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In-depth buying guides, product comparisons and hands-on reviews — so you buy right the first time.
Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Review: Best All-Rounder for Sony E-Mount?
There are a lot of zoom lenses for Sony E-mount cameras out there, however, not many achieve the right balance of portability, speed and cost like this particular Sigma lens does. The 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary is a compact everyday lens which is made for travel photographers, vloggers, and everyone who is tired of switching primes all the time. This lens represents a rather unique position in Sigma's portfolio as it offers wide and telephoto angles of view in one lightweight barrel which can be left on the camera all the time. During our tests, we tried to find out how effective this lens is in portrait photography, street shooting, low light conditions and whether the constant F2.8 aperture and APS-C-oriented range are worth their name or this is just another reliable zoom lens based on popularity of the brand.
Latest Articles
Anker Nano 5000mAh: How Does It Compare to Other Anker Banks?
Since there are various Anker power bank models, we decided to see how this power bank performs when compared to other models of the same brand to see whether it is really convenient and fast. We decided to compare the Anker Nano 5000mAh to other Anker power banks that have been reported to have higher capacity or additional features but no built-in connector for your convenience. We are trying to understand the differences between all Anker power banks in terms of their capacity and other important aspects and give our customers the ability to choose the most suitable model for them. All the information was gained through daily use, not a one day test.
boAt BassHeads 100 C: Good for Gym and Workout Use?
The use of wired earphones in the course of physical exercises reveals some of their drawbacks and provides an opportunity to find out how well the earphones cope with sweat and cable management. Therefore, the current test of the boAt BassHeads 100 C should be considered from the perspective of using them in the gym and not as another evaluation of sound quality since it was done earlier. The current review is based on the information from the manufacturer and experiences of users concerning the fit of the earphones in case of using them in the gym and outdoors. This review relies on real life impressions rather than a quick reaction on the day of receiving of the earphones.
APFEN 100W Cable: Does It Work Well With Non-OnePlus Phones?
As cables designed to work with one brand of phones with fast charging do not necessarily give similar results on other brands' phones, even though they both work with the USB-C charging standard, we wanted to check the cross-brand performance of the cable, rather than repeat our OnePlus-oriented performance test of the APFEN 100W cable. This time we are going to examine the performance of this cable using a couple of other Android phones which also support fast charging, comparing charging speed to that provided by the cable included in the box and seeing how this cable performs compared to its main OnePlus target audience. In this review, we prioritize honest opinion based on actual experience instead of first day impressions.
Ambrane Stylo N20: Does the Built-In Cable Wear Out Fast?
The built-in cables on the power bank save your time but the question of its durability arises because unlike replaceable one, the worn-out cable cannot be replaced, hence the durability test is the focus in this case instead of repeating the previously conducted test of the Ambrane Stylo N20 capacity and fast charging. Based on the long-term usage experience, this review will take into account the device as it operates in everyday use for several months and will analyze how durable is the mechanism of folding and connector of the built-in cable during the long-term use of the device. It should be noted that this review will focus on the practical approach and every statement here is based on several months of usage experience and not the first day of using the product.
Ambrane MiniCharge 20: Good Value Compared to Similar Banks?
The compact 20000mAh power banks by various manufacturers usually have similar prices which is why we decided to compare Ambrane MiniCharge 20 with the same compact power banks by other cheap manufacturers. The comparison was made to provide customers with an objective view on the place of the product in its competitive segment and to understand its advantages and disadvantages. Every conclusion in this review was made based on genuine impressions obtained during the long-term use of the product and not a one-day first impression only. It was decided to consider such factors as the charging speed, dimensions and price of the device.
Ambrane Aerosync Snap: Good for Car Dashboard Mounting?
The strong magnetic power banks could be used for mounting the phone and charging it simultaneously. This was the main point of focus in this test since we have already conducted a general review of the Ambrane Aerosync Snap as a power bank for daily use. We tested the Ambrane Aerosync Snap mounted on a car phone mount in the dashboard vent during several driving sessions in order to check whether the magnetic attachment is strong enough and whether the power bank continues to charge the phone with the navigation application turned on. In this review we are going to give our sincere opinion about its performance rather than just a first-day impression since we took into account our experience of daily use of this power bank in our conclusions.
Ambrane Orbit 20K: How Fast Is the 35W Wired Charging Really?
The wattage rating of power banks does not always equal to actual charging speed due to factors such as quality of charging cables and phone compatibility with that cable and the power bank in question. Therefore, an accurate speed measurement of the Ambrane Orbit 20K has become a priority rather than comparing it to itself in dual mode charging as we did in the previous section. The reported measurements imply that actual charging speed of the power bank was measured by the help of the dedicated USB power meter on several phones tracking the wattage output depending on the percent of battery charged to check the compliance with the specified 35W rating. Such approach is preferred to the quick first-day impression of any product.
Ambrane Orbit 20K: Does It Charge an Apple Watch Too?
Apple-oriented buyers usually prefer one power bank for all their devices, and this assessment decided to test the Apple Watch charging of Ambrane Orbit 20K in addition to already tested phone and laptop charging in order to see if the Apple ecosystem compatibility is really good. The purpose of this review was to assess if the Ambrane Orbit 20K's wireless charging surface and its accessories allow reliable charging of Apple Watch in addition to the already-tested iPhone and MacBook in order to get a complete picture of compatibility. This review was based on an honest assessment, so the conclusions were made after genuine everyday use of the power bank in the course of several days, not just the first-day impression.
Portronics Toad 23: How Does It Perform for Light Gaming?
Most budget mice aren’t designed with gaming in mind, but light casual gamers, who have to stick to their budget, will sometimes just stick to what they have and try to make do with it. The performance of Portronics Toad 23 in terms of gaming was the main subject of testing on this occasion, instead of covering it in terms of office use and basic browsing again. In this case, the mouse will be tested across a number of casual and not very competitive games through several test sessions in order to assess how accurate its cursor tracking was under fast movements and whether there were any problems in terms of lag while gaming casually.
Portronics Toad One: How Long Does the Battery Last?
Rechargeable mouse battery life specifications often don't consider actual daily usage and thus make measuring the runtime of the device the objective of this pass of testing the Portronics Toad One mouse instead of redoing the previous device switching review. This review uses the manufacturer data and user reviews to evaluate the Portronics Toad One mouse as a daily mouse without charging for several weeks to give the actual time of how long the battery will last during typical office work before the mouse's performance deteriorates or the mouse needs to be charged in order to provide useful runtime information to the buyers rather than the lab-tested one. This review focuses on an honest opinion formed after several weeks of usage of this mouse.
Portronics Toad 8: Does the Transparent Design Show Dirt?
The visibility of any fingerprints, dust and grime could be increased with a transparent body compared to the opaque one, thus making it a relevant question to consider when reviewing this mouse rather than reiterating the previous functionality review. On the basis of the information obtained from the manufacturer and users' experience, this review evaluates the device as a daily mouse over the course of several weeks without any additional care about cleaning and compares the amount of visible dirt, fingerprints and grime that could accumulate on the transparent body of this mouse with that on a usual opaque one. In order to obtain reliable impressions, the actual usage was considered as the main basis of this review.
Portronics Toad 27: How Far Does the Nano Dongle Range Reach?
If you are using wireless mouse from couch or giving presentation while standing at a considerable distance away from the computer, you will find range of wireless mouse important, unlike those who do not care about that and need just noise testing of wireless mice. In the current review of the Portronics Toad 27 we examine the connection with it at increased distances from the nano dongle across an open room and through several walls and determine when the input lag or loss of connection starts to become noticeable to show a realistic estimate of range of this mouse. We prefer being honest and showing practical impressions instead of giving quick first day opinion only.
FINGERS CuteClicks WB4: Comfortable for Extended Use?
Mouse comfort during short sessions does not always mean that it will feel good during several consecutive hours of work because of which in this case we decided to assess how comfortably it really works during several hours of continuous work rather than assessing its connectivity like we did before in our previous article. Relying on the information provided by the manufacturer and on user experience, we assessed how this product feels during several genuinely long, multi-hour work sessions compared to shorter, casual use sessions, checking how any hand fatigue or discomfort develops with the time in comparison to casual use sessions. We focused on genuine user experiences rather than on the first day impression of this mouse.
FINGERS CuteClicks WB4: Good Backup Mouse for Travel?
A travel backup mouse must be able to reliably pair with unknown devices and survive getting tossed around in a backpack many times, making it important to look at travel use specifically when considering the FINGERS CuteClicks WB4 mouse as a backup mouse. Given user reports, in this review the mouse is considered as a backup mouse for several work trips, testing how quickly it pairs with different laptops, how it survives repeated packing with other travel items, and how reliably it switches between Bluetooth and USB connections when being used with both a work laptop and personal laptop on travel. For a true test, real-world opinions are prioritized above initial first day opinion in this review.
Portronics ToadPlay Football: Fun Design, Serious Performance?
Playful design mice often become victims of prejudice against being considered useful tools, which is why this time we have decided to check out core performance of the mouse instead of giving the usual travel-focused review. In the current article we will be looking into tracking accuracy and click responsiveness of the mouse during the course of several weeks of desktop use, comparing its performance to those of more traditionally designed mice in the price range, to find out whether fun design had come at the expense of performance. This review focuses more on actual experience of using the mouse rather than on the first impression that the product creates.
Lomiluskr Cute Cat Mouse: Durable Enough for Daily School Use?
In contrast to other tests when we check how durable mice and keyboard are, daily school usage brings some extra wear due to carrying around in a backpack, accidental drops on the desk, etc. So, the primary task for our verification of this mouse was the prolonged school use, and not another test of the comfortability and convenience of using the gadget on the first day. There is information about this mouse usage during several weeks at school and at homework with a younger relative. During all these weeks we could see how durable the design is during everyday school and homework use. So, we focused more on honest impressions than on a mere first-day impression.
Zebronics Thump 700: Good Battery Life for All-Day Events?
The battery life of any party speaker tends to be tested in the light of a few-hour party rather than the actual all day event such as a birthday that goes from morning until the late night, which was therefore the basis of choosing the Zebronics Thump 700 for the extended duration test rather than the normal indoor party testing. Through the user reviews, this product has been tested throughout a full-day family event for its performance in terms of battery runtime at moderate party volume without a need for recharging in the middle of the event. Real world usage of the speaker forms the core of this test.
Portronics Iron Beats IV: How Does the App Control Work?
Party speaker companion apps differ in their functionality greatly – in some cases you get really useful EQ presets and additional control, but in others – an unnecessary addition to the overall process, and hence the main purpose of this pass of the Portronics Iron Beats IV was testing the app rather than re-testing the bass depth of dual subwoofers from the previous review. In accordance with information provided by the manufacturer and user experience, this review includes multiple uses of the companion app of the Portronics Iron Beats IV in terms of switching between available EQ presets, controlling light patterns and stability of connection between a phone and a speaker in order to establish whether it adds something valuable to the experience or not. This review puts emphasis on practical impressions rather than a fast one-day experience.
Zebronics Party Fyre 102: Good for Multi-Room Audio Setup?
Large-scale events usually require sound to cover multiple interconnected rooms rather than just one central hall, which made multi-speaker pairing the key factor in testing the Zebronics Party Fyre 102 instead of going back again to its capacity to provide high-volume sound when used outdoors as we tested before. In this review, we will discuss its ability to pair with another speaker in order to cover an interconnected indoor-outdoor space with sound, as well as how reliable the sync between the devices is and whether the pairing actually extends the coverage of sound without any notable audio lag between the speakers. In this test, we try to stick to our real impressions of the device after using it in real-life conditions rather than giving only a first day impression of it.
Sony Alpha a7R V Review: Does 61MP Change Everything?
Camera sensors exceeding 60 megapixels present several practical considerations when it comes to files and memory storage requirements, as well as how often do professional photographers require such resolution in their works. Thus, the Sony Alpha a7R V includes a 61MP sensor and AI-powered subject tracking, and it has been analyzed by this review through several weeks in relation to the performance of both technologies in landscapes, portraits, and wildlife shooting to identify whether there are any tangible advantages of the extreme resolution and subject tracking accuracy compared to previous generations. This review is based on the real-life experience gained throughout several weeks of usage, as the initial impression may not be entirely objective.
Sony Alpha a7R V: Do Most Photographers Really Need 61MP?
Not only technical specifications but also a more realistic approach was used for deciding whether or not most potential customers would actually need 61 megapixels when using Sony Alpha a7R V. So instead of retelling the previous technical review dedicated to autofocus and details of the camera, we decided to analyze our own usage of the camera as well as having discussions with some professional photographers on their file size, storage, and workflow requirements to understand whether this camera requires too much resources. This kind of approach is more honest than just trying to write a review of the camera right after the first day of its usage. Genuine usage experience shaped each and every decision in the review.
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 vs Sony's Native 15mm: Which Should You Buy?
When choosing a wide-angle prime for their Sony E-mount cameras, users may come up against a choice between lenses from Sigma as third party manufacturers and from Sony itself as native lenses. This is why it was important to compare the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 with its competitor in this review instead of conducting another round of a test that would repeat our previous review of the Sigma 16mm as an astrophotography lens. We will take a look at how the lens performs against the Sony 15mm in different shooting conditions with respect to image quality, maximum aperture speed, autofocus speed, and price.
Samsung 8kg Eco Bubble: How Loud Is It During Spin Cycle?
It is known that the spin cycle is among the most noisy operations carried out by top loading washing machines, which is why noise measurement became our primary task for the current test of this particular Samsung 8kg Eco Bubble washing machine instead of another one of its characteristics already checked previously – water consumption. We performed reported measurements of the level of noise emitted by the washing machine using a decibel meter at different stages including the wash, rinse, and spin cycle to compare readings with those of a previous washing machine and to see if the noise produced by the Samsung 8kg Eco Bubble model is notable enough or not.
Sony ZV-E10K: Is the Built-In Mic Good Enough on Its Own?
Using an additional mic requires some additional expenses, which is why it becomes important to test whether the internal mic is good enough to avoid such purchases. Audio test was the priority of the current pass, since this aspect had already been checked in a previous one. The testing process was aimed at checking whether it was really necessary to buy additional mic by comparing the sound that is recorded by the built-in microphone of Sony ZV-E10K with the sound recorded with the help of an external microphone in quiet, moderately noisy and windy conditions. This review does not rely on first-day opinion about this feature; all of the information has been collected during regular usage of the camera.