08 Aug
Blog

Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro: Purging Pesky Porch Pirates

Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro installed.

Vivint doorbell camera Pro

"The Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro's mission is to proactively protect your packages with A.I."

  • Extremely wide field of view

  • Intelligent integration into the Vivint system

  • Slim, durable construction

  • SmartSentry mode protects your packages

  • Professional installation ensures impeccable performance

  • Must be bought with Vivint system, not alone

  • The depth of field of night vision is shallow

  • Limited A.I.

Parcel theft has become a phenomenon in recent years. Vivint set out to curb this behavior with a new SmartSentry deterrent mode that actively protects your packages from thieves. This new deterrent mode has been incorporated into the new Video Doorbell Camera Pro, which is built into the rest of the Vivint package. I've put the doorbell through its paces for the last month and I've learned that.

The Vivint doorbell camera Pro immediately offers the same restrictions as the rest of the Vivint device family. You need a Vivint security system installed in your home in order to use the doorbell. If you're just looking for a video doorbell, this is where you can stop reading. However, if you are interested in the Vivint system, read on because the doorbell does some great things.

Low profile

The Doorbell Camera Pro Hardware is slim compared to most other doorbell cameras. It still looks a lot like a video doorbell, but some options like Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus are clunky. The Vivint doorbell is much slimmer, which homeowners should appreciate. The black face of the doorbell starts with subtle branding on top, with the camera lens directly below and the doorbell button below. A ring light surrounds the doorbell button. The rest of the case is white.

The Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro has many functions in common with other doorbell cameras. It comes with a 65dB speaker and microphone for bidirectional communication. Visitors reported that the speaker was clear and easy to hear. The microphone is very sensitive and visitors can also be heard clearly. The camera records and transmits videos at 1080p. You can also unlock doors directly from the camera interface, which is convenient.

No escape from this camera

This doorbell has two hero functions, the first of which is a 180 degree field of view from left to right and top to bottom. This is similar to the Arlo Video doorbell. The advantage is obvious – even a package on your doormat is visible. The large field of view also allows you to see your entire porch. That’s really impressive in practice. My front door is set into the brick so I can't take full advantage of the left-to-right view, but the 180-degree top and bottom are certainly beneficial.

The Vivint Smart Doorbell Pro is expensive at $ 250. As mentioned, the doorbell is installed professionally, which sometimes costs $ 99. But the $ 99 is the cost of installing everything in your home, not just the doorbell. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate the installation cost. For my part, my installers were quick, competent and very professional. Overall, they also saved me a lot of the hassle of installing it myself. Speaking of which, my plumbers offered to run the doorbell up to the brick paneling of my house so I could take advantage of the 180 degree field of view, but I declined. I've never been a fan of this look.

The video quality of the 180 degree camera is sufficient for this purpose. The quality is to be expected from a midrange phone, for example. That's fine for identifying visitors, bad for club selfies. The center of the frame is pretty clear with a fisheye effect when you come out to the edges of the frame. The clarity is sharp about 10 feet away and then drops off quickly. My mailbox 45 feet away is a pixelated work of art.

Proactive protection

When deterrent mode is activated and a person is detected, the ring light will glow red.

The other hero feature is similar to the one I tested with the Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro and is the SmartSentry deterrent mode which is powered by Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Vivint really wanted to focus on package delivery and looting porches, so the doorbell has a guard mode. When the camera detects that a package is being delivered, you will be notified on your phone. From there, you can activate deterrent mode. When someone else approaches your porch, they will play the deterrent tone. I prefer the whistle followed by "camera shot" but there are other tones to choose from.

In my tests, this feature worked very well. Whenever deterrent mode was on and a person approached, there was no doubt that they were being recorded. Vivint's chief technical officer JT Hwang said that many people use deterrent mode at night, not just to protect packaging, but just to keep people away from their homes. It's not very neighborly, but I'm not going to judge it. As long as Vivint A.I. I would like to see an extra step by adding face recognition. That way the doorbell won't yell at me when I get my own package.

The ring light around the doorbell meant notification, not lighting. When the deterrent is played, the ring will glow red. If someone approaches the door while SmartSentry is off, the ring light will turn white. It's handy at night for visitors to see the button.

Limited recognition

The Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro has the same disadvantage as the Outdoor Camera Pro. The doorbell only recognizes parcels and people. It doesn't detect any other movement or sound like the Nest Hello Video doorbell and I miss that. If there is an animal living under my porch or a loud crack occurs somewhere in the neighborhood, I'd love to hear about it. Vivint says it's A.I. Efforts to protect packets, but other events may occur in the future. At least Vivint is clear about his priorities.

Another limitation of the camera that the Outdoor Camera Pro mirrors is the reliance on the Smart Drive to record a 24/7 feed. Without the smart drive, the doorbell will record events when a person or package is detected and you will get a live view of the camera, but the footage will not be cleaned. If you want to record around the clock, plan on spending the extra cash on the smart drive.

Limited range but in line with mission

I noticed that the range of night vision is particularly limited compared to a Nest Hello video doorbell. Below I have placed a screenshot of each doorbell side by side at night. In both shots you can clearly see the Santa Claus statue standing on the edge of my porch (yes, even in August). When shooting the Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro, the image quickly falls off directly behind the veranda. With the Nest Hello doorbell, the rest of the front yard is free – or at least if I cleaned the camera lens and that was a lesson, kids. Remember to clean your doorbell camera's lens from time to time.

Screenshot of Nest Hallo "aria-descriptionby =" gallery-6-2534726

Screenshot of the Vivint app "aria-descriptionby =" gallery-6-2534727

When I spoke to Vivint's CTO about this, he explained that the strength of the infrared light is a compromise due to power and heat issues. The infrared light from Vivint's Outdoor Pro cameras is stronger because they draw their own energy. If you are limited to doorbell current and trying to capture such a wide field of view, you will hit a wall. I get that, and the camera area covers my entire porch, which is in line with Vivint's mission – your porch and your packages. To be fair, that's covered.

Finally, just like the rest of the Vivint system, compatibility with certain smart displays would be good. When someone rings the doorbell, the video will appear on the Vivint security panel. That's nice, but when I'm in the kitchen I already have a Lenovo Smart Display. Vivint is looking into the integration of smart displays, but it's not there yet, which is disappointing.

Our opinion

Snapshot from the Vivint doorbell camera Pro

This is a doorbell camera with a specific mission that is refreshing in its own way. Nowadays, smart tech seems to want to be everything for everyone. This doorbell is designed to protect your packages. This is arguably the best reason for a video doorbell. Also, unlike many other A.I. Proactively protect packages. A video doorbell can help you catch thieves, but SmartSentry will stop them before you lose your belongings. I wouldn't be surprised if more doorbell cameras took on a similar role in the years to come.

Is there a better alternative?

There is a wide variety of doorbell cameras available in the market. The Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation), Nest Hello and others have the "See who's at your door" theme covered. But none of them proactively protect what's on your doorstep. This also begs the question of whether there is a better alternative that integrates with Vivint. Since this doorbell is part of that system, the answer to this question is a simple no.

Will it take?

Yes. The Vivint doorbell Pro is made of solid polycarbonate and seems to be very durable. The operating range is between minus 20 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees. The warranty applies to all Vivint devices for the duration of a customer's customer service contract. All required service visits are free for the first 120 days after installation. Service visits cost $ 49 after 120 days. After the 120-day period has expired, follow-up service visits within 30 days of a $ 49 service visit are free for the same reason.

Should you buy it

Like everything in the Vivint ecosystem, the answer is yes, provided you purchase Vivint security for the entire home. Not only does the doorbell integrate with the rest of the Vivint system that you are already buying, but the price is also competitive. While this doorbell was offered as a standalone option, I think it's worth buying. The large field of view and proactive SmartSentry mode are worth a few extra dollars. That's a lot of great things in one package. Even given the tradeoffs, this is a good buy in itself regardless of the Vivint system.

Editor's recommendations




02 Aug
Blog

Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro Review: Your Guardian Awaits

Photo of the Vivint outdoor camera.

The Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro

“The Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro uses A.I. to monitor your property and proactively protect it. "

  • Integration with basically everything

  • Smart sentry mode

  • Low profile, inconspicuous

  • Two-way speakers

  • No floodlights

  • No smart screen integration

  • iPad app locked on portrait

Given that there are more home security solutions in the game these days, it's important to know that there are still home security professionals you can call. When these professionals work hand in hand with smart home technology and artificial intelligence, it gets really cool, and that's exactly what we're working with here with the Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro. But first let's talk briefly about the entire "Vivint experience".

As we described in our test last year, Vivint is a smart home / security solution for the whole house that is professionally installed and monitored. All of Vivint's technology is deeply rooted in the entire security system, making it difficult to assess a single component of it. You cannot just buy a Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro and connect it to the house. It's part of the whole. In this case, the Outdoor Camera Pro works most directly with your Vivint Home Security Panel to display videos. It also works with other components in your home, such as: B. your smart locks, lights, etc.

Keep out of the way

One thing I really like about the Camera Pro is how small and humble it is. After checking the Netatmo outdoor camera with siren, the hardware design is day and night. This camera is designed to sit firmly on a corner and go unnoticed unless it sees someone playing around with your things. Then it becomes visible what I will talk about in a moment.

The Vivint outdoor camera is small and inconspicuous.

The camera must be firmly connected to your home, but this is done via the power supply via Ethernet. Basically, a Cat 5 cable leads from the camera to a connected hybrid WLAN adapter, which supplies the camera with power and at the same time transmits the video signal via WLAN. If this sounds intimidating, it may be so, but that's why the camera is installed professionally.

Overall, the picture quality is quite good and sharp. The 140-degree field of view isn't the best, but it does meet the arbitrary minimum standard. A camera like the Arlo Pro 3 gives you a generous 160 degree field of view, which is great. In my garden 140 degrees do the job. You can also use the app to adjust the image quality and bandwidth. I set mine to medium, which was more than sufficient for my needs. The camera also has a full night mode.

Loud and proud

Screenshot of the Vivint app.

As for the rest of the hardware, the camera is equipped with a speaker and a ring light. Through the speaker, you can use the app to speak to anyone who is outside, whether it is an intruder, or your trampoline kids who refuse to come in for dinner. The speaker is loud and clear, so both the intruder and your children know they are bad. Whether one of them cares or not is another conversation. The speaker can also be used as an extension of your alarm so that your neighbors can be notified if something is wrong. The camera can also be a doorbell extender, which is very convenient if you work in the garden or have a socially distant party in the garden. The speaker offers a lot of functions.

At 85 decibels, the speaker is not the loudest, especially when compared to the 108 dB output of the Netatmo outdoor camera. In our tests, however, 85 dB is great for talking to people about the camera, and the Vivint camera also offers protection from professional surveillance. Given the extra layers of protection Vivint offers, it's a little easier to forgive a quiet siren.

Software strengths

Ironically, this camera's software is both its greatest strength and weakness. One really cool, unique thing that this camera does is the wake mode. Sentry mode keeps an eye on your lawn and searches for people. If someone stays in the camera's eye for a period of time (between 1 and 90 seconds), the camera can play a sound and make the ring glow red to indicate that it is a recording. My favorite sound it can play sounds like a human whistle. In theory, the whistling causes an intruder to look into the camera so that a perfect picture of his face is achieved. The wake mode can be activated automatically when your alarm system is activated, on a schedule or manually.

When you switch to the app, use the Vivint app (available for Android and iOS) to display the cameras, view recorded events and unlock the doors directly from the camera view via the app interface. You can also take a photo from the app or view all recorded events. The settings for multiple cameras can also be adjusted in the app so that you can activate the wake mode in the front yard and deactivate it in the background. However, the camera and app have some limitations.

Software challenges

To get footage captured around the clock, you first need a Smart Drive, a physical hard drive module in your home. The Smart Drive is attractive, but costs an additional $ 250. With the hard drive, you can “rewind” for up to 30 days and search through the footage. Without the smart drive, you are limited to events that are recorded when people enter the frame, which leads to our second weakness.

The smart camera only records events when it sees people. It will ignore animals and other movements. It is not ideal. Most cameras can identify people, but they can also record events for cars, animals, or other movements. You can see these things as you scrub through the footage (if you have the smart drive), but it can be easy to miss some of these other movements, which is a real disappointment. As an example, my wife found that an animal ate our vegetable garden, which the camera says is the case. Without recorded events, it is difficult to browse and see what actually arrives there and how.

I have two other minor camera problems. The Vivint app on the iPad is locked in portrait mode. This is an obvious sign that the iPad app is just an enlarged version of the iPhone app. In addition, neither Vivint controls nor cameras are compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant smart screens. The former is a disappointing find for a veteran company like Vivint that does so many other things right. The latter just feels like a total swing and miss. With the increasing spread of smart screens, it should be a matter of course to be able to monitor your garden camera in your Nest Hub in the kitchen. When I asked Vivint about it, I was told the company would look into the possibility of adding both.

Our opinion

Overall, the Vivint Outdoor Pro camera is a solid upgrade to an already solid security system. The safety factor is one thing, but the wake mode surpasses it. Surveillance cameras are usually passive protective devices. But taking care of people and warning them is another level of defense.

I would like to see a floodlight here as another layer of protection – whistle, red light, and then hit them with the flood when they are not running. But at that point, I had already been notified, as had Vivint, so things were done one way or another.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes and No – $ 399 is expensive, and other options offer as much (or more) functionality for a lot less. The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor can be integrated into your smart displays with assistants. The Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera gives you a floodlight together with the camera. If you want to drive super cheap, check out the Wyze Cam Outdoor.

Will it take?

The camera has a solid plastic construction and feels durable. The warranty is 120 days after installation, which is less than any other competitor. Call us cautiously optimistic anyway.

Should you buy it

Yes. This camera fits seamlessly into the Vivint security system and has frills that surpass the few shortcomings. However, this is only a qualified yes if you invest in the entire Vivint system. If you just want a surveillance camera and nothing more, look elsewhere.

Editor's recommendations




27 Jul
Blog

Wyze Cam Outdoor Review: A Security Camera For Your Vacation

Wyze Cam Outdoor featured image

"No other outdoor camera can keep up with the versatility of the Wyze Cam Outdoor."

  • Solid construction

  • Excellent battery life

  • Local memory

  • Affordable price

  • Works offline

  • App has some quirks

  • Inconsistent video quality

  • Weak speaker

Wyze has certainly been busy since the Wyze Cam v2 was released in 2018, redefining the entry-level surveillance camera segment. It was an absolute home run, partly because of its incredibly low cost and rich features. After the company established itself, ambitious plans eventually led to other fertile smart home devices – most recently Wyze Lock and Wyze Scale.

In a further step to diversify the portfolio within the smart home, the Wyze Cam Outdoor wants to achieve the same success outside the home as a surveillance camera for the outside area. In fact, it has many of the same features as previous Wyze cameras, so you can expect tons of features at a low cost. They say that wisdom comes with age. I will find out here if this is the case.

Same identity, but more versatile

What made the original Wyze Cam unforgettable was its cube-shaped design, which the Wyze Cam Outdoor really follows – even though it is bigger and has a lot more power. This is to be expected as it has to withstand the rigors of nature. Put it next to its indoor sibling, and it's obvious that the Wyze Cam Outdoor is stronger.

Wyze Cam outdoor profile viewJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

Although it is made entirely of plastic, it is solidly built and robust. Thanks to the plastic base, which is attached to the camera via magnets, there is a little articulation. Fortunately, it's not easy to take apart, and although it sits enthroned along an edge or window, it comes with the necessary mounting screws to attach it to walls or ceilings. Due to its protection class IP65, it can be operated in a temperature range from minus 4 to 120 degrees Celsius – it is also waterproof.

It is solidly built and robust.

Overall, it retains the same design identity that Wyze is known for, and as an outdoor surveillance camera, it's a refreshing shot. Honestly, it's an unusual design among outdoor cameras, but it's worth noting that it's not just an outdoor camera. It is something that you can use in the house or even while traveling and on vacation. This versatility comes in handy when you change your mind about the location of your camera or when your needs change.

App hiccups

For this test, I had to use a beta version of the Wyze app for Android and iOS. This is important to note as I hope that some of the app experience issues will be fixed later with future software updates.

The setup process includes not only the camera, but also the base station, which can only be connected to a router via a wired Ethernet connection. Since my Xfinity router has two additional Ethernet ports, it would be helpful if the Wyze Cam Outdoor could connect directly to my Wi-Fi network. Instead, the base station is needed – mainly to reduce the congestion of my home's WiFi network.

In addition, it is better to manage connectivity if you want to add more cameras later. There is a microSD slot in the base station that enables local storage. This is an incentive that goes beyond the usual cloud storage option.

The app has a simple layout. However, it would often get stuck when connecting to the live stream view. So I just restart the app to fix the problem. As a surveillance camera, this is fairly easy because there is no distinction between what is detected and there are no custom detection zones that can be used to reduce notifications. There are options for creating timelapse clips as well as scheduled recordings.

The more fascinating part of the Wyze Cam Outdoor is the travel mode, with which you can effectively record videos offline. No internet connection is required, but a microSD card inserted in the camera is required to save clips. However, the limitation is that it did not automatically detect motion and did not automatically record clips. So don't expect to drop them anywhere in the forest and pray that Sasquatch will catch them walking by. I can record clips in three ways: manually via the app, schedule a recording, or schedule a time-lapse.

Wyze announces that it can record video when the PIR motion sensor is triggered, but Wyze is still working on this feature and promises that it will be available for the official app version. It is a fascinating function because it opens up a world of possibilities, e.g. For example, to keep an eye on your belongings on vacation, to keep them in your brand new car, to see who is roaming the neighborhood, or even for hunters who want to monitor their traps.

Areas of opportunity

The Wyze Cam Outdoor records videos with a resolution of 1080p and a frame rate of 20 frames per second, which drops to 10 fps for night videos. This is choppy and the low frame rate is clearly visible when watching clips. Choppy performance isn't the most disruptive part of Wyze Cam Outdoor's performance – it's the consistency of its quality.

With a 1 / 2.7-inch sensor and a lens with a 1: 2.5 aperture, the technical data of the camera are by no means up to date. It is strange that the quality can vary widely. Sometimes it looks sharp, but sometimes artifact elements and pixelation become glaring problems. The corners also tend to show this distinctive fish-eye look, which makes things appear more stretched than what they actually appear. Night vision looks surprisingly good and covers a range of up to 25 feet. In my case, it could see some deer crossing the path of the camera at night.

The other blatant part of the Wyze Cam Outdoor is that it is largely hampered by a narrow 110-degree field of view. This is much narrower than some of its established contemporaries – like the 160-degree field of view with the Arlo Pro 3. For an outdoor camera, I would prefer to have a wider field of view to cover as much space as possible outside. Finally, the internal speaker enables bidirectional communication, but it's too weak, crisp, and difficult to see.

Surprisingly good longevity

When packing two 2,600 mAh batteries, I was impressed with how well it lasts. During the first five days that it was used exclusively as a surveillance camera, the battery dropped to 95%. This is a comforting level considering that it is rated for more than three to six months of normal use, which Wyze classifies as 10 to 20 event videos a day.

Wyze Cam Outdoor in handJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

However, I have found that the battery drains faster in travel mode. It could be because it is sending its own Wi-Fi network for local access, but it just seemed to be using up the battery faster.

Our opinion

Very few outdoor surveillance cameras fly below $ 100. When the Wyze Cam Outdoor reaches $ 50 for the outdoor starter bundle, it's a serious statement to her competitors. Expanding the system is also easy, as additional cameras cost $ 40 each.

It may not be perfect and there are a few bugs that need to be fixed, but its versatility makes it hard to miss – it goes beyond a mere outdoor camera. It is an indoor and outdoor security camera and something to take with you on your trips.

How long it will take?

The all-plastic construction is surprisingly good and robust, so I am confident that it will withstand the outdoors. A one-year limited warranty to cover defects is provided.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes and no. If you look for other cameras, you will find that nobody else can touch the price. In addition, there is rarely an outdoor camera that can work offline independently.

The leading providers continue to include Arlo Pro 3 and Google Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, both of which offer a wider field of view, exceptional video quality and advanced detection capabilities. On the other hand, they are not cheap!

Should you buy it

Yes. There is room for improvement, but a low price and excellent versatility make the Wyze Cam Outdoor a solid choice.

Editor's recommendations




24 Jul
Blog

Netatmo Outdoor Camera With Siren Review: Bright, but flawed

Netatmo camera with siren on the wall.

Netatmo outdoor camera with siren

"Smart A.I. hindered by outdated hardware and software limitations is a difficult purchase."

  • Bright floodlights

  • Smart A.I. and app implementation

  • Loud siren

  • No recording packages, clips saved for free

  • Narrow field of vision

  • Difficult to install

  • No 24/7 recording

One of the great things about smart home technology is the ability to build your own systems. Companies like Netatmo allow you to choose your home security devices based on your needs. The Netatmo Smart Outdoor Camera with Siren ($ 350, available in Europe, coming to the US later this year), which was announced last fall, is one such device and connects the smart doorbell and the indoor camera to the Strengthen smart home product line from Netatmo.

We have to talk about the hardware straight away. The Netatmo outdoor surveillance camera looks like a device that someone thought in 1995 that surveillance cameras would look like in 2020. We saw this design for the first time in 2016 and it hasn't improved. It is large and rectangular and in no way subtle. While many surveillance cameras prefer the understated look these days, Netatmo is not worried that it is a camera and floodlight and you will love it or otherwise.

installation

The Netatmo Smart Outdoor Camera requires a hardwired connection to your home, similar to the Ring Spotlight Cam Wired. While this has the advantage that batteries never need to be charged or replaced, it also makes installation more difficult than other devices in its field. What makes digestion easier is the fact that you can use the camera's floodlight to replace another outside light like a veranda light.

As soon as you have removed the existing lamp (or installed a new electrical box – your call), the Netatmo Smart outdoor camera comes with almost everything you need to install it. There is a wiring harness, a bracket, screws and a cover box. The only thing missing is the recommended sealing or silicone to make the cover box waterproof on the wall. This is not surprising, but it is good to know beforehand. Once installed, use the app to connect the camera to your WiFi and you're ready to take part in the races.

The camera covers a disappointing 100-degree field of view, the smallest of all the cameras we tested, but can identify objects with a long field of view. In our tests, the range was limited to around 10 meters, which the camera covered admirably, and a total of 20 meters was advertised.

Light it up!

The built-in headlight can be switched on automatically when it detects motion, or it can be switched on and off via the app. It is also dimmable in the app. At full brightness, the floodlights are very bright and cover a wide area. It could easily replace an existing floodlight in your home. The built-in night vision is also quite good, but without the same range of 20 meters.

It could easily replace an existing floodlight in your home.

When the camera detects motion, the A.I. enter the game. The camera can distinguish between people, cars, animals and other movements. When an event occurs in the app, icons indicate what type of object has been detected. In addition, a thumbnail not only shows you the object in question, but the app cuts the object intelligently to give you a clear view of it before you even open the clip. For example, if a cat crosses the corner of the camera's alarm zone, the thumbnail will be trimmed to the cat even though it is not in the center of the frame. It would be easy to just crop in the middle of the frame or reduce the entire screen to a thumbnail – neither would be helpful. Netatmos A.I. With this function you can quickly see why the clip was recorded.

Go to the zone

Screenshot of the Netatmo app.

Speaking of the alarm zone: you can adjust where the camera tracks movements, but the implementation is not the best. You are limited to rectangles in the frame, but can have multiple rectangles. If you have a diagonal area that you don't want to recognize, you'll need to create multiple rectangles – that's a little annoying.

When motion is detected, the clip is saved on the included 8 GB memory card, which can be expanded to 32 GB. According to Netatmo, 8 GB cover about a hundred clips. That sounds like a lot, but in my back yard, where cats are everywhere, it's only three or four days. When the card is full, the oldest records are deleted. You can also add personal cloud storage for recordings. Options include Dropbox or a private FTP server. Other than that, the only way to gain space is to swap it for a larger microSD card. You can't decrease the resolution, and to be honest, you don't want to.

In addition, there is no way to record around the clock or search the footage one day. You can only view the recorded clips if something is recognized. You can also view the live view of the camera. Most of the time this is enough, but if you are someone who wants to return at a certain time, this camera is not for you.

The siren on the Netatmo is quite loud at 105 decibels.

The siren on the Netatmo is quite loud at 105 decibels. You can trigger the siren via the app. There is no automatic siren setting. That is probably the best. If you want to upset your neighbors, it is a good idea to make sure you have to.

The camera works with Google Assistant and Alexa. You can ask a wizard-operated smart screen to show you the camera and it shows the live feed, which is great.

A disadvantage is the resolution resolution and quality. While Netatmo promotes full HD recording, there is a fairly big problem with pixelation, even when playing back recorded clips. This could be a function of my home network setup, but cameras installed by Vivint on the same network do not have the same problems. The camera also has a problem with the sky. It is difficult to distinguish the outline of my shed from the bright sky, which is not the best experience.

Our opinion

The camera was attached to a cream-colored wall.

This is a good implementation of a three-in-one outdoor security solution, but there is still some work to be done. Even if you consider the depth, a narrow field of view is not particularly good for a camera. You don't worry about what someone is doing 20 meters away. You are worried about your house.

During the A.I. does some wise things with clips and thumbnails, the lack of a 24/7 recording is a failure. That way, Netatmo can say that the service is "free at any time," which is great, but I wouldn't mind paying something for 24/7 recording every month. The fact that it has to be firmly connected to the existing electrical system makes the installation almost so tedious that almost a specialist is required.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. This camera has some good ideas, especially in the A.I. Implementation. With the Ring Smart Outdoor Cam or the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight, you get similar features in a more attractive package for $ 100 less.

Will it take?

The structure of the Netatmo is solid and if everything is installed correctly, I can not imagine a reason to be concerned even in bad weather. The camera comes with a limited, multi-year warranty, depending on the region and location where you buy.

Should you buy it

No. Smart outdoor cameras are a crowded category, and there are too many other (and cheaper) options.

Editor's recommendations




18 Jun
Blog

Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera Review: 3-in-One Awesomeness

Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera

“Don't waste your money by buying various security devices for your garden. This one has everything. "

  • 160 degree field of view

  • Bright floodlights

  • Smart A.I. for detection

  • Siren is on the quiet side

  • Some video distortion

The Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera ($ 250) combines three large security devices: a spotlight, a siren, and a surveillance camera in one elegant package. There are also a number of useful functions in this intelligent camera, which is only a little larger than the rearview mirror in your car.

installation

Installing this camera couldn't be easier. All you have to do is follow the steps in the app to connect the Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera to your WiFi, then attach the base to your house with three screws and then just snap the camera into place. The whole process took about 10 minutes. I don't think I could ask for more from a product when it comes to easy installation.

Install the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight cameraAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

However, you need an exercise. You probably won't be able to get the screws into what your house is made of without one, and you may need to drill pilot holes if you want to use the screw anchors. If you have no idea what this means, don't worry. The app guides you through everything step by step. Overall, it's very easy if you don't have to drill pilot holes, and a bit more advanced if you do, but almost anyone with a drill could do it.

The camera comes with a rechargeable battery. However, if you want something more permanent, you can purchase a solar charger for the Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera or a magnetic Arlo charging cable for outdoors. However, the camera cannot be permanently connected to the power supply of your house.

camera

I have very few complaints when it comes to the clarity of this camera. It has an incredible field of view of 160 degrees, which is much better than most of its competitors, including the Ring Floodlight Camera and the Eufy Smart Floodlight. It also has 2K 2560 x 1440 HDR video resolution and color night vision when the lights are on (when the lights are off, the footage is in black and white). You can also zoom in on people's objects and faces up to 12 times for a better view.

The camera is not only clear, but also intelligent. The A.I. allows him to know what he sees and to send you specific notifications depending on what he sees. It can tell the difference between a human, a package, animals and vehicles. I found that the A.I. does a pretty good job and differentiates one thing from the other and it seems to be learning. For a while I always thought that a blowing branch was a person, but after two notifications, I didn't get another notification about the branch, even though the wind was still blowing.

Security video of the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight cameraAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

Your videos are stored in the cloud at 4K or less for 30 days (videos can be saved in 2K, 1080p and 720p). The resolution in which your images are saved depends on the plan you choose through Arlo Smart Service, which costs between $ 3 and $ 5 a month for a camera. You can also save footage locally using the Arlo Pro Smart Hub ($ 100).

The only disadvantage of this camera is that it is slightly distorted at the edges of the picture. For example, the edge of my house looks like it curves inside in the videos. However, fishbowl lens distortion is quite common in surveillance cameras, and this distortion is nowhere near as severe as some others.

Headlights

The light from the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera is not only bright, but almost blinding. It shines with a whopping 2000 to 3000 lumens. I was a little taken aback when I found out that you need the Arlo Outdoor magnetic charging cable to bring the light up to 3000 lumens. This is a separately available accessory that costs around $ 50. Nevertheless, the 2000 lumens are very bright if you only use the battery as a power source.

I'm pretty sure an intruder will feel exposed when this light is triggered.

For comparison: your typical indoor light bulb shines with about 800 to 1600 lumens. I'm pretty sure an intruder will feel exposed when this light is triggered. I adjusted the light to illuminate my carport and the walkway to my front door. It illuminated this area and a few more. If you find that your light is just too bright, it can be fully adjusted from 5% to 100%.

Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera security video at nightAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

The light stays off during the day, but you can turn it on manually at any time. You can also set it to turn on when the camera detects motion.

siren

The only major disadvantage of the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera is the alarm. Compared to competitors such as the Ring Floodlight Camera or the Netatmo Smart Outdoor Camera, the 80 decibel siren is rather quiet.

Annoying, but it may not wake you up if you have a heavy sleep.

This does not mean that this alarm will not catch anyone's attention. Eighty decibels sound about as loud as a lawn mower. Annoying, but it may not wake you up if you have a heavy sleep. It also might not catch your neighbor's attention if there is a significant gap between the houses in your neighborhood.

As with light, you can choose to turn it on manually in an emergency or turn it on automatically when the camera detects motion.

Additional functions

The 2-way audio is a nice feature that not every other floodlight camera has. I think it's a clever addition that can be useful in many different situations. Suppose your family was outside and you had to ask a question. All you have to do is go to the app and start chatting. The microphone has noise and echo cancellation, so you can clearly hear who is in your garden.

Multi-user access is also a nice feature. You can give family members, roommates or house watchers access to the Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera via the app via an email address.

Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera app

As with most outdoor cameras, the Arlo app lets you choose where the camera should focus with activity zones. Once you've set up a zone, you'll only receive notifications when something happens in the zone. This can be especially helpful if you want to avoid warnings about a busy street or sidewalk in your home. You can also choose not to capture certain areas of your garden. To avoid these areas, the camera zooms in on the part of your yard that you want to capture. This makes the image a little bit blurred, since enlarging it affects the image quality.

One of the app features that I really loved is that you don't have to go to the Arlo app to view footage. You can see video clips on your phone's lock screen. When there's an emergency, every second counts, and playing with your phone can waste precious moments. Therefore, this function is really intelligent. You can also tap the E-911 service button to send emergency services to your home even when you're not there.

Unfortunately, most of these features require the aforementioned Arlo Smart Service subscriptions. However, it doesn't cost much, so I would say that the subscription is definitely worth it.

I found that while the battery was using the light to trigger when motion was detected and only at night and when triggered by motion, the battery lasted about a week plus a few days before it needed to be charged. That seems pretty short to me. Charging also takes up to 6.5 hours. So this is a little painful.

Our opinion

I'm not surprised that the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera is a great device. Arlo has a great track record when it comes to smart devices overall. The siren isn't as loud as it could be, but the rest of the features more than make up for it. At $ 250, it costs roughly the same as its competitors, but it performs better than most others.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes and no. It has a better field of vision and a brighter headlight than any other big brand. If you want a louder siren, the Ring Floodlight Camera is yours 110 dB alarm would be a good alternative in this case.

Will it take?

Everything will be needed. The Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera is designed for dust, rain, sun, direct shots with your water hose and temperatures between -4 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit. It comes with a 1-year limited hardware warranty.

Should you buy it

Yes. It is inexpensive and has better properties than most of its competitors.

Editor's recommendations




16 Jun
Blog

Fujifilm X-T200 Review: All the Camera You Need

Fujifilm x T200 review product DM 1500px6

Fujifilm X-T200 review: all the cameras you need

"With substance and style, Fuji's second attempt at an X-T entry-level camera is successful."

  • Great design

  • Function control layout

  • Large high resolution screen

  • 4K / 30 video

  • Improved auto focus

  • No image stabilization in the body

  • Continuous AF could be better

When I complained about the slow autofocus of the Fujifilm X-T100 in my video review in 2018, I did a lot of flack on YouTube.

"Dude, what do you expect from this camera? This is an entry-level camera (sic). Lol, ”said an angry observer.

"OMG is realistic," said another.

What people seemed to be missing is that autofocus performance is at least as important in entry-level cameras as it is in professional models.

Yes, there are high-end cameras that have been specially developed for shooting sports and offer autofocus performance beyond the rest. For the most part, however, a professional or enthusiastic photographer is the one who spends more time on exposure – they can afford to be patient. Because of this, the Hasselblad X1D II 50C can have a notoriously slow auto focus, and still costs $ 5,750.

You can find Leica rangefinders worth over $ 8,000 that have no auto focus at all.

However, a casual photographer who tries to take a photo of his child or dog does not have the luxury of patience. The camera has to work. Now.

The X-T100 looked even worse after Sony brought its real-time autofocus to the entry-level A6100. There is no longer an excuse for an entry-level camera with poor autofocus.

When the X-T100 has fiddled, the X-T200 has picked up the ball and started running. It brings back everything I loved about the X-T100 while fixing its biggest problems. This is Fujifilm's biggest effort so far to produce a premium camera for an entry-level customer.

At $ 600 for the camera body or $ 700 with a 15-45mm kit lens (tested), this is also an exceptional value.

design

It may be an entry-level camera, but the X-T200 is the photographic equivalent of getting dressed for the job you want, not the job you have. Style is still Fujifilm's main advantage over rival Sony, and I don't think that's a point that needs to be emphasized lightly. The appearance of a camera can inspire you to use it. If all other factors are the same, you can choose the camera that looks best around your neck.

Nor is it all form about function. The multiple dials that give the camera its retro look offer a lot of direct access control, but are easily ignored by anyone who finds their presence complicated. Compared to single-digit X-T cameras, the X-T200 may have run down, but you still have special dials for shutter speed and aperture, so many entry-level cameras, especially DSLRs, don't require a modifier button.

There is also a function wheel on the left shoulder that can be programmed for numerous settings. By default, film simulations (color profiles, with any other name) are run, but I found that reprogramming for ISO control was much more useful – and brought it in line with my personal X-T2, which has a dedicated ISO dial-up position .

Compared to the X-T100, it usually runs as usual, but there are some notable design changes. The first is the built-in handle. Because it's so small, it's not the most ergonomic grip in the world, but it helps your hand find a solid buy for the camera. On the other hand, this somewhat ruins the clean lines that have given the X-T100 such a classic, minimalist look. This camera was supplied with a screw-on accessory handle.

The electronic viewfinder with 2.36 million points is unchanged, but that's pretty solid for this camera class. However, the LCD touchscreen is new. It measures 3.5 inches with a resolution of 2.78 million pixels in a 16: 9 ratio, making it larger and sharper than the X-T100. This screen is shared with the X-T200's sister camera, the Fujifilm X-A7, and is one of the best I've used for an entry-level camera.

On the back of the camera is the four-way button cluster of the X-T100, which has been replaced by a joystick to select the auto focus point. Although I appreciate the recording, I would prefer to have both the joystick and the buttons, but such a setup seems to be reserved for single-digit X-T cameras. It wouldn't have matched the new, wider touchscreen, which also offers a new user interface – also borrowed from the X-A7 – to replace some of the functions of lost keys.

However, the X-A7 does not have a viewfinder. With this camera you always stare at the LCD screen. Touch controls are therefore more useful. You can see what you need to touch. However, if you keep an eye on the viewfinder of the X-T200, you cannot use the touch controls. Physical buttons that let you navigate by feel would have worked better.

This is an admittedly minor complaint. The X-T200 offers more control than most customers want or need.

Image quality and functions

I appreciate the level of control for manual mode, but the truth is that most people who buy the X-T200 are likely to rely on automatic exposure at least initially. Fortunately, that works well too.

Fujifilm's Advanced Scene Recognition Auto mode (identified by the SR position on the mode dial) adapts to the scene and subject. I found that it did a good job of both focusing and exposure, balancing highlights and shadows in a high-contrast scene. Portraits (in this case selfies – hooray for social distancing) were exposed perfectly.

JPEGs, both in detail and in color, look fantastic directly from the camera, which is not surprising to Fujifilm. You can get more out of the files by shooting RAW, but casual photographers won't want to stick to JPEG.

When you put the screen in the selfie position, the auto focus for face and eye detection is automatically activated in every exposure mode (you can also activate it for non-selfies in the menu system). It worked very well, with the focus box sticking to my eye or face even when I moved the camera quickly.

While it performs admirably for single shots, it is a little less reliable for continuous shooting or video if the subject moves towards or away from the camera. Still, I think performance would be fine in most real-world situations. The camera records around 16 RAWs or 25 JPEGs at 8 frames per second, which is not bad for the class.

There are also numerous sub-modes for the self-timer to fire the camera based on what it sees. You can choose to have an image taken when a face, smile, "buddy" or group is displayed. I couldn't test the last two closely, but the triggers for face and smile work pretty well, though they didn't always recognize my smile (maybe it could see that I was faking it). I'm also not sure how useful it is to release the shutter when a face appears in the frame, but you might find a use for it.

What is more impressive is that it includes a number of advanced features that I would not expect from a camera of this level, such as interval shooting and time-lapse movies in the camera. There is also an advanced bracketing mode that allows you to set up to seven exposures in steps of 1/3 to 3 stops. There is even a built-in flash commander mode that enables remote flash control.

These are not features that the novice photographer is likely to deal with, but it's nice that Fujifilm includes them. It means that you should use the X-T200 sufficiently for some time.

Video

The X-T200 now offers true 4K images at 24 or 30 frames per second and is suitable for videos. The X-T100 offered 4K, but only at 15 fps, which basically makes it unusable.

And that's not all. The X-T200 can also record Full HD at 120 fps for slow motion playback. The clean HDMI output – but without 10-bit color or the flat F-Log profile from high-end Fujis – is suitable for use as a webcam. An HDR (High Dynamic Range) film mode helps maintain color and detail in high-contrast scenes, although it's limited to 1080p.

There is no sensor shift stabilization yet, but the optical stabilization in the kit lens works well for videos. There are also two forms of digital stabilization: Digital Image Stabilizer and Digital Gimbal. The latter is more extreme, but leads to a strong cropping of the video. In practice, I didn't find that useful either – but maybe a non-stabilized lens would help with standard digital stabilization. If you were not filming while running, I would avoid the digital gimbal as it sacrifices too much resolution.

For reasons I don't understand, the lowest ISO available in film mode is 400 – compared to 200 for still images – which can be problematic when shooting outdoors in direct sunlight. However, you can at least record videos in full manual exposure by turning the mode dial to M and then pressing the appropriate start / stop button for recording. If you instead turn the mode dial to the red film mode icon, you are limited to automatic exposure.

Our opinion

The X-T200 is exactly the camera it needs to be. While performance may not be perfect, it is far above the frustrating X-T100. It is a capable and elegant machine for the casual photographer.

Enthusiasts might want to save for the X-T30, which is between the X-T200 and the flagship X-T3 and X-T4, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the wealth of advanced features of the X-T200. Not only is this a great first camera for beginners, it also offers plenty of room to grow for anyone who wants to turn their photographic hobby into a passion.

Is there a better alternative?

The Sony A6100 is the obvious comparison. It's the winner when it comes to autofocus, but otherwise the X-T200 is the nicer camera. Sony's screen is much less detailed at 3 inches and less than a million pixels. The situation is similar with the EVF, which has only 1.44 million pixels. The X-T200 simply feels like a premium product, even if it doesn't outperform the A6100.

How long it will take?

In contrast to the X-T100, the X-T200 is designed for several years. From the point of view of specifications, I don't see much room for significant improvement, other than minor improvements and continued auto focus optimizations.

Should you buy it

Yes. For most people, the X-T200 is the camera you need – but I would recommend investing in some better lenses.

Editor's recommendations




09 May
Blog

Huawei P40 Pro Review: The Best Camera on a Phone

huawei p40 pro review back jacket

"The Huawei P40 Pro has the best camera in the industry, but many will find it quite difficult to get the apps they need."

  • Outstanding design and comfort

  • Raised OLED screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz

  • Brilliant, versatile camera

  • Long battery life

  • No Google services or apps

  • Audio is not great

There is a risk in everything. From mountaineering over the road to buying a used car, some decisions can go either way, good or bad. It often pays to take the risk and we are better people for it.

This is an analogy that fits the Huawei P40 Pro. If you buy it, you'll need to disconnect from Google and try something else.

I spent several weeks with the Huawei P40 Pro. The following happened when I took the risk.

design

This phone is beautiful. After juggling the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, the OnePlus 8 Pro and various other modern smartphones over the past few weeks, the Huawei P40 Pro stands above everyone in terms of perfect design, clear identity and sensible design decisions.

The best thing is the choice of matt, matt glass on the back. Yes, the OnePlus 8 has something like the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, but they don't look as fabulous as the P40 Pro.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

My favorite section? The way the Huawei logo is reflected deep in the glass. The curved sides of the body catch the light, and the matte silver paint shown here changes between blue, gray, white, and silver.

The elegance is affected by the bumpiness of the monster camera, which gives the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra a run for its money when it comes to how big it is. Calls. It sticks out a few millimeters and although the lenses and sensors are neatly arranged, it distracts attention from the simple beauty of the frosted glass.

It is one of the most convenient phones I have ever held. It's not sharp on the sides and all corners are rounded to make sure they don't dig into your palm. The real triumph, however, is the rounded glass at the bottom of the screen. Swipe-based gesture control means you always swipe up from the bottom of the phone. This is a tactile nightmare if there is a bezel, comb, or sharp edge there. The P40 Pro has nothing but a cascading piece of glass that smoothes the progress of your finger on the screen.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

This makes the P40 Pro really feel different from any other Android smartphone you can buy today. Only the Apple iPhone 11 Pro can keep up with the ergonomics of the P40 Pro.

It is less positive to note that the P40 Pro – admittedly due to the camera sensors and the battery capacity – is chunky with a thickness of 9 mm and a considerable 209 grams. Though strong, it's well balanced and many other big phones this year are even heavier. For comparison, the Galaxy S20 Ultra weighs 222 grams and is 8.8 mm thick, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max is 226 grams and 8 mm thick.

Yes, the P40 Pro is a bit slippery at the edges. Apart from that, the P40 Pro is professionally designed, has real stylistic flair and manages to obscure part of its weight.

Display quality, security

There is a 6.58-inch OLED screen on the front of the P40 Pro. It has a resolution of 2640 x 1200 pixels and a refresh rate of 90 Hz. There is a built-in fingerprint sensor and a face release. There is a very narrow border around the display and a slight curvature on the sides. The selfie camera with two lenses is punched on the top left of the screen and may be three times the size of a standard pinhole camera with a lens. This means that valuable space on the screen for notification icons is eliminated and is always recognizable when watching videos.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

How is the video YouTube looks great, although I had to look through the Firefox browser (no Google Apps, do you remember?). It still supports 2160p video with no problems, but features like double tap to advance 10 seconds don't work.

Amazon Prime videos, like Netflix, can be viewed via the browser with a resolution of up to 4K. However, the user interface is not as intuitive as a native app. Everyone looks great, and the screen of the P40 Pro can match the details and balance of the iPhone 11 Pro, while the Galaxy S20 Plus lives up to that of the Galaxy S20 Plus. It is wonderful.

Unfortunately, the great viewing experience is diminished by the sound. I found the same problem with the Huawei Mate Xs, a device that's even more video-focused than the P40 Pro. There's a single main speaker on the bottom of the phone that's fairly thin and uninspiring. This is not supported by the fact that the sound to the right of the phone is biased. When the screen looks as good as it does, the overwhelming audio is even more noticeable, especially if the competing Oppo Find X2 Pro manages to do both aspects just right.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

The fingerprint sensor is located high up on the screen and makes it easier to find when holding the phone with one hand, although it wasn't quite as reliable as some others I've used, including the physical button on the Apple iPhone SE. The face unlock is excellent and usually still hits me for the fingerprint sensor. I also like the way the screen stays active when you look at it.

Camera performance

The outstanding function of the P40 Pro is the camera. The P30 Pro's camera is difficult to track, but the P40 Pro is definitely up to the task. A 50-megapixel 1 / 1.28-inch sensor is the headline grabber, followed by a 40-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera. Finally, there is a 3D depth sensor. The telephoto camera enables a 5x optical zoom and a 10x hybrid zoom as well as a 50x digital zoom.

Extras include image stabilization controlled by optical and artificial intelligence, 4K video at 60 fps and the improved XD Fusion image signal processor from Huawei. Huawei also worked again with Leica to produce the camera on the P40 Pro.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

The P40 Pro has a powerful zoom function. All others simply follow Huawei here, up to a maximum of 50x digital zoom. The app prompts you to use the 5x and 10x zooms, and there isn't a big difference in quality between the shots you take with both. This is proof of the excellent A.I. and camera tuning.

In reality, this means that you can safely use 5x and 10x zoom without questioning whether the results are reasonable. Huawei A.I. then miracle works with 50x zoom. No, you don't want to share the photos taken at this magnification level very often, but it is impossible to deny how good they are compared to the catastrophic photos that were taken a few years ago with even moderate zooms. The stabilization at long zoom is excellent and holds the subject with little movement on the screen in the viewfinder.

I am also impressed by the bokeh of the P40 Pro – both the artificial bokeh mode in aperture or portrait mode and the natural bokeh generated by the large sensor. Edge detection is great in artificial modes. In normal mode, you can also get close to small objects like flowers and achieve a strong natural bokeh effect. I am also glad that there is a standalone monochrome mode that gives your photos the atmospheric Leica look.

What about night mode? It has been a mainstay of Huawei cameras for several years and not the mainstay for night shots here because the standard camera is incredibly good in and of itself. You have to experiment with the camera, as night mode sometimes provides a brighter and more detailed picture. However, if you often leave it in normal mode, you'll get amazingly good pictures in low light.

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All of this happens before you start looking at the video, where you can not only take wide-angle and zoom shots, but also 4K resolution at 60 fps and slow motion at 7,860 fps. The stabilization is excellent, the colors are vivid and an extensive video editing mode is integrated in the standard gallery app.

Does the P40 Pro camera have anything bad? Shots with different lenses look different. Exposure, color balance, and atmosphere vary in a scene depending on whether you take the photo with the wide-angle or standard lens. However, this does not only apply to the Huawei phone, as this is the case with all smartphones with multiple lenses.

It is difficult for me to complain about something else, since most people do not notice tiny inconsistencies in dynamics and colors. It's the new smartphone camera to beat.

software

You want the camera, don't you? Of course you do. But to get it, you have to make some compromises.

No Google Mobile Services (GMS) are installed on the Huawei P40 Pro. This means that neither Google Play nor Google Pay, Google Maps or other apps or services supported by Google are used. Instead, the phone uses Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and the Huawei App Gallery App Store, which are all based on Android 10 and have Huawei's own EMUI 10.1 user interface.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

If you've used the Mate 30 Pro, the P30 Pro, or previous phones like the P20 Pro, the software is a familiar area. With Huawei, you can either hide apps in an app drawer or spread them across multiple home screens. There's a great dark mode and plenty of great Huawei apps instead of the Google apps. For example, Huawei's email client and calendar are excellent, as is Huawei Health's fitness tracking app.

Using the P40 Pro is very fluid, quick and easy. Huawei has refined EMUI so much that it comes close enough to the standard Android that it doesn't require much learning for newbies, but it's still quite obvious that Huawei overall has its own design experience. I haven't encountered any of the annoyances I found on the Huawei Mate Xs and found the P40 Pro's software to be polished and reliable.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

However, the app gallery does not meet all of my app requirements and possibly not all of yours. I've explained in detail what was missing and why it affected me when using the Mate Xs, and the situation with the P40 Pro is essentially the same.

There is good news. Maps is now officially available in the app gallery and is an excellent alternative to Google Maps, even if you cannot simply import all saved places from the Google app. The navigation is effective, although I haven't been able to test it much due to movement restrictions. The swipe-in ​​newsfeed on the start screen contains links that not only lead to websites behind a paywall, but also significantly increase their usefulness.

By using the Phone Clone app, the Amazon App Store, and some APK files to install most of my required apps, the P40 Pro can be fully used for users who are not deep in the Google ecosystem. But that's still the problem.

I can't easily access my files in Google Drive, so importing / saving WhatsApp and Line conversations is not possible. I can't use Google Pay, my Google Smart Home devices can't be controlled by an app, and my YouTube Premium subscription is less fun when I'm forced to use the browser to access the website. Using the browser as a replacement for apps is generally not the best experience, but you'll need to get used to it with the P40 Pro.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

I doubt some of the decisions that Huawei's app ecosystem has made. When I open the app store I am often greeted by an ad that cannot be skipped for a few seconds, which I think is unacceptable. Opening the music or video app leads me directly to the new Huawei content stores and pushes me into the payment areas instead of immediately to my own saved files. Huawei is still learning and finding its feet, but these actions won't help many make the transition to the App Gallery and HMS easier.

There is another issue with the random installation of apps outside of the app gallery, with notifications. For example, Twitter and Instagram are installed through the Amazon App Store, and the arrival of notifications is incomplete. Then there is an update of apps that does not happen automatically if they come from multiple sources and I have security concerns when installing apps from unofficial sources. All of this makes using the phone more time consuming and cumbersome than many prefer.

Bottom line? If you use Google’s services on a daily basis or rely on certain apps that are not available through the app gallery, you will encounter some problems when switching to the P40 Pro. If Google is not essential for your mobile life and your apps are available in the Huawei App Store, life with the P40 Pro is easier. Huawei is confident that the app gallery will improve in the future, but we can only assess today's app situation.

The software, more precisely the app store and the availability of apps, is the risk when buying and using the Huawei P40 Pro every day.

Performance and battery life

Huawei's own Kirin 990 processor, an octa-core chip based on the ARM Cortex A76 architecture with a separate Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for artificial intelligence tasks, is in the P40 Pro. It also has a built-in 5G modem instead of a separate modem for improved reception and efficiency. Due to movement restrictions, I was unable to test the 5G connection on the P40 Pro, but found it excellent on the Mate Xs. It has 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage space.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

Depending on your taste, there is a healthy selection of games in the app gallery. Asphalt 9 is available and is rendered flawlessly in high quality display and performance mode. Games can also be downloaded from the Amazon App Store. Although those that I tried out were played perfectly, I found that the selfie camera with two lenses disturbed the user interface by hiding the buttons on the screen. Benchmark tests downloaded as APK files gave the following results:

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 5,303 (volcano)

Geekbench 5: 755 single core / 2,993 multi core

These values ​​are far below the Oppo Find X2 Pro, which contains a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, and cannot keep up with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus with Exynos 990 drive. Since the apps had to be installed outside of an official store, there might have been compatibility issues affecting the results as there was no sign of slowness during my time on the phone.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends.com

The battery life is great, just like you'd expect from a Huawei P-series device, and the 4,200 mAh cell easily lasts two days. It has both a quick wired charge that took an hour and 10 minutes to get the battery from 5% to full and a quick wireless charge.

Price, guarantee and availability

The Huawei P40 Pro is now available in the UK via Huawei's own website and the Carphone Warehouse. However, it was not officially released in the United States, but could be obtained as an import. It costs £ 900, which is about $ 1,120. Huawei grants a two-year warranty against manufacturing defects on its phones in the UK.

Our opinion

The Huawei P40 Pro has fantastic hardware and a dreamy camera with a long-lasting battery so you can get the most out of both. You have to compromise on software that is not in the Google Play Store through no fault of Huawei. This means that you may need to find new work and communication methods to enjoy the P40 Pro.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. Let's start with Huawei's own alternative, the P40 Pro Plus, which will come on the market sometime in June or shortly after. The camera promises to be even better because it has a state-of-the-art 10x optical zoom. So if you want to use life without Google, it might be worth waiting for the best model of the P40 family to do so.

If you spend $ 1,000 to $ 1,100, you should go for the Apple iPhone 11 Pro at £ 1,000 or £ 1,000, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus at £ 1,200 or £ 1,000, the Oppo Find X2 Pro at £ 1,300 or £ 1,100 or so $ 900 or £ 800 OnePlus 8 Pro. All of these phones have great cameras and impressive screens, as well as better access to all the apps they want.

You can even turn the clock back and find Huawei's flagship for 2019, the P30 Pro, which is still outstanding today, costs less, and has Google Mobile Services installed on it.

How long it will take?

The P40 Pro is IP68 waterproof, but is not particularly durable because it is made of glass. A case is recommended to keep it safe. The hardware itself will be fresh in the coming years and there will certainly be no shortage of skills. Interestingly enough, there is a big chance that the App Gallery – the biggest disadvantage of the P40 Pro today – will get better over time and offer more apps that we want.

Should you buy one?

No, I say that with a heavy heart, because the Huawei P40 Pro has a lot to offer. However, access to apps is currently too limited for the majority of people.

Editor's recommendations




21 Apr
Blog

Lensbaby Velvet 28 Review: The McDreamy of Camera Lenses

Lensbaby Velvet 28 Rating 16

"With a wonderful sheen, the Velvet 28 is an excellent creative tool – for the right photographer."

  • Dreamy soft glow

  • Robust metal construction

  • 1: 2 macro functions

  • Unique range of functions

  • Manual focus

  • You need to decrease the aperture to focus

  • Not compatible with auto mode

If McDreamy were a lens, it would be the Lensbaby Velvet 28. From the company known for its lenses, which avoid optical perfection in favor of creative effects, the Velvet series was developed to capture an ethereal glow.

While most lens manufacturers aim to develop sharp, distortion-free lenses, Portland, OR, based Lensbaby is an art lens company that accepts the strange, unusual, and surprising. The simple, electronics-free lenses produce a variety of in-camera effects, from swirling blur to a controllable vignette.

Like the Velvet 56 and 85 before, the Lensbaby Velvet 28 creates a soft glow that is strongest at large openings and dissolves with increasing aperture. The larger focal length brings the popular effect on landscapes and environmental portraits for headshots and floral close-ups. Close-ups remain an option as well, as the Velvet 28 retains the 1: 2 macro functions of other Velvet lenses.

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Launched on April 21 for $ 550, the Velvet 28 is a manual focus lens that is available in both DSLR and mirrorless mounts, including Canon EF, Nikon F, Canon RF, Nikon Z , Sony E, Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds. We tried an early Nikon F-Mount model to see what types of shots this new lens baby can imagine.

All-metal design

The Lensbaby Velvet 28 looks a little different than the other high-end lenses in my kit, but still feels ready for professional use. Although there is a lack of autofocus and automatic exposure, the all-metal housing is robust and well made.

It's a powerful lens, but the small stature and lack of an auto focus motor help make up for this. It doesn't feel particularly heavy on the front of my Nikon D850, a fairly large DSLR. This version of the lens weighs a touch over a pound, while the mirrorless version weighs about 1.3 pounds.

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Lensbaby Velvet 28 Rating 20 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/lensbaby-velvet-28-review-20-640x640. jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7

The focus ring takes up most of the lens barrel. As a lens with manual focus, the ring rotates smoothly and has much more degrees of movement than a typical autofocus lens, which allows the smallest settings. There is also a traditional aperture ring, because you cannot control the aperture from the camera due to the lack of electronic contacts.

The lens also includes a nice metal lens cap and can accommodate 67mm filters.

Note: We tested a pre-production model of this lens. The exterior has some minor changes from the lens shown, including the 1:22 aperture setting label.

A fun experience

Manual focus can be both good and bad. Good, because manual focus forces you to slow down. And as you slow down to get the right focus, you may be more inclined to think more about the composition.

However, the convenience of autofocus cannot be denied. While the focus tip simplifies the task with mirrorless cameras and in live view mode with DSLRs, a sharp image requires more time and effort. It is difficult to take a sharp image with a lens that is both manually focused and somewhat soft. The best way to get a sharp picture is to focus with a f-stop of at least 1: 4 and open it if necessary before taking the picture. This is not ideal and will result in manual focus taking longer.

While working with manual focus is tedious, the Velvet 28 has a wide focus range. The lens can take 1: 2 macro shots so you can focus on objects just two inches from the lens. This makes it more versatile than the typical 28 mm.

Without an electronic connection to the camera, not only is the automatic exposure removed from the table, you also have no lens metadata stored in your files.

Manual focus may be a problem, but there's nothing like the creative thrill of using such a lens. Working with the Velvet 28 is simply a blast. The soft focus effect is another tool for creativity in the camera that goes beyond aperture and shutter speed.

Dreamy picture quality

The maximum aperture starts at 1: 2.5, but a “+” symbol on the lens allows the user to rotate beyond it to achieve an additional 1/3 light stop and even more of this glow effect. With the largest aperture, the entire image is soft and bright, while with the narrowest aperture, the Velvet 28 looks almost like a normal lens.

At the widest setting, the entire image looks as if it is covered by fog. Colors bleed across edges and objects appear to glow, especially white or overexposed areas of the image. The contrast decreases again at 1: 2.8, although the middle is still soft. At 1: 4, a certain sharpness begins to build up in the middle of the photo, while the edges retain this ethereal glow. The sweet spot is 1: 5.6, which ensures decent sharpness without completely erasing the glow effect. The image center is still not quite as sharp as a typical lens, but admittedly, this can also be a user error with manual focus.

At 1:16 or 1:22, this velvety glow is much less obvious throughout the picture.

The white areas of the photo tend to capture most of the glow when shooting wide open. With this setting, the color of white objects bleeds across the edges and creates a halo effect. This can be increased if the image is intentionally overexposed. This creates another way to use the velvet creatively by adding lights to create a halo.

Despite the wide angle, I still filled the frame with my motifs to make these dreamy edges much more obvious. Otherwise, the glow fuses to the edges with the blur of the background. However, the lens can still be used for landscapes, causing deliberate hazing over the entire image or creating a soft blur at the edges.

Our opinion

The Lensbaby Velvet 28 gives wide-angle shots a dreamy shine. It's a look that, if done right, can be great, but without time and foresight, it just looks like a blurry picture. Art photographers will love it; Pixel peeper, not so much.

The metal construction and the easily rotatable focus and aperture rings give it a first-class feeling, while the macro focusing further expands the creative possibilities.

The lack of auto focus and auto exposure mixed with the deliberate softness means that taking pictures with this lens requires patience and a few tries.

Is there a better alternative?

The Lensbaby optics are unique – but in this case Lensbaby competes with itself. While the new lens is the widest in the Velvet series, the Trio 28 is a 3-in-1 lens that allows photographers to rotate a dial to switch between the Swirl, Velvet and Sweet effects. That means there is already a 28 mm option with a velvet effect.

However, there are some differences between the effect on the trio and the velvet. The trio's aperture is fixed at 1: 3.5 so that the soft effect cannot be adjusted. The trio also lacks the macro functions and is only intended for mirrorless mounts, so you can't put it on a DSLR. Some photographers may still overlook these missing features because the trio is a 3-in-1 lens that costs half the price of the Velvet 28.

Lensbaby also offers the Velvet in the 85 mm and 58 mm versions, which makes it easier to fill the frame and exaggerate these soft edges.

How long it will take?

Well built and without an auto focus motor, there is no reason why the Lensbaby Velvet 28 doesn't last many years. While other lenses with advancing technology are being replaced by sharper versions, this does not apply to the Velvet 28. However, this does not mean that you will continue to enjoy the effect in the future – some photographers may get tired of it over time.

Should you buy it

Yes, if you want to have control over creative effects in the camera. For photographers whose style harmonizes with the softness and shine of the Velvet 28, the lens could be a valuable creative tool. Do not buy it if you need autofocus or automatic exposure, or if you want the pictures to be as sharp as possible.

Editor's recommendations




08 Mar
Blog

Arlo Video Doorbell Review: Nothing Fishy About this Camera

Arlo video doorbell

"Arlos video doorbell is an elegant choice with solid video quality."

  • No fish instant on video

  • Sleek design

  • Intelligent A.I.

  • Works with Alexa

  • Requires wiring for a doorbell

  • His button doesn't look like a button

The Arlo video doorbell is a sleek, straightforward, intelligent video doorbell that covers all bases. It has a video camera that lets you catch pirates on the porch, motion detection, video calling, night vision, Alexa functions and many other functions that everyone can appreciate.

Arlo video doorbell

Installation: Easy if you have a doorbell

With many of these intelligent security devices, my first concern is simple. How easy is it to install? After all, a great security product is useless if you can't install it.

The Arlo video doorbell passed my installation test. If you already have a doorbell and chime box, the installation process is easy and the Arlo app guides you seamlessly through the process. There's even a step-by-step video if you're still lost.

However, if you don't have a doorbell and chime box yet, you're out of luck. You need to hire a professional to set up the Arlo video doorbell, or you need another doorbell that can be set up without existing hardware such as the August view or the ring video doorbell 2.

Video quality: Forget the fisheye effect

Arlo video doorbell against other doorbells

The biggest problem with video doorbells is that they can deliver a distorted fish-eye-like video. Nobody wants to see that. Arlo was able to solve the problem with an HD camera that has a 180-degree viewing angle and an aspect ratio of 1: 1.

The video looks a bit round, but you can see a lot more of the surroundings of your porch and garden, which gives you peace of mind that nobody is hiding sideways in the bushes. People cannot duck under the doorbell and hope not to be seen either as the Arlo captures the area below and in front of it.

Design: Where's the doorbell button?

Arlo video doorbell without light

Although the Arlo Video Doorbell has many great features and I love how slim and slim it looks, there is one big design problem: the button. If I came home to someone I wouldn't know what to push to ring the doorbell. Other video doorbells like the ring or the SkyBell Trim Plus have obvious buttons.

The doorbell button on the Arlo is literally not even button-shaped. It is concave. I'm pretty sure this is a design feature and not a function button. It's good that the Arlo has motion detection. Even if your visitors do not know that this immersion in the camera is a button, you will still be made aware of their presence.

App & Features: It's easy

Arlo video doorbell app

False notifications can really result in you not wanting to use any security device of any kind. To counter notifications that are less helpful, Alro has developed Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) that can determine whether an item on your front end is a pet, package, or person. You can set up the app to notify you when such things are on your porch. You can also set up activity zones to prevent motion alarms in areas you don't want to monitor, such as: B. on the sidewalk in front of your house.

Watch the footage immediately

While other security apps make you open the app to view footage, Arlo doesn't. You can see footage right on your lock screen. This feature can be very helpful in an emergency because you can instantly see intruders or package theft so you can take immediate action.

Our opinion

Overall, the Arlo video doorbell is a great addition to any security series. It has a great video, Smart A.I. Features that protect your family and a modern, polished look. The price, at $ 149.99, is lower than most other premium video doorbells on the market. The main disadvantage is that you need an existing doorbell system or you need to hire a professional installer to set it up.

Is there a better alternative?

If you want a doorbell that is very easy to set up and doesn't require wiring, I would use Ring Video doorbell 2 instead, although you pay a little more for the ring.

How long it will take?

The Arlo is nice to look at, but is made of thin plastic. I don't think it would stand up well to an intruder with a brick or hammer, but it will send you warnings if tampered with. It also comes with a limited warranty.

Should I buy it?

Yes, it has great features and comes from a reliable company.

Editor's recommendations




06 Mar
Blog

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Review: Best Travel Camera?

Olympus OMD E M1

"The Olympus E-M1 Mark III makes previously impossible recordings easy."

  • Excellent stabilization

  • Starry sky auto focus

  • Fast performance

  • High-resolution handheld mode

  • Weatherproof

  • EVF could be better

  • The measurement was somewhat unpredictable

  • Same sensor as Mark II

Some photographers are pixel peepers. They reach for the largest sensors with the highest resolution and are only looking for the sharpest optics in order to reproduce a test card perfectly. The $ 1,800 Olympus OMD E-M1 Mark III won't please these photographers. in fact, it completely ignores them.

This is the camera for everyone else, especially for those who value a compact, adventurous system. Photographers who want long zoom and short size lenses; and photographers looking for a camera that makes even the most difficult shots fun.

Olympus suspends the full-frame race, sticks to the smaller Micro Four Thirds format that it developed, and focuses on usability with features that no other brand offers. For the most part, it works.

This includes brand new features like Starry Sky AF, an autofocus mode specifically designed to focus on the stars (those in the sky; this is not a paparazzi mode). This includes a stabilizing system with 7.5 apertures and built-in ND filters (neutral density), with which you can leave the tripod and the screw-on filter (mostly anyway) at home.

We tested the limits of the E-M1 Mark III on the beaches and jungles of Costa Rica for four days and then put the camera through its paces in a northeastern winter for a few weeks. While the E-M1 Mark III isn't the best camera you can buy for $ 1,800, it's the best interchangeable camera on the go.

Design and build quality

The E-M1 Mark III offers similar functions to the E-M1X, but in a smaller form without the built-in battery handle. With the 12-45mm 1: 4 PRO, the smallest weatherproof combination that Olympus offers. I was able to put the camera, four lenses, two teleconverters – enough for a range of 600 mm – and an iPad in a backpack. I even had enough space to put my tripod in my backpack instead of strapping it out. A difference that allowed me to pack everything in hand luggage for a four-day international photo tour.

Despite the smaller size and weight – around 20.5 ounces – the handle of the E-M1 Mark III is comfortable and there is still plenty of room for physical controls, including dual controls and an auto focus joystick. Olympus was also able to use two SD card slots, although only slot is UHS-II compatible.

The control layout is solid, if not perfect. I love the programmable mode switch that can be used to quickly switch between two camera settings. Although it can do much more, I used it to quickly switch from simple to continuous autofocus when photographing wildlife.

A joystick, two steering wheels and an ISO button near the thumb provide easy focus and exposure settings. The key combinations for focus modes, measurement, burst, timer and flash are located in the top left.

On the less positive side, the record button and exposure compensation are right next to each other on the top of the camera near the trigger. With the same size and shape, I accidentally started recording several times when I wanted to adjust the exposure. These two controls take a little more time to use the camera comfortably without having to pull the viewfinder away from my eye.

For more controls, a quick menu contains less frequently used options. The full menu is known to anyone who has previously shot Olympus, but it takes a bit of a hunt to find options for less known people.

The E-M1 III uses a 3-inch, 1.037 million dot touchscreen that is tilted to the side of the camera, so you can rotate the screen in selfie orientation without being blocked by a tripod.

As with the E-M1X, however, I was not impressed by the electronic viewfinder. The refresh rate was solid, but the images had less contrast than the LCD screen. With 2.36 million points, there are several EVFs on the market that offer a higher resolution.

The magnesium alloy case is sealed against dust and splashes and feels firm in the hands, which is no surprise to anyone who previously used a high-end Olympus camera. It even survived my accidental durability test when the tide came in a little faster than expected while the camera was on the beach. Although it is more of a partial immersion than a simple splash, both the E-M1 and the new 12-45mm kit lens were no worse to carry. A small amount of beach sand penetrated directly into the battery compartment, but if the camera survives being hit by a sea wave, it should be able to survive the announced splash and dust without any problems.

The E-M1 Mark III does not have the double batteries of the E-M1X, but the battery life of a mirrorless camera is solid. I didn't have to replace the battery until the end of the day, about 800 shots later. (My preference for burst mode usually allows me to achieve more than the specified battery life – the CIPA rating is 420 shots or 900 in quick sleep mode).

Features and performance

Shot with Starry Sky AF and a tripod, edited in Adobe Lightroom

Compared to larger cameras, taking pictures with the E-M1 Mark III is liberating. While most mirrorless cameras are easy to carry, the E-M1 can leave both the tripod and the ND filters in most cases. With a 7-stage stabilization system (7.5 with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100 mm f / 4.0 PRO lens) and the built-in NDs, I took several long-term exposures of ocean waves during the day without removing my tripod from the take backpack.

Olympus has the best stabilization system of any manufacturer, and says that most people can take 6-second wide-angle shots without a tripod. This is impressive. But with a firm grip it is possible to get even more out. Although I love long exposures, I hate taking my tripod anywhere and I took long exposures much more often because I could hold them in my hand.

Starry Sky AF is a new feature that is unknown to other brands. It worked surprisingly well.

Long-term handheld exposures aren't new to the E-M1 Mark III, but a handheld photo of the night sky without a tripod – or manual focus – is definitely. The camera's new Starry Sky AF mode does not use contrast detection, phase detection, or even a hybrid of the two systems. Instead, the luminance is used to look for the points of light that create stars against a black sky.

The system has two modes: speed priority for hand shooting and accuracy priority when working on a tripod. The mode is also set up to use the focus with the back button instead of focusing with half a press on the shutter button, so the focus remains locked when you re-formulate the shot.

Photographing stars is one of the more difficult types of photography, since a tripod is usually required and the sweet spot must be found on the manual focus ring, which can take multiple test shots before it is just right. The combination of stabilization and starry AF of the E-M1 III simplifies the shooting of stars, makes it easier for advanced photographers and is accessible for beginners. I would still prefer a tripod to get the best results, but the fact that one isn't required is very impressive.

Starry Sky AF is a new feature that is unknown to other brands. It worked surprisingly well. While not as fast as the camera's usual autofocus, it surpasses manual focus. And because the system is based on luminance, it also works with other types of light sources that are surrounded by darkness, such as night cityscapes.

While the Starry Sky AF is the star of the show, the 121-point on-chip phase detection autofocus system on the E-M1 Mark III – a system almost identical to the E-M1X – performs well. The focusing speed is not record-breaking, but has kept pace with everything from surfers to birds in flight. The auto focus in low light is also respectable, if not the best in its class, with a sensitivity of up to -3.5 EV.

Eye AF is comparable to other mirrorless systems from competitors.

Face and eye AF also worked well and quickly recognized and fixed the eyes. While probably not fast enough for sports, eye AF is comparable to other mirrorless systems from competitors. Some systems, such as the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7, require the use of an automatic AF area for eye AF to work. The E-M1 Mark III can use eye AF in group AF mode, which means you don't have to switch between focus modes as much as your subjects change. Eye AF for animals, a function that is becoming increasingly common with other brands, is also missing.

Tracking autofocus worked just as well as any camera I've shot with – which means it sometimes works and sometimes it's junk. I managed to take a few sharp shots, but with group mode and simple continuous autofocus, I got better results. However, I don't really count this as a negative because I haven't yet met a tracking autofocus camera that is good enough for quick actions (newer Sony models like the A6600 might be an exception).

The E-M1 Mark III also didn't inherit the E-M1X's motorsport focus mode (which actually works quite well for tracking). The niche function requires two processors to function and therefore remains exclusive to the high-end flagship model. However, the single processor of the E-M1 upgraded to TruPic IX still manages to achieve the most performance.

The E-M1 III is fast enough for most photographers. It can shoot with the mechanics at 10 frames per second or with the quiet electronic shutter at 18 frames per second. If you don't need continuous autofocus, You can increase this speed up to 15 or 60 fps. The frame buffer limits approximately 76 RAW shots when shooting at 18 frames per second. However, we have found that this is sufficient to accommodate everything from birds to surfers.

The TruPic IX processor also enables a new high-resolution handheld mode that uses the image stabilization system and the tiny movements of your hands to merge 16 photos into a 50 megapixel file. The mode is only suitable for perfectly calm subjects, but offers the possibility of achieving a higher resolution if the 20.4 megapixels of the sensor are not sufficient.

picture quality

The E-M1 Mark III has the same sensor as the Mark II with the same resolution of 20 MP. Given the small size of the sensor, increasing the resolution will eventually reduce the return, so 20 MP is fine. However, there is no way around the fact that this sensor, which is now many years old, has limitations compared to larger, more modern sensors. The E-M1 Mark III is still good enough for most photographers, but don't expect a jump in image quality over older models.

However, this smaller sensor has advantages. One of the biggest advantages of the 2X crop factor makes it easier to achieve a longer focal length. 600 mm equivalent range, a groundbreaking focal length in full screen mode, can be easily taken along.

The excellent image stabilization is also of great help with these long lenses. Even with relatively slow shutter speeds, the details remained sharp when shooting with a 600 mm handheld.

And while the sensor remains unchanged, a new detail priority mode processes high ISO images twice, slowing the camera down but increasing the level of detail. When processing with speed priority, the noise creeps in around ISO 800, and details and sharpness tend to go down around ISO 3,200. Fortunately, the excellent stabilization for still subjects can help keep the ISO low.

The camera's metering system felt less predictable than most of the others even in spot metering mode, and I was regularly on the exposure compensation dial to get the picture right in aperture priority and shutter priority mode.

This gator was polite enough for high-resolution mode, though it took a few tries.

If you need additional resolution, the high-resolution handheld mode can be of great help. The photo above was taken in this mode and even cropped in the mail. The subject must remain still, and the camera takes a few extra seconds to put everything together, but provides detail for some subjects.

The video follows a similar pattern with good color and excellent stabilization. Taking even wide-angle shots without a tripod was easy, with just a little movement in the video. The detail is excellent thanks to the 4K resolution of the cinema.

Price and availability

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is $ 1,800 and was released on February 24th.

Our opinion

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a small camera, but it is also a camera that works in a way that other cameras cannot. Features like Starry Sky AF and high-resolution handheld mode are unique advantages. Because you pack a weatherproof camera and smaller lenses, leave the tripod and the ND filters at home and still get solid images, the E-M1 Mark III is an ideal camera on the go.

But it is not perfect. The viewfinder resolution is a few generations out of date, the measuring system feels inconsistent and many other basic systems such as the 121-point autofocus and the 20MP Four Thirds sensor are adopted by the Mark II.

Is there a better alternative?

For $ 1,800, you get a lot of camera, including the recently announced Fujifilm X-T4, which has a larger APS-C sensor but is similar in size to the E-M1. Even the Sony A7 III in full screen mode is the better choice for photographers who are more concerned with the highest image quality than with large zoom and a lot of stabilization.

However, no competing camera has 7-stage image stabilization (the Fuji comes close to 6.5, but only with selected lenses). No other camera can focus on the stars or take astrophotography without a tripod. And no other format can pack a 600 mm range in a 300 mm lens.

So whether there is a "better" camera depends on your definition of "better". Is there a camera with better picture quality for the price? Absolutely. But is there a better alternative for travel photography? Probably not.

How long it will take?

The weather seal makes the E-M1 Mark III a tough machine. With 400,000 operations, the updated shutter is one of the best from Olympus. My test device survived being partially submerged in sea water. Aside from more extreme disasters, the camera should last for many years and even longer if Olympus chose the Mark IV.

Should you buy it

Yes, if you want a great interchangeable lens camera on the go or are obsessed with long exposure, but hate to carry a tripod around. Image stabilization, built-in NDs and Starry Sky AF are all great.

The smaller sensor is less suitable for genres such as portraits, weddings and fashion, where you can spend a similar amount of money on a full frame body and where the advanced features of the E-M1 III just don't work.

Editor's recommendations




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