Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X
Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X
$101 | €95 | £87 [amazon links]
Switzerland
★★★☆
As with all my reviews this product has been thoroughly tested in its expected environment and I’ll have to give it to Victorinox, this multitool has done a stellar job.
The overall build quality is excellent and something I have come to expect from this swiss based company. Victorinox has in recent years branched out into watches, travel gear and even fragrances! But it is the ‘swiss army’ knife which is the reason most people see them as world leaders.
The swissTool spirit X I have, is a multitool which you can carry anywhere and which for such a small package really packs a lot in. I was surprised at how much use I got from not only the main knife (of which I was impressed with) but also the pliers and screwdrivers. However, if I could design my own multitool, I’d probably leave out the can opener (what is the last can you’ve had to open!) and maybe the scissors so that an even lighter and thinner profile could be achieved.
The ergonomics of the tool where great with the handles having a slight curve which meant the tool sat nicely in the hand, all the tools locked into place once fully extended and I had full confidence that I could apply as much force as needed onto the locking system.
Overall a great tool which I’ll continue to throw into my backpack for my travel and camping adventures.
Features:
Tools
Needle-nosed pliers, wire cutter for thin and soft wire up to 40 HRC, hard wire cutter, large blade, philips screwdriver 1/2, reamer-punch, multipurpose hook, can opener, screwdriver 4mm, bottle opener, screwdriver 6mm, crate opener, wire bender, scissors, wood saw, metal saw, metal file, screwdriver 2.5mm, chisel 7mm scraper, wirestripper wire scraper, cable cover longitudinal cutter, cable cover crossways cutter
Dimensions
Height - 18 mm | Net weight - 209.1 g
Details
Tool material - stainless steel | Size - 105 mm
Blade lockable - Yes | One hand blade - No
Suunto KB14/360
$125 | €125 | £125 [amazon links]
Finland
★★★★
Machined from a single piece of aluminium alloy this hand-bearing compass is a little special. The industrial design making it a stand out piece of kit, which you will enjoy carrying. The build quality really stood out whilst using the compass and imparted a confidence in the information being given. Actually getting a bearing, comprises keeping both eyes open and looking through the optic towards your target object, an optical illusion makes the object and sighting line appear to overlap, allowing an accurate reading. Once you have finished taking your reading you can throw the compass around your neck using the bright red lanyard, the lanyard connection is of brass and again oozes quality.
Realistically this compass is a little overkill for my casual hiking needs and is more suited to professionals such as surveyors, engineers or geologists. However, if you don’t mind paying the extra, this compass will not disappoint. In the photos below I’ve added the yellow rubber protection cover which I’d recommend to keep your compass looking good but it costs extra (€15) and is not essential as the compass is robust and waterproof without it.
Features:
- Accuracy 1/3°
- Graduation interval 0.5°
- Scale: Azimuth 360°, Reversed 360°
- Adjustable diopter
- Saphire bearing
- Liquid filled capsule for stable operation
- Anodized light-alloy housing
- Nylon pouch with belt-loop
- Lanyard
Specifications:
- Measurements: 77 x 52 x 15 mm / 3.03 x 2.05 x 0.59 "
- Weight: 93 g / 3.28 oz
- Glass material: Acrylic
CASIO Vintage A1000D-7EF
CASIO Vintage A1000D-7EF
Japan
★★☆☆
At last a smaller sized vintage inspired Casio in stainless steel. I’ve been waiting for something like this since the release of the metal square, although to be fair I’d have liked to see a reissue of the much-loved Marlin which I had as a child. The build quality of this watch is great, and the back light is the best I’ve seen on a watch at this price (€99). The one strange element to the watch is the pearl like white surround which gives that shimmering effect of a pearl, why they went this route I’m not sure and I’m equally unsure if I like it or not! Overall the watch sits nicely on the wrist and all importantly is made of stainless steel, here’s hoping many more classic Casio’s get the ungrade to stainless steel and soon.
Technical Specifications:
- lluminator: An electro-luminescent panel causes the entire face to glow for easy reading.
- Stopwatch function - 1/100 sec. - 1 hour: Elapsed time, split time and final time are measured with 1/100-sec accuracy. The watch can measure times of up to 1 hour.
- Daily alarm: The daily alarm reminds you of events that recur every day, by emitting an audible signal at the set time.
- Automatic calendar with Date, Day and Month: Once set, the automatic calendar always displays the correct date.
- 12/24-hour timekeeping: Times can be displayed in either a 12-hour or 24-hour format.
- Mineral glass: The tough mineral glass resists scratching.
- Solid stainless steel case
- Stainless steel band: Tough, durable and elegant: The stainless steel wrist strap gives your watch that classic feel.
- Safety Catch: Always reliable: This watch has a particularly secure safety catch, which helps prevent the strap from opening by mistake.
- 3 Years - 1 Battery: The battery supplies the watch with sufficient energy for approx. three years.
- Water resistance classification (WR) to ISO 22810: This model is water resistant to DIN 8310 / ISO 22810, and thus is resistant to minor splashing. Any greater water contact should be avoided.
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 39,6mm x 38mm x 7,3mm
- Weight: approx. 82 g
Street Candy ATM400
Street Candy ATM400
A look at street candy ATM400 black and white film. This film is a panchromatic black and white film originally used for security and surveillance cameras in banks and ATMs. This has then been converted to be used in 35mm film cameras.
I shot this roll on my Leica R8 @ box speed.
Overall, I achieved results which I’m happy with, I liked the shadow detail and the look of the grain. I did have a few early frames with what looked like light streaks (see below photos), but as I’ve only shot one roll to date, I’ll save judgment on this.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1
Japan
★★★☆
Can a camera released in 2013 really still hold its own in 2020? I’d normally say ‘NO’ but the Sony RX1 is no normal camera and on its release was the world’s first compact digital camera with a 35mm full-frame sensor and with a stunning f2.0 lens this camera can certainly hold its own in 2020.
The ZEISS 35mm f2.0 Sonnar T* lens is, what can I say, just special, and makes up for the modern technologies we’ve become used to like eye auto focus and clean high ISO’s missing in this camera. The lens alone is almost worth the high price of this camera which is still for sale on Sony’s website for $2,399.
For me the fact this is a fixed lens camera is not a concern as the 35mm focal length is what I shoot 90% of my pictures with anyway, add to that the quality of that lens and this is my favourite camera to use. I love the images it captures, and the size means I bring it everywhere.
Of course, this is not a perfect camera and the fact it doesn’t have weather sealing does seem a misstep by Sony at this price. Similarly the accessories, like the essential digital viewfinder (FDA-EV1MK) or the optical viewfinder (FDA-V1K) both around $450 are crazily priced! However, as I’ve used this camera over the years I’m always glad to look back at pictures taken with it and I’m looking forward to capture more into the future.
Technical Specifications:
Sensor
SENSOR TYPE: 35 mm Full Frame (35.8 mm x 23.9 mm) Exmor® CMOS sensor, aspect ratio 3:2
NUMBER OF PIXELS (EFFECTIVE): Approx. 24.3 Megapixels
Lens
LENS TYPE: ZEISS® Sonnar® T*
F-NUMBER (MAXIMUM APERTURE): F2
FOCAL LENGTH (F=): f=35mm
ANGLE OF VIEW (35 MM FORMAT EQUIVALENT): 63deg.
FOCUS RANGE (FROM THE FRONT OF THE LENS): 24 cm - Infinity (14 cm - 29 cm in Macro mode)
FILTER DIAMETER: 49mm
Screen
SCREEN TYPE: 2.95 in (3.0 type) (4:3) / 1,228,800 dots / Xtra Fine / TFT LCD
BRIGHTNESS CONTROL: Auto / Manual (5 steps) / Sunny Weather
Flash
FLASH MODE: Flash Off / Autoflash / Fill-flash / Slow Sync. / Rear Sync. / Wireless (with optional compliant flash)
FLASH TYPE: Built-in, manual pop-up
BRACKETING: 1/3, 2/3, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 EV steps, 3 or 5 frames selectable (1.0, 2.0, 3.0 EV: only 3 frames)
EXTERNAL FLASH MODE: Flash Off / Autoflash / Fill-flash / Slow Sync. / Rear Sync. / Wireless (with optional compliant flash)
FLASH RANGE: ISO Auto: approx. 0.75 m to 21.7 m (approx. 2.5 feet to approx. 71.2 feet), ISO 25600: up to 43.4 m (142.4 feet)
Size & Weight
DIMENSIONS (W x H x D): 113.3 x 65.4 x 69.6 mm
WEIGHT: 17 oz / 482g (With battery and media)
Trakke Fingal Backpack
Trakke Fingal Backpack
£110 [website link]
Scotland
★★★★
UPDATE: New modle released in 2020, the below review is for older model.
I’ll kick off this review by saying I absolutely love this backpack. I’ve been using the ‘Trakke Fingal’ daily to carry my gym kit, surface laptop and camera (Sony-RX1) to and from work for the last few months and it has been excellent.
When good design, quality and intended purpose all come together, how can you go wrong!
The backpack is made from a waxed canvas with rainproof zippers, there is one main compartment and an additional front zip pocket. I use the front pocket to stow quick to get at essentials like my gloves and camera.
In the trakke line of backpacks this is the smallest at 13 litres and with its simple design the bag is discrete and easy to use with slight padding to the shoulder straps giving an extremely comfortable carry.
I went for the crottle colour which is like an orange/red slightly subdued due to the wax coating, other colours can be had including olive, black, navy or plum.
As in the land it was made (all trakke bags are handmade in Scotland), I live in a part of the world (Austria) where rain is part of life, and so far, this bag has held up perfectly.
Thinking about it the only thing I might change is to give the pack a little padding at the base section as I’m always just tossing it on the floor and I’m not sure how my laptop likes it.
Overall this really is the best day pack I have owned and gets full praise from me, I’ll probably also pick up one of their larger packs for an upcoming trip to the southern hemisphere.
Specifications:
- Weight: 0.52 kg
- Dimensions: 42 x 26 x 17 cm
- Colour: olive, Black, Navy, Plum, Crottle
- Volume: 13 Litres
- Outer Fabric: Waxed Canvas
- Liner Fabric: Dry-Finish Waxed Canvas
- Webbing: Polester
- Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Accessories: Reproofing Wax (£15)