`thew's reviews

Lowepro Photo Hatchback AW 22L

2013-05-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

Concept: 4 out of 5 Execution: 4 out of 5 Yeah, but: Yes, it's yet another camera bag review. The Long Version: I'm going to get this out of the way right up front – the Lowepro Photo Hatchback AW is an exceptional mixed-use camera daypack. I've owned seven different backpacks, with four currently in the rotation, and the 22L Hatchback is easily my favourite. As a mixed-use bag the

Toronto Coach Terminal

2013-05-15T21:21:00.002-04:00

Concept: 1 out of 5 Execution: 0 out of 5 Yeah, but: Like Opus said, "Well maybe not THAT bad, but Lord, it wasn't good." The Long Version: The Toronto Coach Terminal, which is home to Greyhound, Megabus, and Ontario Northland, among other bus lines, is an excellent example of how not to do things. First, the good points: Inside the main doors is a large ticketing area, as well as a

Brief Impressions: Ricoh GR

2013-05-09T22:37:00.002-04:00

Concept: TBA Execution: TBA Yeah, but: More to come when I know anything useful. Counter Opinion: Today I spent a brief amount of time with the New Ricoh GR, and I'm as determined as ever to buy one. True, my hands-on time was less than twenty minutes, but when I had a chance to try the 'Coolpix A' I set it back down after just a fraction of that, impressed at the concept but uninspired by

Ricoh GR Digital IV

2013-05-05T16:37:00.000-04:00

Concept: 3 out of 5 Execution: 4 out of 5 Yeah, but: Three cheers for clearance pricing! The Long Version: No offense, but there's really only so much you can learn from reading about cameras online. Sooner or later the time arrives: back away from the forums, pick up a camera, and GTFO – get the film out, if only metaphorically. The New Ricoh GR digital – V, but who's counting – is

Victorinox Mechanic

2013-05-03T15:27:00.001-04:00

Concept: 4 out of 5 Execution: 3 out of 5 Yeah, but: Mechanic don't care. The Long Version: Why would someone want a small multitool that includes pliers, but not want a pliers-based multitool? It might sound silly, but it's a serious question. Without an answer to it, there's not much point looking at the Victorinox Mechanic, which is May's SAK Of The Month. Honestly, I'm not really

The Canon T5i Rebel

2013-04-22T20:58:00.000-04:00

Concept: 1 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: Canon T5i Rebel don't care. Counter Opinion: This is the Canon T5i Rebel. Watch it run in slow motion. It's pretty bad-ass. Look, it runs all over the place. "Woah, watch out!" says that Pentax. Ew it's got a Nikon? Oh, it's chasing a Sony? Oh my gosh! Oh the Canon T5i Rebels are just flippy! The Canon T5i Rebel's been referred to by

Nikon FT-1 Mount Adapter

2013-04-20T22:24:00.000-04:00

Concept: 2 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: It's the best there is. The Long Version: I have to be fair to the FT1 lens mount adapter, since it does accomplish the task of letting F-mount lenses attach to the Nikon 1-series cameras. It provides metering and camera-based aperture control, and allows static centre-point autofocus with AF-S lenses. In Nikon's world of restricted

Victorinox Explorer

2013-04-13T19:31:00.002-04:00

Concept: 2 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: We can't all want Swiss Champs. The Long Version: I tried to use the Explorer, I really did. I've been reviewing a different Swiss Army Knife each month, which gives me a reason for a little variety in what I carry. But the Explorer is a thick four-layer knife, and it's just too bulky for me to like. I ended up carrying it in my

Lowepro Flipside Sport 20L

2013-03-27T21:00:00.000-04:00

Concept: 3 out of 5 Execution: 4 out of 5 Yeah, but: It's 'Sport' in the 'SUV' sense. The Long Version: Let's be honest – I'm something of a brand snob, and Lowepro comes across as the Targus of the camera-bag world. It's widely available, a recognized maker of decent stuff that everyone starts out with, and they've built an empire with well-designed but uninspiring black nylon bags. So I

Lee Reamsnyder on the Panasonic G5

2013-03-22T20:39:00.001-04:00

Lee Reamsnyder, longtime friend of thewsreviews and author of the best storage product review that I've ever read, joins us with his thoughts after spending a long weekend with the Panasonic G5. Concept: 2 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: It isn't groundbreaking anymore. Lee writes: In 2008, we were introduced to the first camera in what would become a swell little format, the

Victorinox Compact

2013-03-09T16:34:00.000-05:00

Concept: 3 out of 5 Execution: 4 out of 5 Yeah, but: I shouldn't like it this much. The Long Version: Only one layer thicker than February's SAK Of The Month, the Bantam, the Victorinox 'Compact' adds a lot of options over the slimmer knife. Like the Bantam, there's a large blade and combo tool taking up one layer, while the Compact includes a second tool layer that has a pair of

Propel RC Stealth Flyer II

2013-02-25T22:41:00.001-05:00

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

Nikon 1 V1, Part 3

2013-02-18T21:37:00.001-05:00

Concept: 2 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: Adequate verging on sufficient. The Long Version: Welcome to the third instalment of my overly-long-running review of the obsolete Nikon 1 V1. Part one was mostly getting the negatives out of the way, while part two took a sunnier view on things. Now it's finally time to look at the image quality of the camera that I've nicknamed "

Sigma 19mm and 30mm F2.8 EX DN E-Mount Lenses, Part 1

2013-02-16T23:25:00.001-05:00

Concept: 3 out of 5 Execution: 3 out of 5 Yeah, but: Never look a pair of gift lenses in the aperture. The Long Version: I've been carrying two unique mirrorless camera systems for a while now. The first is µ4:3rds consisting of my µ4:3rds cameras (E-P2, E-PL1, E-PL2, and the OM-D E-M5) as well as a fair number of µ4:3rds lenses, some of which I've reviewed on this site. The other mirrorless

Victorinox Bantam

2013-02-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

Concept: 3 out of 5 Execution: 3 out of 5 Yeah, but: The combo tool rules. The Long Version: I've inadvertently started a collection of Swiss Army Knives, and February's SAK of the Month is the Bantam. It's about as simple as a Swiss Army Knife can be without living on a keychain, consisting of just a tweezer, toothpick, large blade and a combo tool. This is all accomplished with a

Caran d'Ache 849 Office Pen

2013-02-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

Concept: 2 out of 5 Execution: 3 out of 5 Yeah, but: It's an acquired taste. The Long Version: It's been four years since I reviewed my Caran d'Ache 849 in its snazzy "Metal X" slick finish. I've rarely carried anything else in the intervening years, and it shows in the finish – but those scrapes and marks are well-earned. I carry my pen clipped in my back pocket, alongside whichever

Olympus BCL-1580 15mm 1:8 Body Cap Lens

2013-02-04T23:29:00.000-05:00

Concept: 5 out of 5 Execution: 5 out of 5 Yeah, but: So what if it's ranked 2,872nd by DxOMark. The Long Version: There's really not a lot to say about an all-plastic µ4:3rds prime that has just three lens elements, two focusing stops, and costs a mere US$49. You can read all the more flowery prose about this optical wonder on the web by those who've purchased their copy and then written

Olympus 75-300mm 1:4.8-6.7 II

2013-02-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

M.Zuiko MSC 75-300mm 1:4.8-6.7 II zoom (photo Olympus) Concept: 2 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: Here we go again... The Long Version: You're looking at the Mark II version of Olympus' only long native µ4:3rds zoom lens of any description. You can look over at Olympus' older 4:3rds mount lenses and note Olympus has at least three to choose from; the SG 70-300mm 1:4-5.6, the HG

Rycote Portable Recorder Suspension

2013-01-25T20:58:00.000-05:00

Concept: 4 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: Shown with optional accessories. The Long Version: One of my favourite things about having a field audio recorder with built-in mics is the advice on how to avoid self-noise: hold it with a firm but relaxed grip. Seriously, am I expected to have years of practice with that technique or something? It turns out that the easiest way to

Ultra-Pod II Table-Top Tripod

2013-01-19T22:12:00.001-05:00

Concept: 3 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: I still want a new Gorillapod. The Long Version: It's easy to take things for granted when they're inexpensive, lightweight, and plastic, and that's what I've done with my 'Ultrapod'. Officially the named the Ultra-Pod II – it's moulded into the product – the name of the actual manufacturer seems to change depending on who you ask.

Victorinox Electrician

2013-01-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

Concept: 5 out of 5 Execution: 4 out of 5 Yeah, but: Soft stainless – it's the "inox" part of the name. The Long Version: Until recently I've been something of a Swiss Army Knife neophyte, thinking that the boxy red-scaled models were about all there was. These are the knives that I remember my father owning, and they're nifty, with lots of options but not particularly practical or easy

Chris Reeve Small Sebenza 21 Insingo

2012-12-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

Concept: 4 out of 5 Execution: 4 out of 5 Yeah, but: It cuts stuff – is anything else about it important? The Long Version: Sebenza. I first heard its name in reverent tones when I joined the usenet alt.rec.knives eighteen years ago, and I've been seeing it mentioned, even if it's only as an aside, almost every time I've researched a higher-end folding knife. This is the knife: there

Nikon 1 V1, Part 2

2012-12-11T21:46:00.000-05:00

Concept: 3 out of 5 Execution: 2 out of 5 Yeah, but: Accepting limits and resetting expectations. The Long Version: I bought the Nikon V1 only because it uses the EN-EL15 battery. My main camera is a Nikon D800, so this gives me two complimentary cameras that use the same charger, and now I have a pool of four batteries to share between them. It's a rare moment of system-building from

Nikon 1 V1, Part 1

2012-12-09T00:10:00.000-05:00

Concept: 1 out of 5 Execution: 3 out of 5 Yeah, but: Unquestionably the best camera of 2009. The Long Version: The Nikon 1 V1 is a deeply flawed camera, and those flaws start with its name. The "Nikon 1" appellation is very difficult to search for, the "CX" format name has no traction, and the whole thing just sounds dumb. Nikon already makes three distinctly different operational tiers

Crumpler Noose Wrist Strap

2012-12-04T21:27:00.000-05:00

Concept: 3 out of 5 Execution: 3 out of 5 Yeah, but: It's neoprene, what's not to like? The Long Version: The Crumpler Noose is a nylon and neoprene camera wrist strap that continues the companies' long tradition of unremarkable and bland product names. Available only in black, it's a mid-weight strap that works well on everything from full-sized SLRs down to mirrorless cameras and large