges that I set myself is to start from my desk chair, fly across the dining room, maybe throw in a quick circle of the living room, and then land on the couch. In the fifteen or twenty short flights that I manage on a charge maybe one will end in triumph, while the rest end in amusement.

The helicopter recharges by tethering it to the controller; the infrared controller runs on six AA batteries, and they last a surprisingly long time. As the helicopter's power runs down it gradually loses the ability to lift itself, so there's plenty of warning that it needs to recharge. By then it's usually time to put it away before someone gets hurt, so it's all for the best.

A nice touch with the helicopter is that it has white and blue LED running lights on the nose and tail, respectively, which makes it a lot of fun to fly in dimmer light. They're also quite practical, as otherwise it can be tough to see which way the helicopter is facing from one moment to the next. And given how quickly it can spin this can be very important.

The LED lights have another practical application as well. To sync up properly the helicopter needs to be turned on before the controller; when they're communicating the `copter's rear blue LED gives three quick flashes and then continues to blink. If the helicopter's unresponsive and the lights are solid, just flip the controller off and on again. Propel RC gets bonus points for combining 'fun' with 'functional' – how often does that happen for inexpensive electronic toys?

The toy helicopter is surprisingly loud; I can only use it when Penny's not home because just hearing it from another room – whirring away and abruptly crashing into things – stresses her out. And as my audio recording of the helicopter attests, the abrupt ends of each flight can be a little intimidating, but the combination of hinged rotor blades and extremely light weight means that the helicopter has yet to break anything. And yes, I've flown it into myself on occasion, and while it doesn't tickle, it also doesn't cut or bruise. The key is to cut power when there's an impending impact and let the helicopter fall where it may.

This toy helicopter has struck – if you'll pardon the pun – an excellent balance. It's durable and powerful enough to enjoy, and not so expensive that I'm concerned about hurting it. It gives enough control to be fun but not enough to be the helicopter equivalent of the predictability of driving around in circles. It's one of those rare times that something "better", in whatever way that means, probably wouldn't be an actual improvement. Two months after Christmas I'm still using and enjoying it, which is pretty awesome for a toy that's meant for a twelve-year-old.

last updated 25 feb 2013

Joby Griptight Smartphone Mount

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 4 out of 5
Yeah, but: They need to be everywhere.

The Long Version: The Joby Griptight is a clever little device that spring-clamps to a phone, folds flat for storage, and attaches to any tripod. It's a natural with the Joby Micro 250 – the smaller model of the Micro 800 that I've previously reviewed – which is how I typically use it.

When attached to one of Joby's Micro tripods it will only hold a phone in 'landscape' mode. Now, I rarely use my phone for photos or video, but this is perfect for propping the phone up on a table for watching videos. I've used this product for watching a couple of episodes of The Nature Of Things, so owning it has actually made me smarter. I've never said that about any other photographic or phone accessory, so that's a win right there.

The nice thing is that the Joby Griptight is that it's brand-agnostic. Many iPhone-specific tripod adapters won't even work with the phone in a case, but even my bulky Speck Candyshell Grip case – yes, terrible name – fits with no problem. I even borrowed an Android phone from the only person I know who has one, and it fit with no problem as well. I measure its widest span at about seven centimetres, which should accomodate just about anything that can be sensibly carried in a pocket.

I usually try to have something insightfully critical of the products I review, but in this case I'm coming up empty. It's not going to become a family heirloom, but it's solidly built and the judicial combination of metal and plastics keep it light. This little thing is actually the reason why I finally bought an x-mini capsule speaker: they combine to create my end-table home theatre. The Griptight is a good solution to a simple problem, and it folds down and stows easily when it's not needed. How could anyone not like that?

last updated 2 dec 2012

X-Mini II Capsule Speaker

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 4 out of 5
Yeah, but: I'm not the first to say it.

The Long Version: I've been reading reviews of little speakers for a while, and the X-mini capsule speaker kept coming up as one to buy. It can be tough to find in a crowd of others that now share its expanding-ping-pong-ball design, so when I happened to find it in a local store I decided it was time.

The speaker has the slogan "sound beyond size" moulded right into the top of it. I'm not a fan of ostentatious displays of marketeering, so this bugs me, but it's a tough slogan to argue with. This one little speaker can play loudly enough that I can hear it throughout my little apartment and worry about disturbing the neighbours. Impressive.

What's even more impressive is that the X-mini keeps up a surprisingly good sound quality almost all the way through its volume range, losing only a modest amount of definition when everything's fully cranked. But its entertainment value makes up for that: heavy bass will have the speaker jumping around and skating across tables. It's hard to dislike anything that happy.

And if one speaker isn't loud enough then there's the option to add more. These things can be daisy-chained together to hook multiple speakers to a single source. The sound remains mono, but it increases the headroom. There may be a second X-mini in my household's future – officially it would belong to Penny, but we're often in the same place.

Also included in the retail package is a carrying case and an unusual cable. It's USB-A on one end, 3.5mm audio on the other, and USB-mini in the middle. With the mini USB plugged into the speaker, then the audio end can plug into a sound source for a longer connection than what its short built-in cable provides, or the USB-A end can be plugged into a computer or charger to recharge its internal battery. But audio won't play through a USB-USB connection: there's a handy little instruction sheet that says so, but I still fell for it a couple of times.

The underside of the Mini shows its controls and the neatly stowed audio cable. (The volume dial is on the other side, not visible, opposite the power switch.) They missed an opportunity here – having the bright blue 'power' LED line up with something useful, like the On/Off switch or volume dial, would make the speaker more intuitive to control. But that's about the only criticism that I can come up with, especially considering the sound-to-price ratio that this little thing provides.

I've been very pleased with the X-Mini as an extremely small and easily portable speaker. It's loud enough to provide some music for a backyard family gathering, and good enough to be an improvement over my laptop speakers. The next time I travel it's guaranteed that this little thing will be coming with me.

last updated 26 nov 2012

Joby Gorillapod Micro 800

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 3 out of 5
Yeah, but: Long-term testing may revise those numbers.

The Long Version: I'm one of those "magical purchase" people – I have this idea that bridging the distance between me and perfection is just a matter of finally finding the right thing to buy. For many people this causes a proliferation of unused home exercise equipment, for me it results in an aberrantly high number of tripods.

But the real insidious nature of this thinking isn't that it never works: it's that it sometimes does.

The Joby Gorillapod Micro 800 is one of those vexing exceptions. It's a tiny tripod that can stay attached to a small camera without making it unwieldily. Although I've only owned mine for a little while, it has let me take better photos more easily, and I haven't had to sacrifice anything in exchange for having it with me.

The branding decision that resulted in the "Gorillapod Micro" name is unfortunate, since it bears absolutely no resemblance to Joby's famous (and often badly copied) line of flexible Gorillapods. It really should be called the "Joby Micropod" and promoted more prominently on their website; I went looking for it after seeing one that someone else owned, and it was remarkably hard to find. I didn't know its full name at that point, and for some reason it doesn't rate a front-page photo.

Joby does redeem themselves somewhat by encoding the weight capacity into the full name, though: the JGP Micro 800 holds 0.8kg – 800 grams, 1.75 pounds – and is intended for Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Format ('MILF') cameras. There's also the Micro 250 – 0.25kg – that's more size-appropriate for point-and-shoot models, but I'm happy to have the bigger one.

When on a mirrorless format camera, such as my Panasonic GH1, the Micro 800 just blends in with the bottom of the machine. There's simply no need to ever take it off. I can even leave it attached to either of my little compact cameras when I tuck them in a pocket, although the folded legs do extend beyond their bodies. I don't mind this – it works as a more effective hand grip – but the smaller, lighter, and weaker Micro 250 is a good option if that's likely to be an objection.

There are a few functional compromises in exchange for the low profile of the simple and sleek Micros. One is that its 'positioning ball' has only a limited range of movement – if this was a big tripod it would be called a levelling base. So forget about astrophotography or portrait orientation, but very few people actually use little cameras for either of those tasks.

The other thing that it can't do is lock itself in place: there's no adjustment to the tension of the positioning ball or legs. In practice this isn't much of a limitation, but it may mean that cameras with off-centre tripod mounts, or long lenses, won't play well with the Micro even if their weight isn't completely out of bounds. Conversely, I can rest my three-pound Hasselblad on the Micro 800 quite comfortably, although I wouldn't use it for long exposures. So holding power is quite good, although the idea of twisting the camera against the full tension of the Micropod does take a few days to feel natural.

But the lack of tension adjustability is a faint little concern in the back of my mind. My Micro is still fairly new, but I'll either update this review or write a follow-up with the results of longer-term use, probably in six months or so.

The design of the Micro 800 is quite satisfying. It weighs enough to feel solid and strong, but not so much as to be objectionable. The rubber feet are grippy enough for good traction without snagging on fabric if it's being carried in a pocket or bag. And the design of the pivot, as well as interlocking flanges and grooves on the legs, should let it withstand quite a bit of wear and tear in daily use.

There is one choice to make when using the Micro: how tightly it should be attached to the camera. There's a coin-activated screw slot on the bottom, and when it's used to attach the Micro to the camera then it won't unscrew during regular use. The other option is to just use the legs of the Micro to twist itself into place, but then it can unscrew depending on how the legs and camera are turned. I usually don't use a coin to tighten the tripod screw, but if I was only using the Micro on one camera, I might make that occasional extra effort.

I own a little beanbag, a Manfrotto "pocket tripod", three small tabletop tripods, and two gorillapods. I use none of them on a regular basis, and despite developing a certain affection for long exposure photographs with my little Canon S100, could never bring myself to carry any of those bigger devices with me when I was just taking advantage of impromptu opportunities. Now that has completely changed. The Micro 800 is easy enough to use, and useful enough to have, that I will switch it to whatever little camera I happen to be using that day. The result is that some of my photos have become much better – almost like magic.

Added: I've now had a chance to play with a Joby Micro 250, and it's pretty awesome, too. Plenty of strength for a point-and-shoot camera, merges perfectly with the base of my Canon S100, and even had an attachment that would let it hold my phone in its case. One – or two – of them have been added to my 'must buy' list.

Added Again: Proving that I'm more prescient than I think I am, I have indeed bought two of the Joby Micro 250. The first was with the Griptight phone mount, which I've reviewed, and the second time was just the 250 tripod when I lost the first one. My Micro 800 is still going strong and is now used with my Nikon V1 system.

last updated 17 nov 2013

TONTA Lens2Scope

Concept: 2 out of 5
Execution: 4 out of 5
Yeah, but: I docked a 'concept' point for the name.

Counter Opinion: I was intrigued from the moment I saw the remarkably functionally-named Lens2Scope, made by TONTA Electro Optical Co of Taiwan. Tonta also makes full spotting scopes, but the 'lens to scope' is just an eyepiece that attaches to various makes of lens – a different version for each mount – to make it easy for humans to look through them. It has pretty good eye relief and a prism to turn the image right-side-up, while focusing is handled by the lens. The Nikon-fit model that I tried is perfectly happy with both G and DX lenses.

A name that includes a cutesy numeral on something made of plastic always screams 'fly-by-night cheap' to me, so I was initially rather unimpressed and put off by the Lens2scope's $200 price. But using it with a Nikon 85/1.8D immediately and completely changed my opinion: the view was bright and crisp with a huge image circle. Of course camera lenses have excellent optics, and the Lens2Scope is only using a small part of the image circle, so perhaps I shouldn't have been so surprised at how good it was.

The way the numbers work with the Lens2Scope is to divide the focal length of the attached lens by 10 to determine its effective magnification, making my 85mm lens into an 8.5x power scope. The effective objective lens diameter is the physical aperture of the lens: remember that the "f" in "f/1.8" stands for focal length, so my 85/1.8 is essentially an 8.5x47 monocular. That rivals much bigger binoculars for both magnification and light-gathering, making the Lens2scope and 85mm quite compact by comparison.

The eyepiece also works with zoom lenses, and trying it with the 18-300mm was a lot of fun. Of course a darker lens means a darker image, and the higher the magnification – excuse me, the longer the focal length – the tighter the field of view. So a consumer zoom is functional and effective, while an f/2.8 zoom is very good. When coupled to a macro lens the scope adapter reportedly gives a 25x magnification at the lenses' 1:1 distance, which is not too shabby either. I can't say what the depth of field will be like, not having tried it, but I suspect that the Lens2Scope's little tripod mount could come in handy.

So the lens2scope definitely works. The next question has to be: for what? Anyone with a lens to attach it to probably already owns a compatible camera, and just looking through a lens is an odd thing for a photographer to do. But photographers have more than their fair share of odd behaviours, so I'm sure there will be people out there who would like to be able to turn a lens into a scope. People like me, for example.

I already own a small Zeiss 6x18 scope that I use to view prints presented to the critique group that I belong to – that's something like a camera club, but for photographers. So I actually know exactly where and how I'd use one of these lens toys. I'm eager to try it with my 60/2.8G lens, which becomes a 6x21, albeit a much bulkier combination than the little Zeiss 6x18. But the truth is that a 6x power can be a bit long for where I sit, making my 50/1.4G – 5x35 – a very, very interesting option. I'm pretty much sold on buying a Lens2scope even before I break out my old manual focus 135/2.8, which was an impulse buy against the possibility that it might be fun to have some day. It's nifty when things all work out like that.

Counter Opinions are quick "sales counter" product reviews.
As always, viewer discretion is advised.
Last updated 28 july 2012

Eye-Fi Pro X2 WiFi SDHC Card

Concept: 3 out of 5
Execution: 1 out of 5
Yeah, but: I've finally found something that it's good for.

The Long Version: One side effect of having this little review blog is that it reminds me of how long I've owned different bits of equipment, especially if I'm thinking about writing a follow-up. I'll look back through the years and be amazed at just how much time has passed without me really noticing. Not so with my Eye-Fi X2 Pro card: it has been such an ongoing hassle that I was amazed to see that it has only been a year.

My first review of this card was mostly dealing with the experience of trying to set it up and make it work. I don't know if that process has improved any, but a lot has changed for the card and the software itself. It has gone through two major firmware versions, the client software that needs to run on the supporting computer has been updated, and I've routinely used the card in two more cameras.

One year ago the Eye-Fi card was a major nuisance to use. The connection was poor and I would frequently need to reboot my computer to force the software to reset, but the updates have improved the process to the point where I now only need to reboot every week or two. So right off the bat that's a real improvement, even if it's still not really good.

Using a camera that's 'Eye-Fi Connected' also makes a big difference to the experience. My unconnected Panasonic TS3 would happily time out and turn off during the data transfer. No pixels are harmed when that happens, but having to constantly tap the shutter button to keep the camera awake – or setting it to never turn off, which risks running down the battery in a moment of carelessness – goes a long way toward defeating the ease-of-use that the card promised.

Moving the card to my more-compatible Canon S100 was a big improvement. The camera won't turn off when there's a data link running, and it displays an icon on the playback image to show if that particular photo has been transmitted. Very handy. But sending 15-20MB raw files isn't a lot of fun, and the little battery in the S100 would quickly be depleted. My answer to that was to take the Eye-Fi card out of the camera and plug it into a USB card reader, which would then supply the power for long WiFi file transfer sessions. Something about that suggests that there's a fault in my problem-solving methods, but it was the best that I could do.

The Eye-Fi card has most recently come to rest in my Nikon D800. At last, it's just about perfect. Raw files go to my CF card, and small jpegs are sent to the SD card slot. The card has no problem with the 2.5MB files – "small" in D800-land is still a 9Mpx image – and the hefty battery is too big to be run down by the task. I just never bother turning the camera off, and the images are automatically downloaded onto my laptop and imported into Lightroom without me needing to do anything at all.

Except for rebooting the computer a few times a month, at least.

So it's with a certain joy that I can finally say that I've found something that the Eye-Fi card is good for. It took a year of work-arounds and making-do, but this $120 card finally lives up to its promise. Except that now it costs about $80. You win some, you lose some.

One other note is that the antenna in the Eye-Fi card is, by necessity, tiny. The closer it is to the WiFi router the happier it will be, but this is especially important for the direct card-to-camera transfer that the X2 Pro model allows. Essentially the camera needs to be no farther from the computer than it would be if it was connected by a cable, and closer is even better. But even this remains useful, since no actual cable is required, and was excellent when I wanted to work through the focus-tuning on my D800.

So that's it: an SLR, or other camera with big batteries, that has a secondary SD card slot to send jpeg files to, can be a good place to use an Eye-Fi card. Everything else that I've tried has involved unexpected inconvenience and occasionally considerable annoyance, and certainly not offered any great improvement over the standard plug-into-reader SD card experience that's available for much less expense. It's a very narrow recommendation, but I can finally say that if my Eye-Fi card stopped woking, I might actually consider replacing it with another one.

last updated 5 apr 2012

Speck "Candyshell Grip" iPhone 4/4S Case

Concept: 2 out of 5
Execution: 4 out of 5
Yeah, but: I really like their logo.

The Long Version: The worst thing about the Speck Candyshell Grip is the name, and that's the last time I will ever type it in full. I must not be their target market, because that middle wordlike sequence of letters was almost enough to stop me from buying this thing. But careful inspection of the product photos showed that only the brand name appears on the case, so I went ahead with it. I picked the yellow, but it's also made in white, red, black, and blue.

My first impression of the iPhone case – once the packaging with that word that I won't repeat was safely disposed of – is that it's attractive and very well made. My previous iPhone case experience is with the Sena and Twelve South leather cases, but I've used plastic, silicone, and hybrid cases for my old Blackberry. The Speck beats them all. It's a thin layer of polycarbonate, slightly flexible, that's bonded to the inner rubber and with the gripper panels (apparently) bonded to it in turn. What look like little bumpers on the corners of the case are actually expansion joints that let the case stretch to fit over the phone, giving a solid hold from its one-piece design.

The rubber on the back of the case really does provide a solid grip, while the smooth plastic still makes it fairly pocketable. It's not the best of both worlds, since that's a situation that can never really exist, but it's a good compromise. There's also a pronounced ridge around the perimeter of the case that keeps the screen away from flat surfaces, and the case had no problem snugging over the screen protector that I have installed. The buttons are easily activated with rubber over-buttons, except for the ringer/vibrate toggle, which has a cutout that's sized for a finger, but too small for a thumb.

The headphone cutout isn't overly generous. My usual pair of earbuds just sneaks in, although the case will happily accomodate my Sony 7506 monitors and two other pairs of earbuds – but not at the same time, of course. I measure the opening as 8mm across, so if your headphone jack is approaching that try the case before you buy it. Naturally, the cutout for the 30-pin connector is large enough to accommodate Apple's original cables, but anything that's designed to sit flat to the base of the phone, like a dock, is out of luck.

One quirk of the Yellow case is that it's extremely difficult to accurately reproduce the colour. Speck's own website shows this case's colour – officially called "Butternut Squash / Black" – as two different interpretations of yellow. Most of the product shots that I've seen in other reviews lean toward 'canary', which isn't right. The case isn't the same colour as Sony's old 'sport' walkmans, with more orange in it than the usual outdoorsy-ruggedy electronics colour. The photo above shows it on a colour reference card, with neutral greys along the bottom, and it's pretty close to the real thing – but even colour-calibrated monitors will reproduce it slightly differently.

Marketed as a 'gaming' case, the Speck __________ Grip does a good job of turning the flat glass iPhone 4/4s into the rounded plastic iPhone 3G. But its corners are comfortable to hold, the grip panels work well, and it hasn't turned out to be the lint-magnet that I feared it could be. My only real "oh, well" moment with it was when I discovered that the slightly curved back means that the phone can wobble a bit when it's resting on a flat surface, making typing just slightly more awkward. But if I wanted great typing instead of good looks, I would have bought a Blackberry, right?

Five-month update: After months of use I'm still a fan of this case, but it has some definite wear-and-tear. The soft rubber around the perimeter has worn down, including one spot where the hard plastic shell shows through, and the little nubs are gone. I've also dropped it a couple of times, which is probably why the hard plastic has broken around the headphone port, the dock connector, and the bottom speaker and microphone ports. These are all places where the plastic is thinnest, and since the case is actually held together by the bouncy rubber lining, it's not structural. Just the same, I've added another case to my lineup and expect to only use the Grip when its extra protection is likely to matter.

last updated 8 july 2012

TT Pocket Tools: Chopper, Keeper, and Simple

Concept: 4 out of 5
Execution: 4 out of 5
Yeah, but: Who doesn't love little bits of metal?

The Long Version: To give credit where it's due, I learned about TT Pockettools because of a review on the excellent Every Day Commentary blog. The author of that site is phenomenally hard-working, and there's a fair bit of overlap in our interests. If he starts getting into cameras, I may have to close up shop.

TT Pockettools makes something called a 'one piece multitool' or 'keychain tool'. Essentially, these are ingeniously shaped bits of metal with edges and cutouts designed to do different things. I've been vaguely aware of these things for a while, but not really interested until I saw that fateful EDC review and read those two magic words: "Snag Edge".

It's something that sets TT pocket tools apart. On the narrow end that's designed to be used as a screwdriver, nail puller, and/or pry bar, there's also a little notch that comes to a semi-sharp point. It's designed to replace a key or ball-point pen as an impromptu cutting implement, which it excels at.

I've tried it on packing tape and medium-weight plastic; as long as its victim is under tension it cuts like a knife with little chance of incidental damage to whatever else is nearby. Fibrous material, like cardboard or reinforced tape, don't give up quite as elegantly but shallow depths can be hacked through. Since I started carrying them I've needed my pocket knife a lot less.

Another interesting feature of the TT tools is that they're machined to work with a standard hex bit. Two of the styles that I ordered would be used like a wrench, where the tool doesn't enclose the bit, while the third slips over the bit and works like a "T" handle. This came in handy when I was tightening a faucet handle with very bad access – it's not going to replace my Picquic, but definitely more than a gimmick.

These pocket tools are smaller than they look, so the nail puller is perhaps a trifle ambitious. I drove a finishing nail a short distance into a dry cedar fence board, and there was no way I was taking it out with something just 2" long. It did come in mighty handy when I had to remove four dozen industrial twist-ties that were loosely sealing some plastic bags, though, so never say never.

The 'gripper' function is handled by the curved surface with fine jimping, as its diameter fits bottle caps for a little extra leverage. The two models that offer that also have bottle cap openers, which makes them exceptional companions for beverages.

Me being me, I bought two tools for myself, another as a gift, and picked up a fourth for a friend while I was at it. The tremendous thickness of the steel – almost a quarter inch, dwarfing my Helle Viking knife – makes them easy to hold and indestructible. Their price is quite reasonable, shipping within the USA is included, and the additional penalty for being Canadian is modest. I can also say that the maker is a pleasure to deal with. I placed an order late on a Thursday and they were in the mail before I woke up the next morning. The last time I had that happen I was dealing with someone in Japan, and he had time zones on his side.

So, with my blanket endoresement out of the way, I do have some thoughts on the specific models.

The Chopper is the tool that was reviewed by Every Day Commentary. I think it's the best looking, and is my favourite. The shape of it makes the snag edge handle a little more like a traditional box cutter, and it's very comfortable to hold. It's also very nicely machined, with different jimping everywhere that would benefit from it. It's an impressive little bit of work, and if I was to choose only one, this would be it.

The EDC review covers this one perfectly, so I'll move on except for one little note: the Chopper is now out of stock, and TT Pocket Tools is working on a revised model. I can't imagine what the maker could find to improve, but I'll be very interested to see the results.

The Simple is the other tool that I bought for myself. I expected to like it more than the Chopper, and do love the mini pry-bar aesthetic. But its straight edges and minimalist design mean that it's not as comfortable to hold, or as much fun to play with. Still, I don't need a bottle opener, and really like that it can form a proper handle for a hex driver bit. I imagine that this will be attached to my camera bag when I travel, as it's more robust and versatile than the Slice™ that I'll sometimes use to open the packaging on 120 film.

If there's a new revision of the Simple, all I'd really want is the curved gripper jimping added to the side cutouts. They're probably too shallow to have much use as a bottle-cap-turner, but it would make the tool easier to hold – if slightly less simple.

The Keeper is the model that was picked by a friend, and he chose it for the superior bottle-cap opening possibilities of its design. While it has the smallest pry surface of the three, I can see it being extremely practical overall, and it's also quite comfortable to use as a tape breaker. The larger cutout of the box wrench portion is probably more practical than that on the Chopper for household tasks, and makes for a good hold.

There is a fourth design, the Skull, which I didn't order and is also out of stock. Its tools are very similar to the Simple, but with a skull motif that probably makes for a comfortable grip to use as well as being a great conversation starter.

One-piece multi tools, with one paticular brand as a prominent exception, remain something that I'm only vaguely aware of. I tried looking into them a little more, but was quickly turned away by novelty designs and collector's editions on one side, and factory-stamped swizzle sticks on the other. Don't get me wrong, I can geek out with the best of them – feel free to hit some of my camera reviews – but I think that TT Pocket Tools has ruined me. They're practical but with a strong guy-toy value, are excellent designs, and are made by someone who cares about what he's doing.

Something tells me that I'm going to be a repeat customer.

last updated 11 feb 2012