The introduction of the Apple Watch marks a new era in the evolution of wearable technology. Apple’s entry in the market has certainly brought life in the smartwatch market, as well as in the greater market of wearable tech. Indeed, the Apple Watch has made smartwatches more appealing than before, but is it enough for you even as a Manchester Wedding Photographer to get one?

Today, let us look at the benefits and the drawbacks the Apple Watch brings to the table to better get an idea of what it has to offer as a tech device and as a watch.

The Pros

Let us first take a look at the positive aspects of this device as listed below:

• Design – For a smartwatch, the Apple Watch is designed to look just as nice and stylish as with any regular watch. Whether you will go with the Sport variant or the more fashionable Edition variant, each model of the Apple Watch is designed to look good on your wrist.
• Sturdy Build – Each model of the Apple Watch is designed with a solid, functional body. This extends as well to the interchangeable bands that you can use with your watch, from solid special rubber material on the sport bands, to the fine leather bands and the fine metallic build of bracelet bands.
• Innovative technology – The Apple Watch is itself a showcase of smart and easy to understand technology being incorporated in the device. One evidence of that is the presence of the crown found in regular watches being repurposed as a digital crown to navigate the interface better. Also, the apps on the device are specially designed, providing a new type of interactive and digital experience, taking advantage of the overall aesthetic and technology of the watch itself, capable of connecting to other selected devices, (something we will get to later) other Apple Watches, or with other technologies like the Apple Pay electronic payment system.

The Cons

Now we look at the negative aspects of the Apple Watch listed here below:

• Price – Being a premium device, not to mention being an Apple product, the Apple Watch comes with a very expensive price tag, priced on the same levels as that of the premium watches made by Swiss watchmakers. If affordability is a big consideration for you, then better think twice on going for a watch like this one.
• Battery life – Unlike watches whose battery life lasts for years with no need for recharging constantly, a smartwatch like the Apple Watch constantly needs power recharging for it to work. Limited battery life for this device entails daily recharging which one can do during sleep, which may be a bit of a problem for those who wear their watches during their sleep.
• Connectivity only with specific devices – The Apple Watch has the ability to connect and sync with other devices, but being an iOS device, it only connects with other iOS devices. What the bigger drawback is though is that not all iOS devices can connect with the Apple Watch. At the moment, only the iPhone 5 and later models have this connectivity feature with the Apple Watch available. Tough luck if you have an older iPhone model that you hope would sync with the watch.

One thing to note is that this is just the 1^st generation of the Apple Watch that is available in the market. As such, there is much room for improvement as far as features and design is concerned. Hopefully, the price as well will change to lower levels.

So is the Apple Watch a must have device to get? On a technical standpoint its features are impressive for a smartwatch. As an electronic device, the Apple Watch is as feature rich as it should be. But features and innovation are not the only considerations in having a device. There is also the matter of pricing and whether its features addresses what you need or if they can help do the job you normally do easier.

In the end, it is a matter of personal preference as a consumer. As long as you have taken all these things into consideration to arrive at a sound decision on your part, there should be no problem.

After the rousing success of the OM-D EM5, Olympus recently unveiled the successor to this successful compact mirrorless camera, the OM-D EM5 Mark II. How does it fare compared to its predecessor and to other mirrorless cameras out in the market? We shall find out in this review.

Design and controls

First things first, the EM5 Mark II looks very much like its predecessor. However, the EM5 Mark II offers some improvements in the design, with a better grip, easier navigation of the control dials even with one hand while still retaining a good, solid build for its body.

The camera offers a large and detailed electronic viewfinder, one of the best viewfinders found in cameras today which provides great detail and information and a fully-articulated 3 inch touchscreen LCD that provides a better intuitive interface. It also offers a built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for better sharing of the images caught on this camera

Superior image quality

The EM5 Mark II offers a native 16 megapixel image resolution. It also has a high-speed Live MOS Sensor which offers an improved performance and a remarkable level of clarity and speed in all aspects of image capture. The camera’s TruePic VII image-processing engine improves image quality as well in low-light environments.

The camera’s sensor allows for a maximum ISO of 25,600, and the dynamic range has been expanded for more faithful color reproduction. It also offers a quieter mechanical shutter and a fast, accurate, focusing system to better capture images

Image Stabilization

However, the EM5 Mark II’s killer feature is with its performance in image stabilization, a feature many cameras in the market today tend to overlook. In the case of Olympus however, they have developed for this camera an ultra-sensitive 5-axis VCM (voice coil motor) technology that employs updated gyro sensors for a full 5 exposure steps of compensation. This gives the camera an exceptional performance in image stabilization, being able to deliver sharp, clear still images even in low light or steady HD video when capturing movies.

Another good thing is that this feature works with any lens you wish to use for the camera. So there’s no need to worry about what lens to use that would offer stabilization as the camera does it exceptionally well for you.

High Res Shot

With an improved stabilization mechanism, the EM5 Mark II offers another interesting feature a number of photographers like Martin Pemberton would love, the 40MP High Res Shot. This allows the camera to shift the sensor over eight frames and then combining them into one higher resolution image of up to a whopping 40 megapixels.

Please note though that this does not increase the camera’s native megapixel resolution; you will still get 16 MP on your camera even when using the High Res Shot feature. What it does instead is enhance the quality of the image taken into the camera and make it more detailed. Also, this feature would only work well in ideal situations and environments, such as still subjects.

Final Thoughts

The Olympus OMD EM5 Mark II is a worthy upgrade from the previous EM5 model as it offers more features and, most especially, an improved photographic performance.

Its features are not only impressive, they are also unique in the sense that not many cameras offer those features, most especially the image stabilization feature. That only makes the EM5 Mark II a solid camera that can rival any mirrorless camera in the market at least. If you are looking for a good mirrorless camera, or a camera that can provide an improved image quality, the Olympus OMD EM5 Mark II is a camera worth very much considering.

As a photographer who travels a lot quite often, it is important for me that I have a bag that is capable of carrying all of my photography gear without having to worry of either not being able to fit them all comfortably or worse, be subject to damage due to external elements that my bag would have to endure.

Thus, I was simply thrilled to know that ThinkTank Photo has come up with a bag that addresses my needs with the Airport Security V2.0 Rolling Camera Bag. Simply put, it is one of the best camera bags out there and let me explain why I think it is so.

Big Capacity

First thing to love about it is how much it can carry with its size. The bag can fit up to two camera bodies, 4 to 6 lenses, 2 or more external flashes and other accessories like chargers, rode microphones, whatever else you may need to put in. if you have a tripod, the Thinktank Airport Security V2.0 Camera Bag has a special compartment on the side where you can attach it to.

With so much capacity, the Airport Security V2.0 Camera Bag is not that big in size. In fact, with its dimensions at 14” W x 22” H x 9” D, it passes the standards as a carry-on luggage at the airport.

Keeps My Stuff Well-Organized

Organizing stuff in this bag is not a problem with the included movable dividers that allow you to properly organize the contents of your bag whatever way you want it, depending on the gear you’ll be putting in and how you want them to be organized. In addition, the bag also has a front pocket organizer that allows you put in other items like pens, notepads, and other smaller items.

Keeps My Gear Protected

The Thinktank Airport Security V2.0 Camera Bag is designed to protect your valuable camera gear, something I appreciate with this product. Its exterior is designed to protect my gear from rain, abrasion, and other elements thanks to its water-repellant coating and a reinforced padding inside and out. There is also a waterproof cover included for a more sure and reinforced protection in the case of heavy rains.

Even its wheels are designed in such a way to keep your gear protected thanks to its unique design which makes sure your bag is stable and protected in instances where you have to go through curbs.

Reinforced Security

This bag also employs a number of security features to keep your gear inside secure from thieves. For starters, it has a TSA combination lock which secures the zippers and deter anyone from opening it. On top of that, it also has a rear security cable which allows you to fasten the bag to an immovable object like a nearby post, preventing anyone from stealing your bag altogether while you are away.

As an added level of protection, the bag also has its own security plate, with a unique number you need to register so in the event the bag gets lost and someone finds it, the bag can be easily returned.

Sturdiness

Every element the bag is made out of is made from quality and long-lasting materials. In fact, Thinktank Photo provides a lifetime warranty for this bag, which goes to show how confident they are in believing this bag is made to last.

This warranty also covers the bag’s wheels as Airport Security V2.0 Camera Bag was built with mobility in mind. Even if you wear out the wheels, ThinkTank Photo will readily provide you replacement wheels for your bag.

Everything Else is Covered

If in case you are taking the stairs or walking by a rocky surface, the bag also includes shoulder straps that you can attach to the bag, converting it into a backpack as the situation calls it.

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You don’t have to take my word for it though. You can check out the Thinktank Airport Security V2.0 Rolling Camera Bag at your neighborhood photography shop and see for yourself all these features and why it is a popular bag of choice among many photographers out there.