31 Jul
Blog

Canon EOS R5 Review: The New Full-Frame Champ

Canon EOS R5

"Canon has not held back from delivering the full-screen camera that fans craved."

  • Excellent 45MP photos

  • Impressive 4K / 8K video modes

  • Responsive subject tracking AF

  • Good 5-axis image stabilization

  • Outstanding workmanship

  • The control layout could be improved

  • Can overheat in video mode

  • Banding at high ISO

It's not often that we see a new camera that is as promising and exciting as the Canon EOS R5. After the relatively modest reception of the original EOS R, the R5 was Canon's chance to prove that it can make a full-frame mirrorless camera that not only competes but also leads. The data sheet reads like a gourmet menu, a meal that is guaranteed to satisfy the appetite of anyone who can afford it – at $ 3,899 for the body or $ 4,999 with the RF 24-105mm 1: 4L lens (tested) a lot of people.

However, the exclusivity of the EOS R5 is not a problem. This is a high-end camera with a high price tag, and while it's easy to argue that it only appeals to professional customers, I don't think that's the whole story. This is a branded camera; it is desirable. It may not care about the direct sales enthusiast or amateur, but it still serves to answer the question that such customers often ask: "Who makes the best mirrorless camera?" For the first time, “Canon” is an acceptable answer.

Canon EOS R5 product photoDaven Mathies / Digital Trends

Even if the EOS R5 is outside your price range, its status as one of the most powerful and powerful mirrorless cameras can help you choose a Canon in the lower price range (possibly the EOS R6) instead of choosing a competitive brand. In this regard, it's hard not to see the R5 as a total success.

But for the customers who will actually buy it, is the Canon EOS R5 worth the hype? Everyone in the field of photo technology – including myself – made fun of this camera long before we got our hands on it. Now that it's in the wild, you may want to manage your expectations – if only slightly. It may not be exactly what we sold, but this is still an excellent camera.

First a still camera

Canon focused its early marketing on the EOS R5's video chops and described the crazy 8K RAW and 4K / 120p features months before we knew much about still image features. This has changed people's expectations of the R5, and I can't help but think that this was the wrong way to overdo it.

Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

Like the vast majority of mirrorless hybrid cameras, photography is the top priority for the R5. Yes, it happens to have an epic video mode associated with it, but I think photographers still find more to love than videographers. The R5 is probably the best still camera Canon ever made, mirrorless or DSLR.

The goal of the R5 was obviously to keep up with the Sony A7R IV, Nikon Z 7 and Panasonic Lumix S1R. These are all high-resolution mirrorless full-frame cameras, which have powerful video modes, but are clearly aimed at still photographers.

The R5 is probably the best still camera Canon ever made, mirrorless or DSLR.

If the R5 had originally been marketed as a still camera, the many complaints we now hear about overheating in video mode would not have been so loud in my opinion. Since Canon emphasized the video so strongly in advance, the reviewers feel a little underwhelmed that the reality does not live up to the promise.

Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

I'll have my own experience testing video mode later, but now you only know that the R5 is a still camera at first and therefore has similar limitations to other hybrid cameras in terms of video. You can still use it for many video applications, but remember to consider it a replacement for your movie camera, and things get bad here.

Design and handling

The R5 will feel right at home for anyone who comes from a Canon DSLR. I found it a little more comfortable to hold than a 5D Mark IV – although it's only a fraction of a pound lighter. It has a very familiar handle, the same placement of the trigger and most controls are exactly where you expect them to be.

Canon EOS R5 product photoDaven Mathies / Digital Trends

An important change is the changeover to a three-wheel setup, which enables direct control of ISO, shutter speed and aperture. This applies in addition to the multifunction lens ring for HF lenses.

There's also an autofocus joystick, and although this is usually a must for me, I don't like the R5. The surface is too sharp, which makes it uncomfortable, and there is no good tactile feedback. It is also less needed because the AF is good for subject tracking, and the R5's touchpad AF on the LCD screen works better for single-point focusing anyway.

Canon EOS R5 product photoDaven Mathies / Digital Trends

What Canon DSLR shooters miss is the AF / Drive button. The auto focus and driving modes are accessed in two steps, and the quick menu must be called up. Fortunately, you can program one of these functions on the lens ring or other buttons, but you will sacrifice the standard functionality of a button. I set AF mode to the lens ring and drive mode to the depth of field preview button (because who uses that anyway?) And found this to be a pretty good setup. Still, the R5 is a camera case for $ 3,900, so it is a disappointment for Canon to forego direct access control.

Otherwise there is little to complain about in the design department. The body is weatherproof and solidly built, albeit heavy for a mirrorless camera at 1.62 pounds.

Canon EOS R5 product photoDaven Mathies / Digital Trends

The new electronic viewfinder (EVF) has 5.76 million pixels, just like the Panasonic S series and the Sony A7R IV. It is a beautiful EVF, although the glass distorts the screen a bit, so that the edges curve outwards. It's not a big problem, but I definitely found it a little distracting at times.

Finally, Canon also introduced a modern media format by offering both SD UHS-II and CFexpress Type B card slots, the latter of which is required for 8K video (and some 4K modes). For all Nikon shooters who are interested in the EOS R5, note that, unlike the Nikon Z series, the Canon does not support XQD cards in its CFexpress slot, so anyone with older XQD cards will need them before switching to the R5 must put down.

Photography experience

Except for the lens mount, the Canon EOS R5 is basically new compared to the original EOS R. It is also the first R-series camera that feels like it has been built from scratch with bespoke components, starting with a 45 megapixel frame sensor, which, unlike all previous R-series cameras, has not previously been used in a Canon DSLR has been. Even the battery has been updated to offer greater capacity in the same form factor as the long-time LP-E6 (though battery life isn't a highlight with a CIPA rating of just 320 exposures).

Canon EOS R5 Lifestyle product photoDaven Mathies / Digital Trends

But what it sells is autofocus. The EOS R5 uses the Dual Pixel Autofocus II, Canon's latest on-chip phase detection technology, with which 1,053 focus points are distributed across the entire frame. It includes updated face and eye tracking for humans and animals and, in my experience, works exceptionally well.

I could even say that Canon’s face tracking is even better than Sony’s – and it’s huge.

In practice, I was overwhelmed by how quickly the R5 would find the subject in the frame and how strongly it stuck to it. When it came to taking pictures of people, this meant that I could only focus on framing without having to worry about choosing my focus point. After taking portraits with the Sony A7R IV recently, I can even say that Canon’s face tracking is even better than Sony’s – and it’s huge.

But what really impressed me was the animal AF. When shooting birds in flight, the focus box immediately jumped onto the bird's head – not just the bird, but also its head. When photographing a dog, the AF continued to follow his body, even if his head and shoulders dipped under a tree trunk. A wild rabbit made me crawl a few feet while eating, and the R5 had no problem finding its eye.

Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

If I have something to complain about, eye detection is only activated when the subject is relatively large within the frame. Since face recognition is, of course, sufficient for distant people, this is probably not a big deal. The face recognition itself seems to work at a greater distance than the Canon EOS RP, but there is still room for improvement here. Fortunately, if the camera lost sight of a face and returned to standard AF, the camera would usually still find the correct subject, but this depends on the complexity of the scene and whether there are any objects near the camera, that could confuse it.

There is another problem with the AF. As far as I know, DPAF focus points are not crosswise, meaning they are only sensitive to lines in one direction. The R5 doesn't seem to be sensitive to horizontal lines at all, and Flat-out refused to focus when I happened to point it at a slatted door. Confused, I tried again, but no matter how many times I pressed the shutter, the R5 didn't focus. As soon as I rotated the camera in portrait mode – which means that the slats were now aligned vertically from the perspective of the camera – it was immediately focused. Other similar subjects – like closed blinds – delivered the same results.

The absence of cross-type AF points is self-evident in on-chip phase detection systems (with Olympus being a notable exception), but contrast detection usually takes control of other cameras when phase detection is not possible. When I did the same test with my personal Fujifilm X-T2, I found that it was concentrating, but only after a short hunt – in portrait mode, it concentrated without a hunt. This indicates that the phase detection of the X-T2, like the EOS R5, has difficulty recognizing horizontal lines, but can rely on slower contrast detection in such a situation, which the R5 apparently cannot.

I don't know how big the problem could be in the real world – I had no problems outside of my office. My general experience with DPAF on the EOS R5 has been very positive. Still, it's a little worrying that everything it took to completely cancel AF was a subject with no vertical lines. I have asked Canon for a comment and will update this rating when I hear something.

Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

The other brand new feature the R5 introduces is 5-axis image stabilization in the body (IBIS). Alongside the EOS R6, this is Canon's first attempt to stabilize the sensor shift, a feature that was painfully lacking on the EOS R and RP. It works with both stabilized and non-stabilized lenses and, according to Canon, can offer up to 8 levels of blur reduction.

This is a difficult assertion that definitely needs to be tested because "stops" are a relative unit. In my tests, which were carried out with the stabilized RF 24-105 mm 1: 4 lens, I was able to record up to 1/8 second with a sharpness at the pixel level, which corresponds approximately to that of 1/60 second. With a reduced resolution, however, I felt comfortable moving it to half a second. Different lenses, as well as their technique and stability, can lead to different results, but it's hard for me to believe Canon's claim of 8 stops.

The thing is, I don't really care. Having only IBIS is the key here. Most photographers are not interested in holding a 2 second exposure, as Canon has shown. The key is to get sharp results at more convenient shutter speeds, and that's exactly what the R5 does.

Video experience

The most obvious question about the Canon EOS R5's video mode is simply: For whom? RAW 8K videos that consume 2,600 megabits per second (that's 325 megabytes per second) are well above average customer requirements. Beyond the hype and endless play of one-upmanship, 8K is simply the result of the demand for a 45-megapixel sensor and RAW video.

Canon EOS R5 product photoDaven Mathies / Digital Trends

The sensor had to align the R5 with other high-resolution mirrorless cameras, but such a high number of pixels is a problem for videos. Normally, 4K videos only require about 8 MP, with 12 megapixels feeling like a solid sweet spot. Sony, Nikon and Panasonic have resolved this problem by making their lower resolution cameras the more video-focused models. However, Canon clearly wanted its flagship camera to be the flagship for both still and video.

Then there is the topic of RAW. RAW is by definition unprocessed – so the camera must either output every single pixel or do something like cropping or skipping lines, which deactivates pixels and drastically reduces the field of view or detail. The sensor of the R5 is intelligent 8,192 pixels wide, exactly the resolution for DCI 8K (a slightly wider aspect ratio than usual of 17: 9). With one-to-one pixel output, the R5 can take full advantage of its sensor range for RAW 8K video – however, RAW cannot be performed at other resolutions. This also means that in Ultra HD mode (16: 9) only a very small crop occurs. (For reference only, Blackmagic Design circumvented this limitation in its Ursa Mini Pro 12K cinema camera by using a novel sensor design that was specifically designed for RAW scaling, but other cameras don't have this luxury.)

We have not yet answered the question of who needs this function. I wrote earlier that 8K cameras are pretty much unnecessary, and shooting the R5 didn't change my mind. I don't have a 4K display, let alone an 8K display. The ability to crop and reformulate is good, but I never needed the extreme range that 8K offers. Then it's about saving and editing the gigantic files.

So it can be said with certainty that 8K, especially in RAW, is unlikely to be used by ordinary people. Professional filmmakers are the only ones who want it, and Canon even suggests using the R5 as a “B” camera alongside high-end cinema cameras.

But the R5 is not ready for this type of production. I can repeat the complaints of others on the internet when it comes to overheating. You can take advantage of all the great quality and features, but a camera that can be shut down even on set is simply not acceptable in a professional setting.

Canon EOS R5 product photoDaven Mathies / Digital Trends

I haven't even tested the 8K modes because I'm still waiting for a CFexpress card, but overheating is already a problem in some 4K modes. When recording at 60 fps (the highest frame rate available with an SD card), the camera reached the soft limit of 29 minutes and 59 seconds. However, the heat warning indicator started to flash before the clip ended. It stayed on for almost 10 minutes after the recording stopped. Even if it was turned off, my next clip was limited to only 4 minutes before the camera shutdown due to overheating.

Canon has been open about this – at least since the official announcement. The camera itself also shows how many minutes you can record at the current heating level. This number increases slowly the longer you let the camera cool down.

The very good news, however, is that the camera doesn't seem to be heat limited at 4K / 30 or 24 frames per second. Even if it prevented me from recording a new 4K / 60 clip, switching to 30 fps immediately removed the heat warning indicator and allowed me to record a full 29:59 clip.

For those of us who record every project in 4K / 24p and only need higher frame rates for slow motion for a short time, the EOS R5 is fantastic. Finally, some of its competition – like the Nikon Z 7 – can't shoot 4K / 60 at all, let alone 4K / 120 like the R5, and none of its competitors can shoot 8K.

However, this shouldn't completely let Canon off the hook. When they announced an 8K RAW camera, we were all expecting a camera built for people who could use 8K RAW footage – namely, professional filmmakers. The EOS R5 falls short of these expectations, but I have a bigger problem with how the camera was originally marketed to raise these expectations than if the camera doesn't meet them.

picture quality

Canon has made a higher resolution sensor in the past, the 50 megapixel chip of the EOS 5DS series. However, the 45 megapixel chip of the EOS R5 is a significant improvement, especially if you increase the ISO sensitivity. The ISO range is an impressive 100-51,200 and can be expanded by one level to 102,400. While these few top stops are of questionable usability, the noise performance is otherwise very good for the class.

ISO 12.800 "Banding" in a dark scene Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

But there was a problem: When photographing the night sky, I noticed visible streak artifacts at ISOs above 3,200, which became a big distraction around 12,800. I haven't noticed any stripes in any other scene, even in my indoor ISO test shots. It only seems to be visible against a dark and uniform background.

As with the DPAF focus error, I don't know how often this affects real-life images. The astrophotographers I know generally prefer larger apertures and slower shutter speeds to maximize ISO, but it's something you should be aware of.

Otherwise, the R5 delivered nice results. The RAW files are very flexible, and I even moved an underexposed ISO 1600 picture by 3 steps without noticeably increasing the noise. It's hard to say without comparing the cameras side by side, but this may be Canon's best sensor yet. I think the RF 24-105mm 1: 4 lens held something back that just wasn't sharp enough to resolve all those pixels, but I would love to see what it does with one of Canon's excellent RF prime numbers can do .

I've never been a Canon fan, but the EOS R5 made me a believer.

The video quality is also very good. Again, I haven't tested 8K nor the oversampled 4K high quality mode, but standard 10-bit 4K in Canon Log is stunning and has very good grades. I'm honestly not sure why I would ever need high quality mode. At 470 megabits per second (approx. 60 megabytes per second), all-intra-frame compression (ALL-I) contains a lot of data in order to achieve outstanding colors and details.

Canon EOS R5 protocol video frame not graded "class =" m-carousel - picture dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/canon-eos-r5-review-sample- dm -26-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAABACanon EOS R5 Log Video Frame not graded Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

Canon EOS R5 protocol video frame rated "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn6.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/canon-eos-r5-review-sample- dm-25-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAACanon EOS R5 Log Video Frame rated Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

Canon EOS R5 protocol video frame not graded "class =" m-carousel - picture dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn7.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/canon-eos-r5-review-sample- dm -27-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAABACanon EOS R5 Log Video Frame not graded Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

canon eos r5 evaluation example dm 28 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn8.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/canon-eos-r5-review-sample- dm- 28-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAABACanon EOS R5 Log Video Frame rated Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

Overall, the EOS R5 is by far the best hybrid camera from Canon in terms of image quality, and currently nothing is comparable to the combination of high-resolution still images and high-quality videos.

Our opinion

I have to admit, I've never been a Canon fan, but the EOS R5 made me a believer. Canon has implemented everything it learned from the original EOS R into the R5. The level of improvement is amazing, even if the highest quality video modes are of limited practicality.

The high ISO banding, strange AF behavior on horizontal lines and overheating problems can be for some problems, but these problems do not affect most users in most circumstances. The placement and design of some controls have taken me in the wrong direction (literally), but I'm sure I'll adjust over time, and I definitely appreciate the three-dial's ease of use Setups.

Entry costs are high, but for those who can afford it, the EOS R5 offers an incredibly rewarding photographic experience and firmly establishes Canon as the leader in mirrorless cameras. It may have taken a few years for the recipe to be correct, but Canon has served a dish worth waiting for.

Is there a better alternative?

If you look at other options, they only exist in the sense that there are much cheaper alternatives, like the Nikon Z 7 for just $ 2,850 at the time of writing. The R5 has better autofocus, higher quality video, a higher resolution EVF and two memory card slots. With a difference of over $ 1,000, however, anyone who is not yet firmly in Canon's warehouse should consider the Z 7.

The Sony A7R IV is the other obvious comparison. At $ 3,200 at the time of writing, it doesn't offer the savings of the Z 7, but its auto focus is on par with the R5 and it has an equally high-resolution EVF, two SD card slots, and significantly better battery life with a rating of 520 Recordings. However, the R5 has the edge in video and series recordings.

How long it will take?

This is a professional camera that meets the needs of professional photographers and should last for years. As a flagship model, I would not expect a full replacement for the R5 for at least 2 years, and its range of functions is the most future-proof of all cameras on the market.

Should you buy it

Yes, if you want the best technology currently shown in photography – and you don't mind paying for it. This is the camera I always knew Canon could build.

Editor's recommendations




31 Jul
Blog

EufyCam 2 Pro Review: Long Battery Life, And Not Much More

"Long battery life means you can place the EufyCam 2 Pro without having to worry about cables."

  • 365 days of battery life

  • Loud siren

  • Anti-theft device

  • The faces are not clear at night

  • Camera could be better

The eufyCam 2 Pro The wireless home security camera system had the potential to shake up the flood of intelligent surveillance cameras on the market. It asserts itself, but is not noticeable.

eufyCam 2 Pro outsideAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

installation

The EufyCam 2 Pro is supplied as a single camera ($ 150) or as a double pack with two cameras and the Eufy HomeBase 2 ($ 350). I would recommend accessing the package with HomeBase 2 if you don't already have one. You cannot use the EufyCam 2 Pro without HomeBase, so you still need it. HomeBase 2 is a hub that connects cameras, stores footage, and acts as a Wi-Fi repeater to improve your Wi-Fi so your cameras get a strong signal.

This is very helpful if your signal is not the best or you have a large distance between your router and your cameras. On the other hand, the HomeBase occupies an additional Ethernet connection on your router and an additional socket that you probably cannot save.

HomeBase 2 on the shelfAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

The installation of this camera is super easy. The EufyCam 2 Pro is magnetic so you can stick it to a veranda railing or almost any other metal surface. If you don't have anything to stick on, you can attach a mounting bracket with a few screws and then rotate the camera onto the bracket. All in all, it took about 10 minutes to mount the camera and another five minutes to set it up with the app and Eufy HomeBase 2. However, direct sunlight can blind the camera. Take this into account when thinking about a place to put it.

Video

The video from the EufyCam 2 Pro is comparable to most other high-end surveillance cameras such as the Arlo Pro 3. It can be switched between HD 1080p or 2K HD with a large field of view of 140 degrees. If you place the camera 7 to 10 feet high, it can see a range of up to 30 feet, so a camera can cover a large area of ​​your garden. The video clarity is pretty good, with realistic colors, very little distortion and good contrast. I wish Eufy had climbed up to 4K resolution like the Arlo Ultra Smart Cam.

Eufy tackled the problem by adding Smart Image Enhancement.

A problem with some cameras is that the further a person is away, the more grainy the image of the person. The faces are clear and rich in contrast within a few meters. At about 10 feet, faces are much more difficult to see; You can get the general shape, but it is difficult for you to recognize the characteristics of a stranger. Eufy tackled the problem by adding Smart Image Enhancement. When a face is recognized by A.I., pixels in the image are lightened and deleted to make the faces clearer.

Night vision is in black and white, but the lack of color doesn't bother me. The video is clear in very poor lighting conditions. Despite the smart image enhancement, the camera has problems with faces at night. The camera washed out almost all the facial features of my fair-skinned test subjects, even if they were only a few meters away.

eufyCam 2 Pro video at night

Other cameras, such as those from Ring and Arlo, charge a subscription fee for video storage packages. I hate that. I have enough subscriptions in my life. One of my favorite features of the EufyCam 2 Pro is that you don't have to pay to save videos. Video material is stored locally in HomeBase 2 instead of in the cloud. It has 16 GB of storage, which doesn't seem like a lot, but it does the job as long as you delete unnecessary videos. Old videos are automatically deleted, but it's probably better to remove and sort them out yourself so that what you want to keep is not deleted.

Additional functions

In addition to the clarity and storage of the video, the EufyCam 2 Pro offers some notable features that are useful. A surprising option is the ability to put any camera and HomeBase 2 in anti-theft mode. This means that when someone moves the camera or HomeBase, an alarm sounds. It would be nice if Eufy also offered to replace stolen cameras like Ring does, but I still find the alarm function cool.

Many newer surveillance cameras have a microphone and a speaker, so you can use the app on your phone to talk to anyone who is near the camera. The EufyCam 2 Pro also offers this option. The two-way audio is fine and you can adjust the volume in the app. I wish it had noise cancellation to make voices clearer like the Ring Stick Up Cam. You can also mute the microphone and speaker independently.

It is difficult to say how true the claim of a one-year battery life is in everyday household life.

The company says the EufyCam 2 Pro can last 365 days on a single charge if the camera records about 300 seconds of footage a day. If that were true, it would certainly make it stand out from other cameras. Six months are usually the max. Unfortunately, after just one day with the cameras, the battery indicator found that the performance had dropped by 1%. It is therefore difficult to say how true the claim of a one-year battery life is in everyday household use.

The app has a power manager option for each camera that can extend the life of the battery. You can set the camera to the optimal battery life mode, which limits video clips to 20 seconds to prevent the battery from draining. In an optimal surveillance mode, clips can be up to 60 seconds long, and in a custom capture mode you can choose how long clips should last.

eufyCam 2 Pro and HomeBase 2 part 2Alina Bradford / Digital Trends

To save even more battery life (and reduce the number of notifications), you can choose when your camera records by adding it to a schedule or choosing a specific mode. You can also control how many warnings you get by turning off motion detection, adjusting motion sensitivity, selecting detection areas, or recording only when the camera detects someone.

Like any good smart surveillance camera, it can connect to your home assistant. The EufyCam 2 Pro connects to the three big ones: Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

The EufyCam 2 Pro also has a 100 dB siren that is loud enough to scare someone. If you really want to make an explanation, you should opt for the Ring Floodlight Cam, which has a 110 dB siren. This extra 10 dB makes a big difference.

Our opinion

Overall, I was simply not enthusiastic about this intelligent surveillance camera. It's a good choice, but if you void the claim that the battery lasts for a year, there are better cameras on the market. Check out our summary of the best outdoor security cameras for 2020 to find some alternative options.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. If you are looking for excellent video quality, the Arlo Ultra Smart Cam is hard to beat. It has 4K resolution and an incredible 180 degree field of view. However, my personal favorite is the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight. Not only does it have excellent resolution, it also has a 160-degree field of view and floodlights that illuminate most of your garden. In this scorecard you can see how surveillance cameras fit head to head outdoors.

Will it take?

The cameras are made of thick hard plastic and are weatherproof according to IP67, so they are designed for a long service life. There is also a one-year limited warranty. You would think sticking the cameras to things would affect their longevity, but the magnets are super strong and once the cameras are stuck you need to use some force to remove them.

Should you buy it

No. There are simply too many other cameras on the market that offer better functions.

Editor's recommendations




31 Jul
Blog

Are You a Lifter With Fuzzy Goals?

Imagine this scenario: A lifter in your gym convinced his friend Jeff to sign up for a personal workout. After getting to know Jeff a little, ask him what he would like to do with you and he answers:

"Honestly, I just want to get fitter and stronger."

This is a classic fuzzy goal, right up there where I have more strength and work on my health. According to much of the pop coaching literature, this won't hurt.

Whenever we hear Milquetoast intentions like this, we should give them a backbone and:

But first we take a step back and ask the hanging question: why are we pushing these kinds of goals? The intuitive answer is that the customer needs a goal to stay motivated.

Without aiming, they will stop when the training becomes challenging.

This may apply to dedicated trainees, but is it appropriate for Jeff?

Phases of change

According to a popular approach – the trans-theoretical model of behavior change – People go through different phases to make significant changes, e.g. B. quit smoking or adopt a new diet.

SMART goals and sophisticated programming strategies are most effective for those in later phases – action and maintenance. When these lifters come to you, they know what they want and have tried other alternatives in the past. They need specific strategies, practices, and accountability to achieve their goals.

Other lifters are at an early stage and are either not considering any change at all or are just starting to think about the possibility. Trainers can help these lifters prepare for an entertaining experience through conversation and training, but not always.

Lifters like Jeff are in the middle of what the trans-theoretical model calls the preparatory phase.

  • You may know what you don't want.
  • You probably failed at some point.
  • They are not sure how to solve their problems.

The people at this stage are ready to do something, but are not yet taking any major steps.

Jeff may not be motivated by a number on a bar, scale, or stopwatch. By the time Jeff can deadlift £ 285, he has no context of what it is like to put £ 405 on the crossbar for the first time, and he still doesn't know if strengthening will solve his problem.

Setting goals in this phase is a challenge. Motivational goals have a goldilocks quality:

  • The goals can neither be completely out of reach nor too easy.
  • If we assign Jeff an arbitrary goal based on a level chart or our coaching experience, chances are that he will accomplish one or more of these goals during training.
  • Alternatively, it can take too long for the goals to be achieved and he loses interest in them because they were of no real importance to him.

And we as trainers know that – we see it all the time – which brings me back to the question: "Why do we force it?" I think there are two reasons why we achieve goals so early::

  1. The first reason is that our own experiences and the targeted success stories we hear give us a wrong picture of how people changehow Dr. Prochaska – one of the developers of the trans-theoretical model – explained in a 1992 article.
    In the treatment of cigarette and alcohol addiction, experts developed an action-oriented change program based on topics that are effective for the most successful test subjects. However, when used widely, these programs were largely failures due to high dropout rates and poor buy-ins. This was due to the fact that on average only 10 to 20% of the subjects were ready to act at the beginning.
    Successful programs brought participants closer to the action, and it was the engagement of the subject – combined with practical strategies – that led to success.
  2. The second reason we are pushing these goals is personal: it relieves our fear. We are not comfortable with ambivalence and are unsure whether the customer could leave, so we fall back on old habits.
    We translate your needs into a case study format, set SMART goals, and then pull out our # 2 pencils to get an A-quality answer. Knowing that we have said the right thing gives us the confidence that we are doing our job and the certainty that they will continue to be our customers.

However, lifters are not multiple choice tests, and if they force complex measures too early, they will not be met where they are. By trying to prove our competence, we are selling it.

Move forward effectively

"The preparatory phase is a planning phase in which customers begin to actively implement their plans, so the main focus should be on what is required to maintain commitment to future action."

– Dr. Clifton Mitchell, Effective techniques for dealing with highly resistant customers

If someone comes to us who is not quite ready to take action, efforts to push them forward are likely to fail. We're out of sync, we'll get resistance, and if we're not careful, we'll blame the lifter for not being compliant.

When faced with jacks like Jeff, keep in mind that they don't need to be fixed. Instead, they need clear next steps, evidence that you can help them solve their problem, and trust in you as a trainer.

Delete action steps

As Chip and Dan Heath suggest in their book Switch: "What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity."

Lifters in the preparatory phase are looking for solutions and preparing for action, but are not ready to make profound changes in life.

So that action steps are effective, They have to be clear and small enough so that the lifter can run them easily, especially in connection with the support and accountability of the trainer.

An example of an action step could be to plan a first introductory and test session. The decision to train is an immediate measure. The lifter knows what to do, and the coach takes care of the complicated part – designing a productive first session.

An ineffective step could be to answer a customer's question about nutrition with: "For now, only try to reduce the intake of processed foods and sugary drinks."

This advice may seem clear and straightforward to a trainer – it is far easier than trying to explain the details of digestion and metabolism. Nevertheless, the lifter must now:

  1. Decide what is considered processed food
  2. Revise your dining environment
  3. Change your habits.

These three steps are too far, too fast.

Evidence of change

Although lifters like Jeff often come with no clear sense of where they're going, they almost always have a problem they want to solve. That motivated them enough to inquire, find you, and come to your gym to pay your training prices. Work with them to resolve the issue and find a way for them to see what the progress is.

  • The first halfIdentifying the actual problem to be solved is often more complicated than it sounds. You may have to keep asking yourself why, approaching the question from different angles and deepening your understanding of your struggle in the coming weeks and months.
  • The second half– Finding a meaningful metric – seems to contradict the earlier statement that Jeff probably doesn't need goals. In this case, the metric is used to control program changes and to show whether the training is effective and not to set goals so that they are aimed at a specific goal. The process is similar to mindful breathing exercises, where the goal is to become aware of the breath without trying to change it. And just like in meditation, it takes discipline and patience to resist the urge to turn metrics into goals.

If we can clarify the lifter's actual needs and show them the benefits of the training process, we will promote their sustained engagement and put them in a good position to develop targeted strategies that work when they become appropriate later.

build up trust

Finally, focus on building trust and connection.

This process never ends, but especially in the first few months you get to know her as a lifter. Bring your whole self – your personality, passions and projects – to the gym within limits to express the integrity between your life's work and your work as a coach. Take care of their progress and be excited when they reach new premieres and milestones.

Be professional in what you say and how you touch and keep clear, consistent and reasonable boundaries for what you do – both what you do and what you don't. Keep your promises on time and apologize if you are wrong.

It would go beyond the scope of this article – it could be the mission of your life – to explain how best to develop trust. Instead, just respect the value that trust brings to the coaching process.

The time you spent building relationships, connections, developing side projects, streamlining business processes, and celebrating with your lifters is beneficial to both of you, even if it's not tied to a specific goal.

These side tasks can be the most important thing you do.

How to help Jeff

You can't work with someone like Jeff. You can choose to work only with groups that are largely behind this phase. Or you specialize in lifters who are even less willing to change than Jeff, as seen in some employee rehab and mandate programs.

In my experience as a barbell and CrossFit coach, however, most new lifters are in the preparatory phase, and I suspect that this is true in large parts of the commercial coaching area.

And whoever you work with Your willingness to change will go in and out. Your client can fall back into old behaviors and lose confidence, or prepare for a goal or lifestyle change that will take him out of the familiar.

Knowing how to deal with this transition – getting it back into effective routines and getting closer to your new goal – can make the difference between a good trainer and a trainer who can make a lifter happy and successful for years.

31 Jul
Blog

Canon EOS R6 Review: Enough to Sway Even Stubborn DSLR Fans

canon eos r6 review 0651

"With the ergonomics of a DSLR but the advantages of a mirrorless one, the EOS R6 is a convincing hybrid."

  • Sharp photos and videos

  • Smooth auto focus

  • Fast recording speed

  • Excellent stabilization

  • Good performance in low light conditions

  • Comfortable grip

  • A bit bulky

  • Puffer struggles with long outbreaks

  • Animal Eye AF under-fulfilled

  • Short 4K recording due to overheating

Canon had a certain identity crisis, which made it possible to switch to a mirrorless full screen with the throttled budget RP and the good but not very competitive EOS R. However, the company's second set of mirrorless full-frame cameras seems to promise more of what Canon DSLRs were known for, and a few more, with image stabilization in the body, 12 fps bursts, and the next generation of dual-pixel autofocus in the Canon EOS R6 and R5.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The R6 is the cheaper of the two newly announced cameras. It costs about $ 2,500 for the body only, and features a lower-resolution 20.1-megapixel sensor, a plastic body instead of a magnesium alloy, and some of the biggest features of the R5 8K video. Although the feature list is shorter, the R6 still manages to offer the same stabilization in the body, the same burst speed and a similar autofocus system.

Recording with the R6 feels like recording with a DSLR – with the exception of the electronic viewfinder – down to the handle, control scheme and uniform size. This could be enough for the DSLR holdouts to make the switch without sacrificing ergonomics, image quality, or performance. But is the R6 enough for Canon to survive in an increasingly crowded mirrorless full-screen market?

A mirrorless camera in a DSLR-like housing

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

Recording with the EOS R6 feels like working with a DSLR – until you hold the camera to your eye and the electronic viewfinder eliminates the lack of a mirror. The case is closer to an APS-C DSLR than a mirrorless full-frame camera. Nevertheless, the width of the camera, including the handle, is almost an inch larger than that of the Sony A7 III and more than half an inch larger than that of the Nikon Z 5. The R6 is even slightly deeper than the Canon EOS 7D Mark II (one such APS-C DSLR), albeit a little shorter and narrower.

It is important that the R6 is comfortable to hold.

That means the R6 won't give you a big size advantage if that was your main reason for switching to mirrorless. Canon may be aimed at photographers who prefer the ergonomics of a DSLR over a mirrorless camera. It is important that the R6 is comfortable to hold. And while you're about the size of a DSLR, using the R6 saves you having to carry an additional 5 ounces over a DSLR similar to the 7D Mark II.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The control scheme also channels Canon DSLRs through to the auto focus joystick, which is annoyingly disabled until you browse the menus to find the option to turn it on (a startling decision). Despite the additional real estate and non-entry title, Canon was unable to install a second LCD screen at the top. The switch to change the LCD screen from still images to video is also missing, although the record button continues to start a movie from any mode. To switch focus mode or change the burst speed, you need to dig in the quick menu or reassign part of the area of ​​the camera using the custom button options. However, the rest of the controls should be familiar to Canon DSLR users right down to the depth of field preview button.

The familiar controls – and the menu system – create a mirrorless camera to which Canon DSLR holdouts can be easily adapted. Users who switch from another system have to get used to some special features, e.g. B. Navigating the menus with the three steering wheels instead of an arrow keyboard. In fairness, you can always use the touchscreen.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The R6 is equipped with an EVF with 3.69 million points – it's not the highest quality we've seen and not as detailed as the EOS R5, but it is sufficient and comparable to other cameras for a similar price. The viewfinder turns black while recording, but the burst speed is fast enough so it is not particularly difficult to track what is happening in the viewfinder once a burst begins. The rear touchscreen with a resolution of 1.62 million points can be folded to the side for viewing from any angle, also for selfies and vlogs, while the camera is on a tripod.

The R6, which is missing from several mirrorless models, gratefully offers two SD card slots. The battery life is 510 pictures with the monitor and 380 with the viewfinder. But like most cameras, the CIPA rating is a gross underestimation – I took 2,500 photos with a mixture of LCD screen and viewfinder, including many long series, before the battery warning started to flash.

Stabilization in the body

Composed in Photoshop from a series of RAW bursts recorded on the Canon EOS R6 in 1/10 second, 1: 1.8, ISO 2000. Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

Canon disappointed many when it released the original EOS R with no body stabilization, and the EOS R6 offsets it with a 5-axis stabilization system designed on paper for up to 8 stops in combination with a specific lens set . The sensor stabilization is a reason for Canon shooters with a DSLR medium level to switch to the medium level R6.

The stabilization system is ideal for wide-angle shots in poor lighting conditions and to reduce the shutter speed for longer lenses. I shot fireflies with the 35mm f / 1.8 lens on a tenth of a second handheld at dusk, and most of my shots were still sharp.

The stabilization system is ideal for wide-angle shots in poor lighting conditions and to reduce the shutter speed for longer lenses.

The R6 has a stabilization system that is great for a full-frame camera, but it doesn't necessarily outperform the competition. While the Nikon and Sony systems are only designed for five f-stops, the Z 6 handheld allowed me to shoot at a similar shutter speed – 1/8 second that supports my elbows on a table and 1/20 second without support. The R6 was only slightly better at 1/10 of a second without support.

Although Olympus listed a maximum of 7.5 stabilization stops and Canon claimed 8 stops, it was still more stable than the R6 to compare apples to oranges by contrasting a full-frame Micro Four Thirds camera. After I pushed the R6 under a tenth of a second and reached the exposure times of seconds, the pictures were no longer sharp. With the OM-D E-M1 Mark III, which still came out sharply, I took hand exposures longer than six seconds. Canon's stabilization is excellent, but it doesn't offer the great advantage over other stabilized cases that it seems to offer if you just look at the specs.

Fast autofocus and bursts

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The autofocus of the R6 was able to focus impressively even at dusk, provided the autofocus point was placed in an area with a slight contrast. The autofocus system even managed to tie itself to a glass – albeit slowly – at dusk, a subject and lighting conditions that have traditionally been a challenge for most cameras.

The continuous autofocus kept up well at maximum speed and only occasionally dropped the focus. The autofocus seemed to keep up well with the subjects that were moving in one direction parallel to the camera, as well as the subjects that were approaching me.

Eye AF is included and keeps up quickly. The R6 has managed to keep its eyes sharp for almost every shot of an energetic 7-year-old running towards the camera. While the Eye AF does an excellent job, it is not quite as clever on some systems where I have tried to focus on partially obscured eyes – the R6 has had a tougher time with faces turned to the side and some systems will impressively focus on eyelashes and closed eyes, the R6 does not.

Although the eye AF is good here (though not quite the best), we cannot say the same for the animal face and eye tracking. Unlike our experience with the EOS R5, Eye AF didn't work at all on the R6 in my chocolate lab and instead wanted to focus on her nose. I only had animal eye AF work once on my cat, which has more contrast on the face than a brown dog with brown eyes. Note that the animal tracking feature is impressed on the R5, which offers more pixels for the dual-pixel autofocus system. This may have something to do with the significantly different results that we have achieved between the two systems.

The auto focus system struggled the most with black and shadow. The R6 struggled when the AF point was placed on a darker part of the picture, although the camera snapped into place with identical lighting seconds later, as soon as the exposure correction lifted these shadows out of the black tones. This is not a problem for most images with a properly illuminated subject, but the camera has problems with scenarios such as silhouettes and focusing on black objects.

Excellent stabilization and mostly great autofocus are combined with a fast burst mode with 12 frames per second and a burst mode with 20 frames per second using the electronic shutter. The buffer is sufficient for a mid-level camera with 63 pictures that take RAW + JPEG, regardless of the set burst speed before the speed is slowed down. Once some of these images are deleted, you can continue recording. Annoyingly, the quick menu is locked while processing these images, making it difficult to adjust settings quickly (a problem that has been a problem with other Sony mirrorless cameras in the past, for example). It takes a good 30 seconds for a full burst to be completely cleared before you can access the menu. Only set to JPEG, the buffer is cleared almost immediately.

picture quality

The EOS R6 contains the same sensor as Canon's flagship DSLR, the 1DX Mark III: a 20.1 megapixel full-frame sensor. This is not as detailed or robust as the R5's 45 megapixels or competitor models like the 24 megapixel Nikon Z 6 or the Sony A7 III, but the compromise for fewer megapixels is often less noise when shooting in low light conditions.

The blend of ISO performance and stabilization makes the R6 an excellent option for shooting in low light.

This theory holds water with the R6, with its excellent handling of noise at high ISO. The noise starts to reach more noticeable values ​​at ISO 3,200 together with some color noise, but only becomes disturbing when cropping or printing at full size at ISO 8,000. If I reduced the noise of the RAW files until just before the start of sharpness, I would even call ISO 12,800, which is still good enough to share on Instagram or make small prints, and even up to ISO 32,000 if necessary push. Some streaking will occur if the ISO value is increased further, but the noise will still result in poor image quality. Of course, this is possible under ideal conditions, including shooting with a tripod and without exposure corrections in the post. Nevertheless, these results are particularly impressive.

The blend of ISO performance and stabilization makes the R6 an excellent option for shooting in low light. With high contrast lighting, the R6's RAW files were able to restore a considerable amount of detail from the shadows and even an easy recovery of lights and whites. On the other hand, the RAW files can also be easily edited for additional contrast. Check out how backlit golden hour images look in raw JPEG from the R6 compared to a RAW file that was edited to restore shadows and the same RAW file that was edited for drama and contrast:

canon eos r6 review 1i6a1636 original "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn7.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/1i6a1636_original-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https: / /www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Original JPEG Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

edit canon eos r6 review contrast 1636 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn8.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/canon-eos-r6-review-contrast- edit -1636-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAABARAW edited for contrast Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

canon eos r6 review shadow recovery 1636 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn9.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/canon-eos-r6-review-shadow- recovery -1636-640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAABAEdited RAW for shadow restoration Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The R6 was also impressively sharp across the entire ISO range. While the lens plays a bigger role in image sharpness, the images from both 35mm and 24-105mm HF lenses were excellent. The sharpness around the eyes in portraits was particularly impressive when shooting with both eye AF and single point AF.

The colors of the R6 were exactly what I expected from a Canon. I think the Canon colors are a bit cool – but that's both completely subjective and easy to adjust afterwards.

While the R6 isn't as detailed as a sensor with more megapixels, it does offer excellent image quality for a mirrorless mid-frame full-screen mode. The sharpness is solid, the noise reduction is excellent, and the colors were the level I expected from Canon DSLRs.

Video quality

The R6 took up less space in the headlines than the R5's 8K, but the video is still impressive as it comes from the R5's cheaper sibling. The R5 with its 8K, oversampled 4K, slow motion 4K and RAW videos is ideal for serious videographers than the R6. However, the R6 offers several solid video functions.

Videos can be recorded at 60 fps in 4K in 10-bit. While the R6 is not the 8K value of the R5, the R6 oversamples the video, which means that data from across the width of the 5K sensor is used to create the 4K video. The result is that videos are wonderfully detailed, and stabilization provides a big boost for shooting handhelds. The autofocus has a smooth transition, but the camera often searches for the focus, a remnant of the previously mentioned problems with the autofocus.

The video length of the R6 is limited to approx. 30 seconds, but the recording in 4K 30p can immediately continue for another 10 minutes. 4K 60p requires a cool-down period after recording a 30-minute video, and recording at temperatures above 73 degrees leads to shorter recording times. This is due to the lack of a fan. According to Canon, this is a decision to keep the camera body smaller.

Our opinion

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The Canon EOS R6 is the mirrorless camera that owners of the company's medium-sized DSLRs have chosen. The camera feels like working with a DSLR, but it provides body stabilization and the electronic viewfinder of a mirrorless camera without sacrificing performance or image quality. And of course it works with Canon lenses (with adapter). It's a little bulky, the buffer locks the quick menu a little too long, the eye AF isn't quite as good as the competition, and the animal AF didn't work at all, and videos have to be short to prevent overheating – but it there is still much to love.

The R6 is an excellent camera – and the best option for using Canon lenses on a mirrorless camera without damaging the R5 – and eventually competes with other brands. Although the R6 is now competing well, Canon is more equal than other mirrorless competitors. Sony and Nikon's options are significantly smaller and offer more megapixels. While Canon has more physical properties, it lacks some controls that we really wanted. The image stabilization of the R6 only looks much better on paper and in real tests did not offer a great advantage over 5-stop systems.

Is there a better alternative?

If you want to keep your Canon lenses, the Canon EOS R5 is the only better alternative with similar features, but a higher resolution and a tier AF that is actually quite impressive. For photographers who have not yet invested in a lens system, the R6 may not offer enough incentives to switch. The Sony A7 III is a few megapixels cheaper, but the ergonomics and menu can be frustrating for photographers who are used to DSLRs. The now replaced A7R III has 42.2 megapixels for an identical price and offers larger images, but has the same problems as the A7 III. The Nikon Z 6 costs $ 500 less, has a slightly higher resolution, a smaller housing and a secondary LCD screen, but does not have two card slots and the autofocus in poor light conditions is inferior to that of the R6.

How long it will take?

In contrast to the R5, the R6 has a polycarbonate housing – the type of plastic that is usually used when getting into mid-range DSLRs. While not as sturdy, it feels firm in your hands and is weatherproof. Aside from catastrophic slumps, the R6 should last a few years. Since Canon is a newbie to mirrorless full-screen mode, we wouldn't be surprised if new features in two more years will cause you to upgrade before you have to.

Should you buy it

If you are a Canon DSLR shooter ready to flip the mirrorless switch and can't afford to opt for the high-end R5, then buy the R6. Pictures and performance are excellent, and the R6 feels like a Canon DSLR. If you want a mirrorless camera that is significantly smaller than a DSLR, or looking for features like exceptional animal AF, or if you need a fast buffer to shoot, the best thing to do is look elsewhere.

Editor's recommendations




31 Jul
Blog

Are You Layering Your Skin Care Routine In The Right Order?

While it may seem complicated to figure out, layering skin care products in the right order is much easier than you might think, especially when you consider the different formulas in a routine. "Typically, the order in which you apply your skin care products should start with the lightest to richest consistency," Alicia explains.

In addition to the consistency rule, also consider the function of each product. Certain skin care products prepare the skin for a routine and help the subsequent steps to better absorb and balance the skin for a radiant, healthy complexion. You should use effective ingredients – such as those in serums – to penetrate the skin so that it has more time to absorb cells and go to cell repair. End with products that include all of these ingredients – after all, applying barrier products too early makes it difficult for ingredients to penetrate the skin.

How to layer your skin care products in the right order

Here is the recommended order that you can incorporate into your daily schedule:

1. Toner

One of the most frequently skipped steps Toner should be included in every skin care regimen! Often packed with antioxidants and moisture, a toner, moisturizing mist or tonic follows cleaning and nourishes the skin. Boldijarre Koronczay, President of Eminence Organic Skin Care, says it best. "Toners are important for maintaining fresh, revitalized skin all year round, putting on mineral make-up, balancing the skin's pH after cleansing or soothing the skin after an invigorating workout."

Wet a round of cotton with your favorite Eminence Organics toner and gently rub it over your face and neck.

2nd Beings

Applying an essence is a must to add moisture and prepare the skin for the next steps in your routine. A light formula that increases the skin's ability to retain moisture. An essence improves the absorption of ingredients – perfect if you want to get the most out of your routine.

“As a rule of thumb, you need to apply an essence after cleansing and toning, and before the serum. I recommend using it as part of your daily skin care routine in the morning and evening, and you can even spray it on all day to refresh yourself, ”recommends Natalie Pergar, Eminence Organics Lead Skin Care Trainer.

After toning, shake a few drops of essence in your palms, warm the product in your hands and gently press it into your skin.

Eminence Organics facial sera

3. Serum, concentrate, facial oil

After preparing your skin with toner and essence, apply effective and nutritious serums or concentrates. Serums are often rich in antioxidants, so it makes sense that they are completely absorbed. If you want to target specific skin problems, it is recommended that you apply a concentrate or serum at this point in the routine for best results.

Apply your serum or concentrate to the palms of your hands and then gently dab it on your face and neck. You can also use a facial oil to include these ingredients and increase hydration before continuing with your skin care routine. Here is an important tip from Boldijarre when using a facial oil: "Put three to four drops of oil in your palm and gently rub your hands together to warm the oil without" squeezing "it. Then press the oil into your skin with an open palm."

4. Moisturizer

Even if your skin is oily, a moisturizing moisturizer is essential to trap moisture and protect it from the many conditions it is exposed to day and night! Moisturizers support the natural skin barrier and keep your complexion strong and healthy.

For best results, apply your favorite serum or facial oil moisturizer while the skin is still moist. This helps lock in moisture and the nutrient-rich ingredients you just applied to your skin.

5. Eye cream

This sensitive area is often left behind in skin care – but it is the area of ​​your face where signs of aging appear first! Apply a moisturizing Apply eye cream to your moisturizer and gently dab it around the eye socket, targeting fine lines or crow's feet and the under-eye area.

6. SPF (daytime)

For a daily skin care routine, Sun protection should be the last step (don't forget!). Physical and mineral sunscreens prevent harmful UV rays from penetrating the skin and causing aging-accelerating damage. For daily use, it is a good idea to find a moisturizer that contains sunscreen.

7. Night cream (in the evening)

If you don't end your day with one Overnight face mask, a rich and moisturizing cream is the perfect last step for night skin care. What is the difference between a moisturizer and a night cream? These specially formulated products are thicker and heavier than everyday moisturizers, so they can really go to work, seal in serums, and protect the skin during sleep hours to prevent moisture loss. The skin works hardest at night while we sleep, rejuvenate and repair the cells. Therefore, the use of a night cream with vegetable oils and extracts is strongly recommended.

In this video you will learn more from Natalie how to apply your skin care products in the right order:

(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrhVwp4Be2Q (/ embed)

Applying products in the correct order for skin care is important but well known When to use them is also important. While many like to finish their skincare and go straight to bed, we recommend waiting around 20 to 30 minutes. The products can penetrate shortly before going to bed so that you have no more night cream on your sheets than on your face!

Would like to set up a skin care routine or need help to integrate the right skin care products into your routine? Contact your preferred Eminence Organics spa partner to learn more about the different types of skin care products.

This entry was originally published in February 2020 and updated for accuracy and completeness.

30 Jul
Blog

Are You a Lifter With Fuzzy Goals?

Imagine this scenario: A lifter in your gym convinced his friend Jeff to sign up for a personal workout. After getting to know Jeff a little, ask him what he would like to do with you and he answers:

"Honestly, I just want to get fitter and stronger."

This is a classic fuzzy goal, right up there where I have more strength and work on my health. According to much of the pop coaching literature, this won't hurt.

Whenever we hear Milquetoast intentions like this, we should give them a backbone and:

But first we take a step back and ask the hanging question: why are we pushing these kinds of goals? The intuitive answer is that the customer needs a goal to stay motivated. Without aiming, they will stop when the training becomes challenging.

This may apply to dedicated trainees, but is it appropriate for Jeff?

Phases of change

According to a popular approach – the trans-theoretical model of behavior change – People go through different phases to make significant changes, e.g. B. quit smoking or adopt a new diet.

SMART goals and sophisticated programming strategies are most effective for those in later phases – action and maintenance. When these lifters come to you They know what they want and have tried other alternatives in the past. They need specific strategies, practices, and accountability to achieve their goals.

Other lifters are at an early stage and are either not considering any change at all or are just starting to think about the possibility. Trainers can help these lifters prepare for an entertaining experience through conversation and training, but not always.

Lifters like Jeff are in the middle of what the trans-theoretical model calls the preparatory phase.

  • You may know what you don't want.
  • You probably failed at some point.
  • They are not sure how to solve their problems.

The people at this stage are ready to do something, but are not yet taking any major steps.

Jeff may not be motivated by a number on a bar, scale, or stopwatch. By the time Jeff can deadlift £ 285, he has no context of what it is like to put £ 405 on the crossbar for the first time, and he still doesn't know if strengthening will solve his problem.

Setting goals in this phase is a challenge. Motivational goals have a goldilocks quality:

  • The goals can neither be completely out of reach nor too easy.
  • If we assign Jeff an arbitrary goal based on a level chart or our coaching experience, chances are that he will accomplish one or more of these goals during training.
  • Alternatively, it can take too long for the goals to be achieved and he loses interest in them because they were of no real importance to him.

And we as trainers know that – we see it all the time – which brings me back to the question: "Why do we force it?" I think there are two reasons why we achieve goals so early::

1. The first reason is that our own experiences and the targeted success stories we hear give us a wrong picture of how people change, as Dr. Prochaska – one of the developers of the Trans-theoretical model – explained in a work from 1992.

In the treatment of cigarette and alcohol addiction, experts developed an action-oriented change program based on topics that are effective for the most successful test subjects. However, when used widely, these programs were largely failures due to high dropout rates and poor buy-ins. This was due to the fact that on average only 10 to 20% of the subjects were ready to act at the beginning.

Successful programs brought participants closer to the action, and it was the engagement of the subject – combined with practical strategies – that led to success.

2nd The second reason we are pushing these goals is personal: it relieves our fear. We are not comfortable with ambivalence and are unsure whether the customer could leave, so we fall back on old habits.

We translate your needs into a case study format, set SMART goals, and then pull out our # 2 pencils to get an A-quality answer. Knowing that we have said the right thing gives us the confidence that we are doing our job and the certainty that they will continue to be our customers.

However, lifters are not multiple choice tests, and if they force complex measures too early, they will not be met where they are. By trying to prove our competence, we are selling it.

Move forward effectively

"The preparatory phase is a planning phase in which customers begin to actively implement their plans, so the main focus should be on what is required to maintain commitment to future action." – Dr. Clifton Mitchell, Effective techniques for dealing with highly resistant customers

If someone comes to us who is not quite ready to take action, efforts to push them forward are likely to fail. We're out of sync, we'll get resistance, and if we're not careful, we'll blame the lifter for not being compliant.

When faced with jacks like Jeff, keep in mind that they don't need to be fixed. Instead, they need clear next steps, evidence that you can help them solve their problem, and trust in you as a trainer.

Delete action steps

As Chip and Dan Heath suggest in their book Switch: "What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity."

Lifters in the preparatory phase are looking for solutions and preparing for action, but are not ready to bring about profound changes in life.

So that action steps are effective, They have to be clear and small enough so that the lifter can run them easily, especially in connection with the support and accountability of the trainer.

An example of an action step could be to plan a first introductory and test session. The decision to train is an immediate measure. The lifter knows what to do, and the coach takes care of the complicated part – designing a productive first session.

An ineffective step could be to answer a customer's question about nutrition with: "For now, only try to reduce the intake of processed foods and sugary drinks."

This advice may seem clear and straightforward to a trainer – it is far easier than trying to explain the details of digestion and metabolism. Nevertheless, the lifter must now:

  1. Decide what is considered processed food
  2. Revise your dining environment
  3. Change your habits.

These three steps are too far, too fast.

Evidence of change

Although lifters like Jeff often come with no clear sense of where they're going, they almost always have a problem they want to solve. That motivated them enough to inquire, find you, and come to your gym to pay your training prices. Work with them to resolve the issue and find a way for them to see what the progress is.

  • The first halfIdentifying the actual problem to be solved is often more complicated than it sounds. You may have to ask yourself why again and again, looking at the question from different angles and deepening your understanding of their struggle in the coming weeks and months.
  • The second half– Finding a meaningful metric – seems to contradict the earlier statement that Jeff probably doesn't need goals. In this case, the metric is used to control program changes and to show whether the training is effective and not to set goals so that they are aimed at a specific goal. The process is similar to mindful breathing exercises, where the goal is to become aware of the breath without trying to change it. And just like in meditation, it takes discipline and patience to resist the urge to turn metrics into goals.

If we can clarify the lifter's actual needs and show them the benefits of the training process, we will promote their sustained engagement and put them in a good position to develop targeted strategies that work when they become appropriate later.

build up trust

Finally, focus on building trust and connection.

This process never ends, but especially in the first few months you get to know her as a lifter. Bring your whole self – your personality, passions and projects – to the gym within limits to express the integrity between your life's work and your work as a coach. Take care of their progress and be excited when they reach new premieres and milestones.

Be professional in what you say and how you touch and keep clear, consistent and reasonable boundaries for what you do – both what you do and what you don't. Keep your promises on time and apologize if you are wrong.

It would go beyond the scope of this article – it could be the mission of your life – to explain how best to develop trust. Instead, just respect the value that trust brings to the coaching process. The time you spent building relationships, connections, developing side projects, streamlining business processes, and celebrating with your lifters is beneficial to both of you, even if it's not tied to a specific goal.

These side tasks can be the most important thing you do.

How to help Jeff

You can't work with someone like Jeff. You can choose to work only with groups that are largely behind this phase. Or you specialize in lifters who are even less willing to change than Jeff, as seen in some employee rehab and mandate programs.

In my experience as a barbell and CrossFit coach, however, most new lifters are in the preparatory phase, and I suspect that this is true in large parts of the commercial coaching area.

And whoever you work with Your willingness to change will go in and out. Your client can fall back into old behaviors and lose confidence, or prepare for a goal or lifestyle change that will take him out of the familiar.

Knowing how to deal with this transition – getting it back into effective routines and getting closer to your new goal – can make the difference between a good trainer and a trainer who can make a lifter happy and successful for years.

30 Jul
Blog

The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Review: A Well-Crafted DLC

The screenshot of the Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack

The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack Review: A smart DLC

"With Nifty Knitting, The Sims 4's expansion package strategy hits a sweet spot."

  • Versatile item list

  • Knitting feels relevant to gameplay

  • Extras like Plopsy are fun

With Nifty Knitting, The Sims 4 delivers what players want by asking players what they want.

The latest stuff pack is a product of people's choice. Electronic Arts opened the latest topic, style, and articles online for voting before the final Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack was released. It clearly paid off.

This DLC fits at its $ 10 price tag, offering new Create-a-Sim and Build items, and a new ability to grow. There is also a new knitting wish for Sims. The Sims 4 are a bit lacking in this area and they don't often pursue hobbies. A claim for Sims newbies is a goal in life. Trying to fulfill a Sim's wish is one way to play. If you succeed, your Sim will get a new trait.

The screenshot of the Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff PackPhoto courtesy of Electronic Arts

My Sim was a teacher during the day and a knitter at night. I focused on achieving my goals instead of climbing the career ladder as quickly as possible. It felt realistic and fun and I found that the game didn't offer many similar options. Comparable hobbies such as woodworking and flower arrangement enable growth and the opportunity to unlock new crafting items that you can sell. However, there is no effort to build on it, so success is not rewarded so richly.

Stuff pack stuff

Like many fans, I often have concerns about how the components (furniture, decorations or architectural details) feel excessively crazy. The Sims 4 love to incorporate colorful items instead of simple basics.

Nifty knitting doesn't go too crazy, however. There are simple desk and seating options with enough color fields to match multiple color schemes. It's easy to compare the Nifty Knitting items with other DLC or basic game options, but they also feel coherent. Objects such as desks and breadboards seem to fit easily in any office or studio. There are some garments that are separate from those unlocked by the knitting skill. These felt useful and realistic.

The screenshot of the Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff PackPhoto courtesy of Electronic Arts

There are also a few short hairstyles. These androgynous looks can complement a number of Sims styles, and I guess one contains gray roots. There's also a 50's-style feathered bob. With the exception of the gray appearance, all can be worn by children. I was wondering why more hairstyles aren't available at every age.

The knitting skill slowly unlocks craft items such as hats, sweaters, socks, hanging planters, decorations, carpets and stools. The decorations and stools give the game a unique flair, and I was happy to be able to make my own carpet or planter instead of buying one in the game. You can also knit baby and toddler rompers, which I found particularly enjoyable as there are very few options for these age groups. Babies have extremely limited clothing options, so I was happy to see the addition here.

Still, my Sim made far more items than I could ever use. I sold the extras on Plopsy, a fictional variant of Etsy. You can put your item up for sale, but there is no guarantee of how much you will get or if they will even get a buyer. The listing costs 10 Simoleons and another 10 if you need to re-list if you don't find a buyer before the listing expires. The game also gives buyers and sellers their own usernames based on Sims lore.

Our opinion

This extension is a good value. The Sims 4 struggled to get the upgrade price right with some previous offerings. However, Nifty Knitting and the former Stuff Pack, Tiny Living, have hit a sweet spot. They offer meaningful additions to the game at an affordable price of $ 10.

Is there a better alternative?

Every DLC package that the Sims bring out in one generation should be unique. However, if you're looking for other options with a similar flair, Laundry Day (another pack developed by fan voting) or Tiny Living are good options. Parenting is probably the most free game pack, especially for those who enjoy family games. Cats and dogs or seasons would be great options for expansion packs with an appropriate style.

How long it will take?

Sims DLC should last as long as the game, that is, as long as you play it. However, some options like Get Famous or Vampires seem to work best for a particular run before the issues become obsolete.

Nifty Knitting can be easily integrated into all games and is therefore much longer lasting.

Should you buy it

Yes. Nifty Knitting is a simple addition to the list of Sims DLC must-haves.

Editor's recommendations




30 Jul
Blog

Paper Mario: The Origami King Review: All Heart

upcoming switch games paper Mario the origami king hero

Paper Mario: The Origami King

"Paper Mario: The Origami King is an enchanting Mario adventure that is characterized by a difficult and lengthy combat system."

  • Heartwarming characters

  • Nice soundtrack

  • Excellent level variety

  • Breathtaking graphics

  • Annoying combat system

  • Platforming may lack precision

About a third of the way through Paper Mario: The Origami King, A bob omb performs a touching act of self-sacrifice.

One of the main characters in the game, Olivia, is unable to act and it is up to Mario and the Bob-Omb to save her. The search for an item followed, and when they returned to Olivia, I realized that Bob-omb knew that he would do this selfless act all the time, even though I didn't. It's a beautiful scene and reminded me why I love video games at all.

Paper Mario: The Origami King shines brightest at these moments. It's a shame that a frustrating combat system is dragging out this otherwise great game.

Paper Mario: Origami King

The paper router

The story of the game is pretty simple. Mario and Luigi are on their way to the Mushroom Kingdom for an origami festival, but when they get there something is going on. Princess Peach is folded and behaves creepy and asks the brothers if they want to join her. If they refuse, they will be thrown into the dungeon of the castle. You'll soon learn that an evil origami king named Ollie has transformed the princess into this lifeless form and a squad of Bowser's enemies into folded soldiers. He wants to do the same with the entire mushroom kingdom.

Mario teams up with Bowser, who is hilariously folded into a square and tries to avoid being detained. He finds Olivia, Ollie's sister, in the dungeon. Olivia does not share her brother's hatred, so they begin a search to save the kingdom and stop Ollie's evil plan.

Ollie takes Peach's castle and takes it to a distant mountain. He covers the kingdom with five colorful ribbons and captures everything. It's up to Mario and Olivia (and a bevy of supporting characters) to untie the tapes, stop Ollie and make the kingdom normal again.

So far, so good, but the narrative gets more confusing from there. Mario and Olivia must defeat four origami elementals (fire, ice, water, earth) so that Olivia can learn their powers and become strong enough to protect high-performance office materials (scissors, staplers, punches, etc.) that guard the guards tapes . Along the way, they also discover Ollie’s origins. It's an attempt to add depth, but the revelations are exactly what you'd expect.

Throughout the trip, Mario and Olivia visit scenic green meadows, expensive desserts, water temples, slippery ice caves, musky dungeons, and volcanoes filled with lava, to name a few. As is often the case with Mario games, the story offers an excuse to serve a variety of levels that keep the game's scenery fresh.

Paper Mario: The Origami King screenshot

There is a lot to do and find in the game. Hundreds of toads are hidden in every corner and endless secrets are scattered all over the place. One of the main mechanics of the game is to fill holes across the country with a bag of confetti, and it's a blast. There are collectibles to find, trophies to earn, and even an in-game museum to show Mario's victories.

Get going

Like other current Paper Mario titles, Origami King is a cross between an RPG and a 3D platformer. This hybrid approach works largely. Mario can move and jump, strike his hammer, and interact with items such as characters and other characters. Moving around the world feels fluid and seamless.

However, it is not perfect. Because the camera is static, it can sometimes be difficult to judge where Mario will land. Especially later in the game, platform sections can be unforgiving due to the amount of health lost during a fall. At least healing items are easy to get and store.

Another game mechanic includes magic panels. Mario uses Olivia's origami powers to turn his arms into long stems that sweep the screen and look for hidden panels to uncover new ways or secrets. These use motion controls that can be difficult. There have been a couple of times I've spent so long trying to find the portion of the screen that I needed to get ahead that I thought the game was buggy. I would recommend turning off motion control for more accuracy.

The game also has a potentially gambling problem. Later in the story, Bowser's son is cut up and has to be rejuvenated in a number of hot springs. The road to last spring involves a number of measures that must be carried out in the correct order. There is a way to run them in the wrong order, stopping all forward progress in the game and forcing the player to either revert to a previous save or restart the game completely.

Fight the battle, win the war

While the platform takes place in the world of The Origami King, fighting puts you in a turn-based combat system. Here the game becomes a slog. When Mario encounters an enemy or a boss, a circular grid is triggered with a time limit. In normal battles, the ring puzzle is manipulated so that enemies are positioned so that they are easiest to attack. If done correctly, Mario will receive an attack bonus. If done wrong, the fight will drag on. And further.

There is no real incentive for battles since Mario does not collect experience points. You only get coins that are easy to get when you explore the world. Mario gets stronger by improving his health when he finds improved hearts around the world and by using stronger weapons.

The game offers many options to simplify battles. Mario can ask Toads to cheer him on by spending coins and they will improve his health and solve the puzzles halfway for him. He can also use coins to buy more time. He can also buy accessories that increase time, health, and strength for his allies during battles. He can even flee, although it works less than 50% of the time.

Mario can avoid some battles. I used the help a lot and avoided battles as often as possible because I didn't like the combat system. The circular grid doesn't feel intuitive, and even with help, fighting feels like a chore.

Boss fights are even more difficult because they involve certain movements that affect the field, like an enemy adding fire in a way that Mario must avoid. Although it is satisfying to stomp a boss to pieces, I have often made a small mistake that made me lose a round and dragged the fight out for a relentless amount of time.

In particular, the last battle involved a puzzle mechanic that only appeared once in the game, along with a very tight time limit. While some would call it invigorating, I found it stressful.

A visual delight

Despite my disputes about the combat system, Paper Mario: The Origami King is a beautiful game full of hearts.

The music is an oasis of sound – a mixture of live instruments, electronic music and airy woodwinds. The graphics are clear and sharp, with water, sky and earth effects that contradict the colorful style of the game. It's a feast for the eyes and I loved getting through the game just to see what Paper Mario had to show me next.

During the game, I visited a full amusement park with a hidden ninja house; I flew up in the air with Bowser's cannon ship. I fought a giant squid on a cruise ship and navigated a ship in a section of sail that resembled The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker, complete with my own nautical chart. You will find Easter eggs everywhere, both acoustically and visually, that will delight even the most laid-back Mario fans.

Just when a section feels monotonous, the game throws something completely different at you. And despite healthy forward dynamics, tracking is encouraged and often rewarded.

Characters in the game

Olivia is the emotional center of the game. She is a small folded yellow figure that Mario can summon to ask for clues. Thank God for that because I got stuck a couple of times and she always told me where to go next.

Mario is a silent protagonist, so Olivia takes care of all the emotional lifting, and the game's authors obviously have not only a deep institutional knowledge of Mario, but also a concern about his story. The writing contains sadness, joy and a lot of humor. During the many clever moments in the game, I often found a smile on my face.

At some point, Olivia learns of another character's sad fate. The game itself slows down and I couldn't go on until Mario cheered her up. I'm not going to spoil how he does it because it's funny, but the scene shows how touching and heartfelt this game can be.

Our opinion

Paper Mario: Origami King is a heartwarming, entertaining addition to the Paper Mario franchise, which is blocked by a lengthy and frustrating puzzle battle system.

Is there a better alternative?

Both Game change and Breath of the wild are classic Nintendo Switch games that do justice to the occasion. Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling and Hollow Knight are also good alternatives, although the latter is much more difficult.

I also really enjoyed the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link & # 39; s Awakening.

How long it will take?

It took me about 35 hours to complete the main story of the game, and I could easily spend another five to ten hours finding everything in the game.

Should you buy it

If you can overcome the battles, it is a great game full of surprises, good writing and fun moments. If you are a Mario fan, this game is definitely worth a visit.

Editor's recommendations




30 Jul
Blog

LG Tone Free HBS-FN6 Review: Self-cleaning Buds Disappoint

LG Tone Free earphones

"The LG Tone Free lags behind the competition in its price range"

  • Comfortable design

  • Neat self-cleaning function

  • Great sound quality

  • Below average battery life

  • Hypersensitive touch controls

There doesn't seem to be a better time to launch a product that kills bacteria as part of its functions than it is now. For this reason, LG should really get recognition for its excellent, if random timing for the release of the Tone Free HBS-FN6.

Of course, it's never a good time to launch a product that can't keep up with the competition in critical areas, and LG also deserves recognition for whether it wants it or not. The $ 150 Tone Free HBS-FN6 can do some things that most other real wireless earbuds don't, but has had no effect on the areas that mattered most.

Before I summarize it, a brief explanation: There are three different clay-free models, the HBS-FN6, the HBS-FN5W and the HBS-FN4, each with incremental differences. I will review the HBS-FN6 and, for the purposes of this story, describe this product as clay-free unless otherwise noted. Okay, let's go ahead.

Out of the box

Everything about the LG Tone Free earbuds is small except for the packaging they arrive in. The buds and their housing are located under the lid of the predominantly white box. Below them is a separate compartment that contains a USB-C charging cable, additional earplugs, and a surprisingly thorough manual. I'm just saying surprise because I've seen a decent number of guides, the details of which have been largely in short. It may be a little old-fashioned, but having something tangible to guide you through the operation of these buds is a welcome inclusion, which is sometimes lost in the mix with competitors.

LG Tone Free earphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

The Tone Free has a Fast Pair feature similar to Google's Pixel Buds 2 or Apple's AirPods, where the earbuds seem to find your phone before they can find it, though it's limited to devices that run Android 5.0 or higher support. If you don't have a device that matches this description, you can go the more traditional way and find the earbuds in your phone's Bluetooth settings to connect.

The Tone Free had Bluetooth 5.0 technology and, like most earphones I've tested with this built-in technology, was easy when it came to solid connections. I was free to move around the house or even in the back yard while my phone remained stationary.

design

As with so many pairs before, the Tone Free was – at least partially – made after the model of the Apple AirPods. After all, Apple has made the concept of wearing golf T-shirts in its ears a hot thing, in which the competitors simply follow the trend. The Tone Free are a bit more bulky (about 5 grams compared to the 4-gram AirPods) and are currently only available in black, but the visual similarities are obvious enough.

LG Tone Free earphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

I really like how compact the charging case for the Tone Free is. It's actually a little lighter (39 grams) than the AirPod's 40-gram charging case, and I personally prefer the round design of the Tone Free case. This may be an unpopular opinion, as Apple's lighter Zippo case has been copied by many manufacturers. But I would definitely take LG's circular in a stow-and-go situation about the AirPods, although neither will be a big problem in this regard.

The Tone Free are comfortable and fit snugly in my ears without putting too much pressure on my ear canals.

The Tone Free are comfortable and fit snugly in my ears without putting too much pressure on my ear canals. The only time I physically customized them on morning walks or jogging in the afternoon was to use the auto pause function of the buds when I passed other people. I could have used the earphones 'Ambient Sound mode to remove a bud, but I found that pulling them out was easier than trying to use the earphones' multi-touch controls while moving.

When I speak of these multitouch controls, I will be the first to admit that getting this control style right is not easy. Many buds that use this feature are between too sensitive to touch or not sensitive enough. I think the Tone Free are functional – with multiple print options for answering or ending phone calls, switching through music, or changing the volume – but they're erroneous closer to the "too sensitive" end of the spectrum. They're not as bad as others I've tested in this regard, but there were still a handful of frustrating moments.

properties

When it comes to their functions, the Tone Free are a bit mixed. They have the characteristic self-cleaning function that fascinates these buds on their own. However, if you expand the scope and examine the more standard but more important functions, the intrigue is almost lost.

LG Tone Free earphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

First, let's work out the uniqueness of these earphones. The Tone Free are self-cleaning buds, thanks to a UV nano charging housing that, according to LG, kills 99.9% of the bacteria while the housing is connected to a charging cable. The case uses ultraviolet light that is focused on the bud's earbuds, though the process doesn't remove dirt, grime, or ear wax.

On the one hand, this is objectively cool. Especially at a time when most people are still focused on cleanliness, it can only be good to have buds that kill the bacteria themselves. On the other hand, all of this seems completely unnecessary. As I suspect, many of you, I have never been overly concerned with the amount of bacteria in my earbuds. Perhaps LG is indicting and uncovering an issue we didn't previously know was an issue, and maybe future earphones will follow in Tone Free's footsteps. On the other hand, maybe not. It's a feature the effects of which the average person can't feel, and it's the main reason why these buds cost $ 50 more than the clay-free HBS-FN4. That seems like a great deal of work for a largely invisible advantage.

When it comes to their functions, the Tone Free are a bit mixed.

The battery life in Tone Free is up to six hours. The case contains two additional charging cycles for a total of 18. They also have a quick charge function that allows you to play for an hour after five minutes in the case. It would have been solid two years ago. Unfortunately for LG it is mediocre at best. The RHA TrueConnect 2 offers 9.5 hours of playback on a single charge and a total battery life of 44 hours at the same price. Given that the Tone Free has a low battery shortly after the five-hour mark and barely approaches the specified service life of six hours, it's hard to see why you wouldn't choose a much stronger battery in the RHA .

And while the Tone Free offers IPX4 weather resistance – a fairly normal benchmark for earphones that gives them solid protection against sweat and splashes of water from every direction – the TrueConnect 2 has raised the bar by introducing dust protection with an IP55 degree of protection. You probably won't need this protection in your everyday life. But why not choose this route at the same time when it no longer costs you? That is the problem LG is facing. Their functions are fine if you don't place them next to a competitor with the same price. In this scenario, it is difficult to find an area that clearly prefers the tonelessness. Unless you wanted to limit the number of bacteria you expose your ears to.

Audio quality

Just like the latest sound bars, LG is promoting its partnership with Meridian to optimize the sound of their products. Also in line with these sound bars, LG has kept silent about the specifications of the actual drivers in these earphones. After the sound of the company's conversation topics, we shouldn't worry about the details or design of the components that produce the sound we hear. Instead, we should blindly rely on Meridian to take on the audio quality of this product and trust the company's HSP (Headphone Spatial Processing) technology to achieve solid sound.

LG Tone Free earphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

What I have to admit, it works very well. Just like the sound bars in which Meridian was involved, the Tone Free offers a pleasant listening experience. According to LG, Meridian's HSP technology is said to "create a realistic soundstage that simulates the experience of hearing real speakers." I wouldn't go anywhere near this, but after looking at a selection like Led Zeppelins & # 39; Ramble On or The Rolling Stones & # 39; After listening to Gimme Shelter, I appreciate the stereo separation and vocal clarity that these earphones could produce.

With the LG Tone Free app, you can choose between three other Meridian presets – Bass Boost, Natural or Treble Boost – or adjust the sound to your taste with an in-app equalizer. Although LG's efforts to make the sound customizable for all kinds of ears are recognized and presets like Bass Boost fill the required low-end for more modern tracks, I preferred the sound of the standard "Immersive" preset.

The Tone Free did a great job of producing a pleasant sound.

However, I will say this: the Tone Free did a good job of producing a pleasant sound, but at the same time they did not produce an incredibly distinctive sound. It's hard for me to decide whether these buds sound better than, for example, the RHAs I heard last week or the Google Pixel Buds 2 that I auditioned a few months ago. The Tone Free cited the ability to kill bacteria as a key feature that just isn't that exciting and really needed their sound to set a tone. They sound very good, just not good enough to cover their other shortcomings.

The call quality of the Tone Free is sufficient thanks to the dual microphone setup that LG has integrated into the Tone Free. LG says it uses technologies known as echo cancellation and noise cancellation to detect unwanted noise and minimize what works pretty well. Just don't expect these features and the minimal passive noise cancellation created by the bud's fit to reflect the kind of experience that real active noise cancellation offers. Try anyway, these ANC replacement products don't affect the real business.

Our opinion

The LG Tone Free doesn't do anything particularly bad, they just don't do most things as well as some of the more notable competitors in their price range. It is a difficult task to reach all the key touch points when things are moving so fast in the real wireless earphone world, but if you can't keep up with the rest of the field at least, you won't be able to do the leaderboard.

Are there any better alternatives?

The Tone Free has a slight sound edge, but it's not enough to overlook everything else that makes the RHA TrueConnect 2 better for exactly the same $ 150. For another $ 50, I've become quite a fan of the $ 200 Sony WF-SP800N, which improves battery life over both the LG and RHA and offers effective active noise cancellation.

Honestly, I would probably use the cheaper $ 99 LG Tone Free HBS-FN4 compared to the FN6, as the main difference is the self-cleaning charging case where we found a limit.

How long will they last?

These buds appear to be of high quality workmanship and moderately good protection against the weather. I do not foresee that they will collapse soon.

Should you buy them

Nah. I liked the design of these earphones and their tasty sound, but there are too many options in this price range with better features to recommend the latest from LG. The Tone Free can eliminate most of the bacteria that get in their way, but they don't have the same effect on the tough competition that surrounds them.

Editor's recommendations




29 Jul
Blog

How To Get Rid Of Crepey Skin

Does your skin feel paper-like rather than plump? As we get older, the skin can become thinner and more fragile, and look crepe-like. If you want to get rid of crepe skin, Eminence Organics is here to help.

What is Crepey Skin?

Crepey skin is characterized by its fragile and thin texture, similar to fine wrinkled paper. While it resembles more common fine lines and wrinkles, this type of skin tends to appear over larger areas and emerge where the skin is most fragile, such as under the eyes and on the upper inner arms.

What causes Crepey Skin?

Aging, sun damage and lack of moisture All contribute to changes in skin texture, including the development of crepe skin. With age, our body produces less collagen and elastin – the proteins that give the skin its firmness and elasticity. Over time, exposure to UV rays helps break down collagen and elastin, making the skin sagging, thinner, and wrinkled. And our skin produces less oil with age, which contributes to drier and paperier skin.

How to get rid of Crepey Skin

According to Healthline: "The earlier you treat crepe skin, the easier it is to make a noticeable change in appearance, texture, thickness and support." Here's how to adjust your Eminence Organics skin care routine to improve the appearance of this skin problem:

1. Exfoliate regularly

Livestrong recommends exfoliating the skin every night with a product that contains AHAs that help dissolve dead skin cells, moisturize the skin, and fade the appearance of fine lines. We recommend the Acin Peeling Peeling by Eminence Organics Firm Skin, which both deeply hydrates and minimizes the visible signs of aging for firm-looking skin.

Product selection

Eminence Organics Firm Haut Acai Peeling

Exfoliation with firm skin

VIEW PRODUCT

2. Hydrate with hyaluronic acid

To improve the appearance of the crepe skin, Heidi A. Waldorf, MDsuggests using products with hyaluronic acid that absorbs and holds moisture to keep the skin hydrated and plump. Eminence Organics Strawberry Rhubarb Masque contains a botanical hyaluronic acid from marshmallow plant extract for smooth and plump skin.

3. Use skin care with peptides

With regular use of skin care products with peptide active ingredients, the complexion becomes more elastic and looks supple. Eminence Organics' Marine Flower Peptide Serum contains botanical peptides made from rice protein that help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

4. Protect the skin with antioxidants

Antioxidants help Protect the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals that break down collagen and contribute to the appearance of crepe skin. Foods rich in antioxidants include deeply colored fruits and berries, leafy greens and surprising sources such as coffee and mushrooms.

Blueberries

We recommend Eminence Organics for antioxidants in skin care Firm Skin Collection. The products in this collection are enriched with antioxidant-rich ingredients such as acai berries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries and help the aging skin to look firm, firm and revitalized.

5. Use a moisturizing night cream

Crepe skin is characterized by a parchment-like texture, which is caused by a lack of density and moisture. high in Monoi oil, argan oil and shea butter, Eminence Organics Monoi Age Corrective night cream for the face and neck softens dry, scruffy skin and makes it look smoother and smoother. Our anti-aging stem cell complex improves the appearance of skin density for a beautifully plump complexion.

Do you have problems with crepe skin? We'd love to hear your tips and tricks. Let us know in the comments below and join the conversation on social media.

This entry was originally published in February 2018 and has been updated for accuracy and completeness. If you

«‹147148149150151›»