Tag Archive for: review

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

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Today some more information on the camera function of the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and my experience with Android.

 

A few weeks ago I was asked to test the Sony Xperia Compact Z1 next to my iPhone 5s and be honest about my experiences.
Well as you know I’m always honest in reviews so let’s see what I think about the phone after a few weeks.

 

1. Design
I can be short about this.
I like the design, it feels nice and it’s very lightweight. What I really like (and would love Apple to incorporate this) is that the phone is 100% water proof, I’ve already shot some cool shots in the rain with it and with the iPhone I would not have the guts to do this. And let’s be honest you don’t always carry your camera with you in the rain.

 

2. Screen quality
Compared to the iPhone 5s I think the screen quality is about equal, the Sony is a bit sharper in some areas but I like the color accuracy of the iPhone just a bit more. What I do like is the screen size of the Sony, I don’t believe in phones where you do some extra fitness by carrying a small iPad as phone so for me this screen size is pretty much perfect, maybe a little bit bigger but not too much.

 

3. The camera
Well it’s a Sony right…
And I think Sony by now already proved they know how to build a sensor and the camera in the Z1 Compact is a very nice one.
With higher ISO I strongly feel the iPhone 5s wins hands down, but as long as the light is pretty nice the Z1 Compact has one heck of a camera, I love it.

 

The camera has 2 settings, the full auto which will give you a lower resolution but will optimize everything for you, and the full manual (including exposure compensation which I really like) which gives you the full resolution and loads of extra option to play with. Overall I’m more than happy with the camera and it would actually be a reason to carry the Z1 Compact with me just to be able to use it as a camera when I don’t carry anything else.

Corine Sony Xperia Maart 26 2014 (4 of 23)-EditA shot we recently took in the studio with the Sony.
On my Flickr I have a whole album with images by the way if you want to see more.

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Sony Xperia Z1 Compact ongoing review Pt1

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In todays world we are all connected, being via a tablet, phone, computer or whatever device you prefer.
As you all know there are several devices but I always think of them as follows, the Apple devices and the Android devices, yeah I know I skip some devices but let’s be honest these two are the biggest. Now it’s no secret I use a lot of Apple product (as most creative people I think), that doesn’t mean however that I’m not interested in what else is going on and how that can improve my workflow, work or give me more creative options…… I guess you are the same way right?

 

Sony
A few years ago we owned a Sony AVCHD camera that was it, however at one point our JVC home theater projector got replaced by a Sony for the simple reason that Sony beat JVC on a lot of points that I found important (at the moment we use the Sony W500 4K unit which is not only very good but also has a price point for a 4K projector that is very interesting). After the projector switch, much to my surprise, I sold all my Canon gear to venture into the A99 universe, a camera I still love and use a lot (although the added A7r actually makes me use the A99 less and less).

 

Because we travel a lot and Apple still doesn’t make a Macbook on which you can also use a pen to operate Photoshop/Lightroom I decided to buy a Windows machine and after some disappointing tests I ended up with….. the Sony Vaio Duo13…. pfffff another Sony product (do you start to see a pattern?)

 

Last week I was asked to testdrive the new Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and as you know I love my iPhone 5s and at this point I don’t see myself switching to the Android system, however……. I will be looking very seriously at the phone and the options it gives me. I hear you ask “Frank you can do everything you want with Android that you can do with an iPhone” and I agree on the app area, some apps are not on the Android system but I can live without them, however as some of you know I’m very much into the whole “active” stuff and seeing what Apple is doing with the future iPhone series and wearable devices I think I will really gonna love that. However….. there are many people walking around with 2 phones and I won’t care so who knows. For now I will test the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact next to my iPhone 5s and keep you updated on the stuff that really matters for us photographers. Think about camera functions, video editing, social media etc.

sony-xperia-z1-compact-full-specification

 

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OKDOTHIS

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Now it’s not often that I review an app on this blog, but this time I want to make an exception for a very special one, “OKDOTHIS”
It’s available on iPhone only at the moment.

OKDOTHIS-001OKDOTHIS is an app that was brought to my attention a while ago but to be honest I did not downloaded it, the idea was cool, the app looked great and it was started by a good friend of us Jeremy Cowart, but somehow I did not find it necessary to add another “social network” to my collection, and let’s be honest most of us are already on G0ogle+, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, What’s app etc. etc. it’s almost a day job just to keep up with everything, so why, oh WHY add another one… well that was also my idea until last week I started trying out “OKDOTHIS” and I can tell you it’s freaking awesome.

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Fuji X-E1 review

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Today attention for the FujiFilm X-E1 or as I call it the Sexy-1.
It’s no secret that I absolutly love the FujiFilm cameras. It all started when was handed an FujiFilm X100 during a Photowalk and although at that time I did not like the focus etc. (was solved later) I fell in love with the fact that it felt like a real camera…. now what do I mean with a “real camera”.

Safari

In most smaller cameras you are getting a camera that feels like a digital brick that can take photos, but the whole feel of a camera is gone. Want to change the exposure compensation? go into the menu, want to change the zoom? press a few buttons and it zooms, want to change ISO? go into the menus, want to change … etc.

 

In other words I love a camera that has a more real camera feel and the FujiFilm cameras have this.
For example the Exposure compensation is right on top of the camera (where it should be), setting the aperture is on the lens itself, zooming (even on the X10) is done on the lens and not via a weird feeling button system, also shutterspeed etc. is all set on top of the camera and if you want everything to be auto… no problem set both on A and you’re in auto mode.  So now that this is out of the way, let’s look at the “sexy-1”.

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