Zecti 70 inch Travel Tripod Review – Plus comparison with Zecti 55 inch Aluminium Tripod

Photography, Reviews, Tech News, ,

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Zecti 70 inch travel tripod review plus a comparison with their 55 inch tripod. I am already using the 55 inch Zecti tripod on a near daily basis, so I decided to take a look at the bigger 70 inch version. This is a different design so in my main video review, I have also compared it to the 55 inch tripod.

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The Key Features / Specifications

– Max. Height: 70 inch/176.5cm with column extended
– Min. Height: 21inch/54cm
– Folding Height: 22inch/57cm
– Converted to Monopod: 65inch
– Number of Leg Sections: 4
– Material: Aluminum Alloy+Plastic
– Leg Lock: Flip-lock
– Lateral Tilt Angle: 90 degree
– Tilt Angle: 180 degree
– Panning Angle: 360 degree
– Screw for camera: 1/4 inch
– Head Type: 3-Way Head
– Weight: 1.65kg/3.63lb
– Packing Size: 11.5*11.5*59.3cm
– Foot Type: Anti-slip Horseshoe Mat
– In the box – 1x Camera tripod, 1x User Manual, 1x Carrying Case
– 3-way Head with quick release plate are easy for you to install or remove most cameras camcorder DV and etc.
– The unique design of the horseshoe foot and bottom weight hook ensure an excellent stability of the tripod.
– Two in one design of the tripod allow you to convert the tripod between tripod and monopod easily.

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Video Review

To really illustrate the tripod, I filmed a review which also included a comparison with the Zecti 55 inch tripod and Amazon Basic tripod. I also explain the difference in quality between the tripods and their respective features.

Conclusion

The Zecti 70 inch Travel Tripod is ideal if you need a quick release plate and the extra height. I am now using both of these tripods as they are lightweight and ideal for most of my photography.

Useful Links

Zecti 70 inch Travel Tripod
Full Range of Zecti products

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Apple iPhone 7 Plus – Camera Showcase

Apple, Tech News,

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Apple iPhone 7 Plus camera showcase. This week I released a video showcasing the Huawei Mate 9 camera and I was asked by several people if I could create a similar video for the iPhone 7 Plus. So I did.

The video includes a range of photos, shot using various different modes, and a selection of photos shot in raw using ProCam 4 app. Other apps used for long exposures included Nightcap Pro. Details of the modes, if raw used and apps are noted on the photos too.

LG G6 – LG listened to “You” – Then removes 3 top features for the UK & More

Android, Tech News,

So LG announced the LG G6 at MWC 2017. It was the chance for LG to shine and potentially steal the limelight away from its competition.

All was going well, with its new metal and glass design which looks a lot better than the LG G5 and its new 18:9 screen aspect ratio. The new UI with Google Assistant looked really good and being able to run 2 applications on the screen both in perfect sized squares looked fab too. The new dual 13mp cameras, one of which was a 120 degree wide angle lens now works better with the other 13mp standard lens. The sample photos looked impressive too.

I was able to overlook the fact it had the Snapdragon 821 processor. Samsung has hogged all the 835 chipsets for its new S8.

And then came the sting in the tail. LG once again had different specifications for different countries. The USA model comes with wireless charging. In Korea the phone will come with 64gb storage instead of 32gb and will include a HiFi DAC. Considering the whole launch event was about listening to its customers, how on earth can LG offer such vast differences in hardware experiences and expect everyone to be happy! But could it get any worse. Yes. The front display uses Gorilla Glass 3 which is now 4 years old. The rear camera is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, and the glass back has Gorilla Glass 5 which is meant to be 1.8 times stronger than previous generations. So why on earth has the front screen only got Gorilla Glass 3?

64gb storage should be the base model for 2017 for any flagship phone. My Huawei Mate 9 comes with 64gb as standard. My iPhone 7 Plus has 256gb. 32gb is not sufficient as in reality about 20gb will be available. Stating you can install a memory card is not the same as apps and games do not run from a micro SD card.

Finally, look at the LG G5 nougat review update I posted today. It comes with Bluetooth APT-X HD codec and an infra red blaster. Plus it has a removable battery and more!

LG G5 – Review Re-Visited with Android Nougat – PLUS Special Features

Android, Reviews, Tech News, ,

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LG just announced the LG G6 but before you rush out and buy the new shiny model from LG, I decided to take another look at the LG G5 now that it has received Android Nougat. I would like to thank Vodafone UK for the loan of the G5 and making this update to my original review possible.

To recap my review of the LG G5, click here to read my LG G5 26 part review along with all the LG Friends.

Key Specifications

– Screen 5.3 inch QHD 1440 x 2560 pixels (~554 ppi pixel density), Corning Gorilla Glass 4
– Always-on display
– Android OS v7.0 Nougat
– Chipset Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820, Adreno 520 GPU
– Internal 32 GB, 4 GB RAM, micro SD card up to 200gb
– CAMERA Primary 16 MP (f/1.8) + 8 MP (f/2.4), laser autofocus, OIS (3-axis)
– Secondary 8 MP, f/2.0, 1080p@30fps, 135º wide angle
– Audio – 24-bit/192kHz audio
– COMMS -Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot,Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, LE, aptXHD,GPS, NFC
– Other – IR Blaster, FM radio
– USB v3.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go
– Sensors -Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, colour spectrum for camera
– Fast battery charging: 83% in 30 min (Quick Charge 3.0)
– BATTERY Removable Li-Ion 2800 mAh battery
– Dimensions – 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm (5.88 x 2.91 x 0.30 in)
– Weight 159 g (5.61 oz)

LG G5 running nougat makes it a difference phone for a number of reasons, most of which I have explained in my video review below. Using the camera of the G5 was a joy. The wide angle lens is fantastic. Below is a shot from the weekend.

Stormy Skies #dartmoor #church #lgg5 #wide

One of the issues of the G5 was its battery life, but with nougat I have been able to finish the day with 40% remaining. Another highlight is the bluetooth music audio quality. It is truly epic! I used many bluetooth headphones with it and they totally rocked out. If you have AirPods you won’t know just what they are capable of until you connect them to the LG G5.

Video Review

So to fully appreciate and understand why this is such a good phone, watch my video review. Just how tough is the build quality nearly one year later? Found this out plus all the new features on the LG G5 running nougat.

Conclusion

Revisiting the LG G5 was fantastic. It actually is making me desire the new LG G6 even more now, but for those on a budget, you really cannot go wrong with the LG G5!

Useful Links

LG G5 latest pricing on Amazon
Vodafone Shop for wide range of deals

Huawei announces the P10 and P10 Plus – And all 4 Networks will be selling them! – My Thoughts

Android, Tech News,

Huawei announced the P10 and P10 Plus at MWC today. As upgrades to the Huawei P9 there was a lot of interesting new improvements and more colours too.

For me the P10 Plus was the highlight with a bigger 5.5 inch screen than the standard 5.1 inch screen on P10. The P10 Plus screen also moves up from 1080p to QHD, includes stereo speakers, infra red blaster and the next generation of Leica rear dual cameras, called the Leica Pro Edition 2.0. These new dual lenses a f/1.8.

The Plus comes in either a 4gb/64gb or 6gb/128gb ram/storage configuration. Gorilla Glass 5 are on both P10’s models.

Huawei also made a lot of noise about the brand new finishing process called hyper diamond cut, which according to Huawei prevents scratches unlike other glossy (jet black) phones.

Huawei also announced the Huawei Watch 2. One noticeable difference over the Mate 9 and P9 is the higher price tags. Huawei is now charging flagship pricing for its phones. The P10 Plus will cost 699 or 799 euros depending on storage configuration.

BlackBerry KEYone – Video Overview & Thoughts + Full Specifications

Android, Tech News, , ,

The BlackBerry KEYone, formally known as the BlackBerry Mercury has now been officially launched at MWC.

The Key Specs / Features

– OS – Android 7.1.1 Nougat
– Display 4.5-inch, 1620×1080, IPS LCD,434ppi
– Processor Snapdragon 625, Adreno 506 GPU,RAM 3GB
– Storage 32GB
– Expandable microSD up to 2TB
– Rear Camera 12MP (1.55 micron) f/2.0, PDAF, dual-tone LED flash, HDR, 4K, 30fps
– Front Camera 8MP f/2.2, 1.12-micron pixels,Selfie flash,1080p/30 video
– Battery 3505 mAh
– Charging Quick Charge 3.0
– USB-C
– BlackBerry Software DTEK security suite, Launcher, Hub & Other Apps
– FIPS 140-2 Full Disk Encryption
– Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC, GPS, GLONASS
– Dimensions – 149.1 mm x 72.39 mm x 9.4 mm
– Weight 180 grams

Video Overview

My Thoughts

The BlackBerry KEYone will go on sale at the beginning of April for £499 in the UK.It is going to be up against the Huawei P10, LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8 and maybe a few other phones. However, I don’t think this will be an issue as this phone is not trying to compete in the same way.

For starters the keyboard, its the only keyboard on an android phone. Having reviewed many previous BlackBerry’s including the recent DTEK50 and DTEK60, the reliability of regular security updates was re-assuring. The KEYone is going to follow in the same manner. The additional BlackBerry software apps and tweaks will make a difference to the overall experience. The keyboard can have a shortcut assigned to every key. The keyboard also includes a fingerprint sensor and acts as a trackpad. The grippy back is the same that came with the DTEK50, meaning you won’t drop it.

The BlackBerry KEYone looks like a phone that could be used one handedly with ease. It has the same camera sensor as the Google Pixel too.

So whilst the specs may not scream out at you as pure high end flagships ones, I reckon this phone will be great to use, for those that want a keyboard on an android phone, regular security updates and decent battery life.

At £499 it will face a lot of competition so it will be interesting to see how well it sells. For me this is the most exciting BlackBerry in ages!

More information is available at – http://www.blackberryworld.com .

Source – CrackBerry Kevin/YouTube/AndroidCentral

LG G5 – My 26 Part Review – Re-visited now it has Android Nougat

Android, Reviews, Tech News,
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LG G5, here it is back again with its incredible camera setup, removable modular system, and as of tonight running Android Nougat.

What made the G5 special, well check out my 26 part review including the review of the respective “friends”. LG G5 – 26 Part Review 2016 plus Friends

Tomorrow, I am going to give the LG G5 a good once over to see how android nougat changes things for this phone.

So stay tuned tomorrow for some exciting posts.

My thanks to Vodafone for the loan.

Useful Links

Vodafone Shop
More info on the LG G5 on Amazon

Huawei Mate 9 – Another software update just arrived – Details of the new features

Android, Tech News,

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Tonight has been a night of firmware updates for my phones. The Huawei Mate 9 (UK version) only received an update a week or so ago, but just like that, along came B156.

This adds a few new features and the mandatory bug fixes.

One of the most significant new features is 10 x zoom. So there is no hiding from me now!

The Google security patch has also improved from 1st December 2016 to 1st January 2017.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus – Portrait Mode at its best

Apple, Tech News,

When Apple launched the iPhone 7 Plus, Portrait Mode was not available publicly. Then it arrived as a beta but as time has moved on a few more software updates have improved its results.

Below is an example of a shot I took of a wonky road sign on Dartmoor. I imagine the bending of the sign was done by a free roaming cow that wanted to scratch its back and in the process bent the edges.

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What I like about this photo, is how crisp the edges are including where the metal of the sign has bent at the corners.

Do you agree?

Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 Review – £300 and with a QHD Screen

Android, Reviews, Tech News

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Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 review. This is Vodafone’s high end android offering for just £300 on Pay as You Go and contract plans.

The Key Features

– QHD Amoled 5.5 inch display with 1440 x 2560 pixels with 2.5D Gorilla Glass
– Front facing stereo speakers
– 16mp rear camera, 8mp front camera
– 3.5mm headphone jack
– NFC
– Micro USB
– Dedicated hardware camera button or any app
– 3gb ram, 32gb storage, micro SD card support up to 256gb
– Nano sim
– Android 6.01
– Snapdragon 652 processor

Main Review

Conclusion

The Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 phone is amazing value at around £300 with its QHD screen, stylish looks, stereo speakers and more.

Useful Links

Vodafone Shop
Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 on Amazon