Tag Archives: Reviews

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Nikon D3200 review

Nikon D3200 reviewThe Nikon D3200 is an entry-level DSLR with a friendly guide mode – ideal for fledgling shutterbugs that don’t know their aperture from their ISO.

Following on from its predecessor, the Nikon D3100, though not replacing it, the brand new Nikon D3200 has upped the ante for entry-level DSLRs, thanks to its show-stopping 24-megapixel sensor.

Going up against the likes of the Sony Alpha A65 and the Canon EOS 600D, the Nikon D3200 has got its work cut out when it comes to earning a place in ourBest Digital SLRs list.

The D3200′s lightweight chassis, which hasn’t changed much in design terms since the previous model, weighs in at just 505g (with battery and memory card) which means that it never becomes cumbersome, even after carting it around all day.

At 125 x 96 x 76.5 mm, the chassis isn’t too chunky, but still remains reassuringly sturdy and while Nikon makes no claims about waterproofing, the D3200 proved to be reasonably resilient to the elements when we tested it in the pouring rain.

The D3200 is available in conventional black or a shiny red finish, should you be so inclinded.

One of the key selling points on the new snapper is the guide mode. Enhanced since its inclusion on the D3100, this nifty feature is easily accessible via the top-mounted dial and holds your hand through the basics. Teaching you how to set up a variety of shots, it even includes examples of how the pictures should look.

For example, one of the tutorials shows you how to get the best picture of a sunset by tweaking the white balance to capture the red tones. Follow the suggestions, alter the settings and the picture will change to reflect how the finished article will look. There may be a few kinks to iron out (such as the overeager pop-up flash), but it’s a damn good starting point for newbies.

You can read the rest of the article at T3.com (originally published 17 May 2012). 

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Netflix review

Netflix reviewNetflix offers unlimited online streaming of movies and TV for just £5.99 a month, but can it take on main rival Lovefilm? Find out here…

Netflix has been offering online movie streaming in the US since 1999, but it’s taken until now for the service to make its way over the pond to the UK. For £5.99 a month, you’ll get unlimited access to the Netflix library of films and TV programmes, which means that the service will be going head-to-head with the Lovefilm Instant offering, currently priced at £4.99. The gloves are off in the Netflix vs Lovefilm rumble, but how does the new kid on the block fare?

Netflix: Streaming

There’s no denying that just six quid a month will get you a sizable chunk of films and TV to choose from, although it’s worth considering how much strain it could place on your Broadband data cap. If you go above the set limit on your ISP package, you could well end up getting charged for the extra data – an important point to keep in mind if you’re planning on getting the most out of your monthly £5.99

Netflix: Devices

As well as streaming from your computer, Netflix works on pretty much all of the major platforms, including Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360,Apple iPhone and Apple iPad. There are also client for various web TVs from the likes of Samsung, along with LG Blu-ray players and LG home theatre systems, along with media streamer boxes from brands like Roku.

The fact that Netflix works on Apple TV as well as across numerous Androiddevices is also a major boon, and something that Lovefilm doesn’t currently offer (there is an Android app where you can manage your list and settings, but no streaming).

However, Lovefilm is aiming to be make its service available on as many devices as possible so it’s a reasonable assumption that we won’t have to wait too long to see streaming capability on Android devices.

The ability to stream Netflix via the iPhone app using 3G is also great news, although it probably depends on what the 3G signal is like where you live, or more likely what it’s like at your gym or on your commuting route, as we’re guessing those are the the places where most people will want to watch Netflix on their phone’s relatively tiny screen.

Buffering on both the iPad and Android tablet apps is surprisingly swift meaning that you get get stuck into watching your chosen title pretty much straight away.

Syncing between devices is a nice touch, which means that you could start watching something on your laptop, and then pick up where you left off at a later time on another device. The UI is simple to use and more or less the same across different platforms, so the whole experience is pretty much uniform, no matter what you’re gadget you’re watching on.

You can read the rest of the article on T3.com (originally published 1 February 2012).

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Lomography LomoKino review: Hands-on

Lomography LomoKinoAnalogue camera specialist Lomography has unveiled its very first movie camera, the LomoKino, and we were invited along to Lomo HQ for a top secret exclusive preview prior to the official launch.

As we’d already received an invite to the launch event in the form of an old cinema ticket along with a pack of popcorn, we’d guessed that the new product would be a movie gadget of some sort. However, while most internet rumours pointed towards some form of 8mm movie cam, the LomoKino actually uses good ol’ 35mm, which is nice and cheap to buy and easy to find, unlike 8mm cine film.

Equipped with a 25mm lens, the LomoKino takes 4 shots per frame, giving you a total of 144 shots on a roll which, when edited together into a digital movie file, should give you a silent film lasting between 36 and 48 seconds (at around 3-4 frames per second). You can use any type of 35mm film – whether that’s conventional colour negative, slide film or black and white – and all you need to do is turn the film crank on the side of the camera to capture your shots. Varying the speed of the crank will determine how slow or fast your film is and you can either take it all in one go, or stop halfway through and pick up “filming” later on, in another location.

The camera is available on its own, or in a bundle with the LomoKinoScope – a small black box into which you can spool your developed slide film, hold up to the light and watch your movie. Obviously, you can also use the device to view other types of 35mm apart from slide film, but your images will appear in negative, rather than positive (as slide film is specifically designed to produce transparencies, rather than prints). Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to see the LomoKinoScope in action, but we did get our mitts on the camera and it’s a beauty.

Lomography LomoKinoThe modernist black plastic casing has a suitably retro look to it and although not the slimmest gadget in the world, it’s certainly small enough to fit into a bag (a fairly spacious bag, granted). And it’s also extremely lightweight and fits comfortably in the hand. Although we didn’t actually get the chance to shoot a roll, the loading mechanism all appears to be very straightforward, so you should be able to cut your own, hipster-flavoured version of Keystone Cops before you know it.

The rudimentary viewfinder pops up at the flick of a switch and packs down flat for storage. The viewing window is really quite tiny as it’s sized to match the quarter frame shots that you’ll be taking, so it’s a bit of a struggle to see through. However, most users will probably end up sticking to Lomo’s “shoot from the hip” ethos and doing away with the viewfinder in favour of freestyle shooting.

You can read the rest of the article on Pocket-lint.com (originally published 03/11/11).

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Lomography La Sardina review

Lomography La SardinaWhen Lomography sent us a tin of sardines in the post with a message attached inviting us along to a sneak preview of its new camera, we were expecting some sort of waterproof model or perhaps even a fisheye snapper. The clue was in fact much more literal – with the Lomography La Sardina turning out to be a camera shaped like a sardine tin. While this may sound ludicrous, the odd shape is actually based on an old 1930s snapper – the Kandor Candid – made by the Irwin Corporation.

Along with the somewhat silly, yet endearing design, La Sardina also boasts a super-wide 22mm f/8 lens, while the flash has three different settings – a first for a Lomo camera. The design may be fun, but is the camera actually any good? We put it through its paces to see whether it would sink or swim.

Design

There are four different designs available – all based on sardine tins. You can choose from the green Marathon or the blue Sea Pride, both of which come with a price tag of £49 and no flashgun. To get the flash capability you’ll need to shell out £89 for the red El Capitan or the blue Fishers Fritze (we had the latter in for review). You can also pick up the Fritz the Blitz flash separately for £55. (For more images of the other designs, check out our hands-onfrom launch day.) While the build quality isn’t quite up to the standards set my the brand’s more expensive cameras, such as the LC-Wide, it’s reassuringly robust compared to the likes of the Diana Mini.

The camera chassis itself is relatively compact, although obviously the detachable flash, which fits on the side of the body, adds a fair bit of bulk. The lens board can be twisted into the body of the camera to make it more compact (simply turn it 45 degrees until it clicks), although you need to make sure that it’s fully extended for shooting. There’s a message on the extension that reads “Only shoot if you can see me!” - and as the shutter release won’t go when the lens is collapsed, this shouldn’t be a problem. Although a useful feature if space is at a premium in your bag (and to stop the camera going off by accident), we found that it was easier just to leave the lens extended all of the time, as it only takes up a few extra mm.

You can read the rest of the article here on Pocket-lint.com (originally published 05/08/11).

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Samsung Tocco Icon review

Samsung Tocco IconThe Samsung Tocco Icon GT-S5260 is an updated version of the brand’s popular Tocco Lite and looks fairly similar, although it does throw a few extras into the mix – with the key update being the step up from a resistive touchscreen to a capacitive display. There is no 3G connectivity, keeping the Tocco Icon firmly in budget feature phone territory, but you do get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to fill the void.

Design

Measuring a svelte 107.5 x 54 x 12.4mm, the Tocco Icon weighs 94g and sports a neat candy bar design. The shiny fascia is largely dominated by the display while the silver edges and glossy back cover give the handset a premium look. However, the glossiness has a tendency to pick up greasy fingerprints far too easily so keeping a cleaning cloth on hand might be a good plan. The minimalist design allows for just three buttons underneath the screen – dial and end keys and a central menu key for launching the app menu.

On the left-hand edge of the you’ll find the conveniently placed volume up and down controls, while the right-hand edge is home to the power/lock key. The top of the unit is home to a 3.5mm for plugging in a pair of headphones, alongside a port for hooking up the charger. Built-in memory is limited to a paltry 30MB, but you can can boost the memory up to 16GB by making use of the microSD card slot.

The inclusion of a capacitive touchscreen is a neat upgrade. The Tocco Icon’s touchscreen is nice and responsive and although not quite up to the standards that you’d expect from a top-tier smartphone, it’s one of the best we’ve seen on a handset in this price range.

The screen’s mediocre resolution means that that video playback isn’t brilliant, with images taking on a somewhat soft and grainy appearance. The colours are also rather washed out and it’s almost impossible to make out any details on particularly dark areas of the screen while colours, overall, look a little washed out.

You can read the rest of the article here on Pocket-lint.com (originally published 27/07/11).

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Lomography LC-Wide review

Lomography LC-WideAnalogue camera specialist Lomography recently expanded its classic LC-A lineup when it unveiled the LC-Wide, featuring a new wide angle lens and a choice of picture formats. The original LC-A was first manufactured 27 years ago and was then replaced by the LC-A+ in 2006. Packing a considerable heritage, the LC-Wide may be the most modern snapper to join the lineup, but how does it compare to the LC-A+ and is it worth trading up?

Measuring in at 108 x 68 x 44.5mm, the LC-Wide is pretty much the same size as its older sibling and feels just as sturdy in the hand. It tips the scales at 220g (not including the battery and film) which is more or less the same as the LC-A+. Although a fair bit larger than most modern digital cameras, the pleasingly chunky chassis is palm-sized so it won’t take up to too much room in your bag and its relative bulk actually means that it can be held far more comforably than many smaller cameras. The textured finish also means that there’s plenty of grip to keep it slipping from your hand and it also comes with a detachable wrist strip for extra safety.

In terms of looks, it boasts the same vintage asthetics as previous LC-A models with a few added touches to make it clear that this is an upgrade. The lens casing on the front of the camera is slightly wider to accomodate the new wide-angle 17mm lens, and the extra protrusion sports a thin red trim. Apart from these differences and a couple of very minor aesthetic additions (such as the text around the lens) the camera looks more or less the same as the LC-A+.

You can read the rest of the article here on Pocket-lint.com (originally published 21/06/11).

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Blackbird Fly review

Blackbird FlyThe concept of analogue cameras may sound ridiculously old-fashioned, but there are plenty of them available and many shutter bugs like them for the creative freedom and cool effects that they offer. We’ve reviewed a few film-based cameras in the past, included the Sprocket Rocket and Spinner 360 from Lomography, and next up is the Blackbird, Fly. 

The Blackbird, Fly (yes, the comma is part of the name but we’ll leave it out from herein on as it just looks silly), is a Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) camera. This means that there are two objective lenses – one wide-angle 33m lens for capturing your image and one for the top-down viewfinder. A mirror behind the viewfinder lens is angled at 45 degrees to reflect upwards through a focusing screen that’s surrounded by a four-sided plastic hood which is there to block and some of the light and reduce reflection on the screen. This produces an image on the screen to show what will be captured on film.

The camera itself looks pretty cool and is available in a range of colours including orange, blue, red and black. We had the bright yellow model in for review, which means that despite the old-fashioned style of the camera, it looks thoroughly modern.

Although the Blackbird looks a little like a camera from the 40s, it doesn’t mean that you need to worry about tracking down an obsolete film format (such as hard-to-find 120 film). The camera takes the standard 35mm film that you can still buy in any camera shop or chemist. We used ISO 800 colour film, but it’s really up to you which roll you choose, depending on the effect that you’re after and the conditions that you’re shooting in.

You can read the rest of the article here on Pocket-lint.com (originally published 28/04/11).

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Panasonic DMP-B200 portable Blu-ray player review

Panasonic DMP-B200Panasonic is currently the only manufacturer to offer a portable Blu-ray player in the UK, and its latest model comes in the form of the DMP-B200, a logically named successor to the B100. 

Despite being a portable device, the DMP-200 felt fairly hefty the second that we got it out of the box and the weight was added to considerably once the battery was attached, making it a fair bit heavier than many portable DVD players. The battery also sticks out, spoiling any hopes of a streamlined product and the large screen hinge also protrudes. However, it is still relatively compact compared to non-portable decks.

The simple black plastic finish, with tiny glittery detail, makes a nice change from the high-gloss products that seem so popular at the moment, but end up covered in fingerprints the second that they emerge from the box. In contrast to the classy lid, the cheap-looking grey plastic used on the underside isn’t particularly pretty, but then it will be hidden for most of the time anyway.

Down the left-hand side of the unit, you’ll find the the covered SD card slot along with an HDMI port for hooking up to an HDTV. The right-hand edge reveals a headphone socket, along with volume controls and a menu button one the edge of the screen. There’s no Ethernet port or Wi-Fi connection, making this a Profile 1.1 player, rather 2.0. Having said that, it will support some special features, but not the web-based BD-Live ones.

You can read the rest of the article here on Pocket-lint.com (originally published 12/04/11).

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B&W Zeppelin Air review

B&W Zeppellin AirWe were very impressed with the original Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin speakers when we reviewed them back in 2008, so we were pleased to hear about the launch of the Apple AirPlay-enabled version. We managed to get a sneak preview of the Zeppelin Air shortly before it launched so we’ve been keen to get one in at Pocket-lint HQ for a thorough testing.

Boasting the same good looks as its predecessor, the speaker is shaped like an old Zeppelin airship from the 1930s, giving it a distinctive look that smacks of premium quality. It feels reassuringly hefty, although not so much so that it’s difficult to move around. Although the same size as its older sibling, it’s actually slightly lighter at 6.2kg, compared to the Zeppelin’s 7.5kg. The rear panel of the speakers is glossy black, but the front is finished with sedate speaker cloth.

There’s a shiny silver strip that runs vertically down the centre of the speakers, incorporating a small power button along with equally tiny volume up and down controls. These are the only buttons that you’ll find on the minimalist chassis. There’s also a silver iPod cradle that sticks out from the front of the speakers and provides a surprisingly sturdy home for your iDevice. The protruding cradle may look supsciously like a carrying handle, but using it as such is likely to end in breakage and tears.

The back of the unit reveals a modest selection of connections, including an Ethernet port that you’ll need for the initial AirPlay setup with your computer. You’ll also find a Composite port for video playback, a USB for upgrades and a 3.5mm jack for hooking up any non-Apple music players.

You can read the rest of the article here on Pocket-lint.com (originally published 04/04/11).

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Toshiba Camileo S30 review

Toshiba Camileo S30The range of pocket camcorders available seems to be growing by the day and there are now plenty of options on offer. Toshiba recently expanded its range with the introduction of the Camileo S30 and P20 which both sport slimline, pocket-friendly designs. We took a closer look at the S30 to see how it would compares with its rivals.

The full HD Camileo S30 is available in a range of fancy colours including blue, red, silver, and “raspberry”. Our review model was the black version which is lovely and shiny, and as such, was covered in fingerprints minutes after emerging from the box although Toshiba has thoughtfully included a cleaning cloth. Measuring just 59 x 106 x 19mm, the S30 is very compact indeed and is more or less the same size as a smartphone when the screen is folded away. Tipping the scales at just 150g, it’s also very lightweight which is great news if you actually intend to carry it round in your pocket.

The pistol grip design means that the screen folds out and can be swivelled through 180 degrees to find the best viewing position possible, depending on how and what you’re shooting. For example, tilting the screen downwards is very useful for filming over the tops of people’s heads when you’re in a crowd. The screen also tilts downwards to the side slightly, which should mean that it will move, rather than snap off if it’s subjected to any downward pressure. Flipping the screen out automatically turns on the camcorder so that it’s ready for use within about 2 seconds. To turn it off you can either just fold the screen back into its place or use the off button located on the inside of the grip. If the S30 is left on for more than 3 minutes then it will turn itself off automatically to conserve valuable battery power.

You can read the rest of the article here on Pocket-lint.com (originally published 22/02/11).