The Flashpoint Budget Macro Focusing Rail Set will fine tune your macro photography

By now, many of you that have read my news stories can easily see my love for photography and even more, my love for macro photography. The ability to capture amazing images that have an interesting focal point, depth of field, and great bokeh, has become an obsession. When I am in the studio working on macro photography, there are times when my setup involves an object that I mount in a fixed position and a camera on a tripod that is focused on that object.

To get the perfect shot, there is usually the need to make micro adjustments to the distance between the lens and the object, and the left or right position of the camera. Making such adjustments by manipulating the tripod head simply does not work, and after many of my own failures trying to do just that, I purchased the Flashpoint Budget Macro Camera Focusing Rail Set, with 4 way and Fine Control.

I should immediately declare that cost was a major contributor to this purchase since many of the revered focusing rails cost hundreds of dollars. I settled on the Flashpoint rail because it was comparatively cheaper and because it had very good reviews. I must say that it turned out to be a great choice and a great decision. This rail is well built and capable of adjustments that are micro enough to do the job. It stayed in place with a relatively heavy DSLR camera with the extended battery grip with 2 batteries installed, and with the weighty Sigma 105mm macro lens attached. I was able to really get the position between the lens and the object dialed in perfectly and it has remained reliable for every shoot.

If you are in the market for a focusing rail and if you don’t want to put a hole in your pocket, head over to Adorama and pick one up for the bargain price of $54.95.

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The Flashpoint Budget Macro Focusing Rail Set will fine tune your macro photography originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Stay toasty warm on your next camping trip with the Alice heated sleeping blanket

Winter in the southern United States is an unpredictable season.  For example, temperatures were in the upper 70s a couple weeks ago, and this week we had snow and ice and temperatures in the low 30s.  You never know what to expect weather-wise, which can make it difficult for those outdoorsy-types who camp year round.  With the Alice Battery-operated Heated Down Camping Blanket, you’ll be set for unexpectedly cold temps.

Instead of a zippered sleeping bag, this is a blanket, which is said to allow more air flow and be more comfortable.  The blanket’s shell is made of DWR Ripstop 20D Nylon, which blocks moisture.  The 650-fill white duck down insulation keeps you warm.  There’s even a second moisture-proof blanket that can be buttoned to the main blanket when you need a little extra heat.

But when it’s really cold and you need even more heat, the main blanket has an embedded Revean Carbon Heating System that can raise the temperature from 15 degrees to 45 degrees in a matter of minutes.  The heating level has low-medium-high settings for your comfort.

The heating system is powered by an included 12000mAh battery that can power the blanket for 4 hours at low, 3 hours at medium, and 2 hours at high.  The battery has other purposes, too:  LED flashlight, SOS signal, mobile device charger, and you can even jump start your car with it.

The blanket measures 80″ x 54″ and weighs 6 pounds.  It stows away in a compression bag for easy packing with your gear.

The Alice Battery-operated Heated Down Camping Blanket is $172.00 at Amazon.

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Stay toasty warm on your next camping trip with the Alice heated sleeping blanket originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Flowfold Stormproof Limited Conductor Duffle review

It’s been a cold, wet, miserable month here in Pennsylvania. But that’s OK! We’ve got our hands on the Flowfold Stormproof Limited Conductor, a duffle bag that fears no weather. We’re taking advantage of the awful weather to put it to the test.

It’s raining. We’re getting soggy. But our gear isn’t. To the review!

What is it?

It’s a 40-liter duffle bag designed for travel and outdoor activities, made with ultralight high-tech materials for durability and weather resistance.

Hardware specs

  • 12” High by 22” Wide by 12” Tall
  • 40 Liters capacity
  • 12.7 Ounces (15 Ounces including the shoulder strap)
  • X-Pac water-resistant fabric
  • YKK water-resistant zippers

Design and features

The Stormproof Limited Conductor, like all Flowfold products, is all about simple & functional design. The form factor is a barrel-shaped duffle bag, 12″ in diameter and 22″ long. There’s a single main compartment accessed by a full-length top zipper and a 12” by 12” zippered outer pocket on the front face for your smaller items. Clean lines and a two-tone finish add a touch of sophistication to the bag. I especially like the color combo in the heathered gray and black model I’m testing.

X-pac has become quite popular in carry products, and is the primary material of choice here. Initially designed for sailing, the layered ripstop fabric provides excellent resistance to water, abrasion, and tears. It’s a deceptive material because it is so thin and light that it feels almost insubstantial… until you put it to the test and experience it’s durability. Combined with YKK water-resistant zips and reinforced seams throughout the bag, you get excellent water resistance as well. Like all Flowfold products, the construction is also excellent with refined touches like zipper garages, nylon cord pulls, chunky hardware, and reinforcement at key stress points. It’s a great build and made in the USA. 

The bag includes a pair of carry handles and a shoulder strap, both made from webbed nylon. The carry handles are folded over and reinforced to provide some extra grip. The shoulder strap is adjustable and removable. It’s all simple, rugged and well-assembled without adding any extra bulk to the bag.

Performance

Simple, lightweight and durable. Ready for action. That’s the name of the game with the Flowfold Conductor Limited Duffle bag.

If you like wide open spaces, you’ll be very happy with the Conductor’s 40-liter capacity. For my test loadout, I loaded the Conductor up with two pairs of sneakers, two pairs of jeans, a sweater, a sweatshirt, and a couple of t-shirts with room to spare for toiletries and accessories. You could live out of this bag for a week. The outboard compartment is great for your wallet, keys, and other small items.It also meets carry-on specifications, which is another plus if you’re not planning on checking a bag. 

I took advantage of the lousy weather on a recent Saturday afternoon, loading up the bag and plunking it down on my front walkway to put its weather resistance to the test. 30 minutes of steady soaking rain and both compartments stayed bone dry… even with water pooling on the zipper line! That’s ideal for camping or other outdoor activities where you’re trusting your bag to keep your gear dry. The lightweight is an added plus: even with the shoulder strap attached, the total weight of the bag is less than a pound. Impressive.

Speaking of the shoulder strap, that would be the one area that could use some improvement. Nylon webbed straps tend to slide around on your shoulder. While the strap is wide enough to help with weight distribution, a bit of padding would be nice to keep the bag in place during maneuvers. I’ll probably swipe one from one of my other bags when I use this for travel. 

Finally, it’s important to note that the straightforward design requires you to bring your own organization. Other than the front pocket, there’s no internal compartmentalization or padding to protect your gear. This may be an issue for frequent flyers who live out of their carry-ons. Personally, I’m OK with it. I tend to travel with my tech in a separate bag anyway, and organizer pouches or packing cubes will do just fine for sorting out the small stuff. 

What I like

  • Simple, streamlined design
  • Ultra-lightweight
  • Excellent durability and water resistance
  • Sized for carry-on use

What needs to be improved

  • Lack of internal compartments requires you to bring your own organization if that’s your thing
  • Would like a pad on the shoulder strap for stabilization

Final thoughts

I continue to be a fan of Flowfold’s products. The Stormproof Limited Conductor duffle represents everything I like about the brand: simple, functional, good-looking, and tough enough to handle a bit of weather or rough travels. With a 40 liter capacity and ultra lightweight, it’s great for travel and overnight trips. If you’re looking for a simple & durable duffle bag, I’d highly recommend checking it out.

Price: $98.00
Where to buy: Flowfold.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Flowfold.

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Flowfold Stormproof Limited Conductor Duffle review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 14, 2018 at 4:00 pm.

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Protect your AirPods with a PodPocket

You’ll keep your AirPods safely at hand in the PodPocket.  The silicone pocket is precision-molded for a close fit to the AirPods case, ensuring that the case won’t slip out.  The high-grade silicone is thick for extra protection, but it still weighs only 0.96 ounces.

The pocket has a reinforced key ring hole and a keyring and clip so you can attach the pocket to your belt loop, keyring, or belt strap.  The case has an opening in the bottom to allow for charging the AirPods.    The PodPocket Protective Silicone Case is available in indigo blue, pear green, cocoa gray, and blazing red for $19.95 at The Grommet.

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Protect your AirPods with a PodPocket originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 14, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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ACGAM G402 gaming mouse review

In today’s world, the computer Mouse has become standard on almost every computer. While tablets and other such devices utilize alternatives, no one device has yet been able to make it obsolete. As computer gaming has become mainstream, many companies have joined the popularity and created a mouse specifically designed and labeled for gaming.

What is it?

The ACGAM G402 Gaming Mouse is a wired right-handed optical ergonomic gaming mouse that is designed for ease and speed of use by the gamer. It features 7 conveniently located buttons, RGB color customization, OMRON gaming switches and supports USB 2.0 and 3.0.

What’s in the box?

In the box there is the G402 mouse, a 3-inch driver disc and a manual that includes the basic instructions in 6 languages. ACGAM employs a very minimalist concept in both the accessories they provide and the very thin manual in very small writing.

Design and features

The ACGAM mouse is well built albeit completely made of plastic. It is very light but it does fit well in my hand. It is a right-handed mouse with contours that fist well to my right hand. The right and left click buttons are on a slope with a concave curve that hugs my fingers very well and add to the comfort and ease of use of the mouse, There are 2 buttons on the left side of the mouse that are well placed and make for easy access with my thumb with just minimal movement required for me to select either one. The mouse uses a USB cable connection. The built-in cable is braided and seems very strong and likely to withstand continuous use without fraying or breaking. The optical sensor is very responsive and without delay. This mouse is also very attractive with customizable colors that shine brightly on both sides and make it a pleasant addition to the work routine.

ACGAM does provide a software suite with the mouse that allows the user to customize the colors, the functions of each of the 6 programmable buttons, the speed of tracking, the adjustable DPI settings and the actual “breathing” of the lights while in use.


What I Like

After using the G402 mouse quite a bit, I can say that I really like the responsiveness of the optical sensor, the customizable color schemes, and the ability to program each of the 6 buttons and save them as profiles for various applications. The mouse is very easy to use because the design of the contours is well thought out to fit the hand comfortably, and I like that I can add it to workflows in other applications other than games.

What needs to be improved?

While the mouse is sleek and a great value for what it offers, I found that the stiff braided USB cable was at times very restrictive to my movements and did get in the way of the other equipment on my desk. Making this mouse a Bluetooth mouse would greatly improve its flexibility. While understanding that this is a low-cost mouse, it is being marketed as a gaming mouse, and therefore the design should offer more in the way of knobs with a greater range of movement to accommodate more of today’s gaming requirements.

Final thoughts

The ACGAM G402 Gaming Mouse is a great “bang for the buck” deal. It offers quite a bit of customization and programmability for the price, and it is well built. While it can be utilized for some games, its ability to customized for use with other applications and workflows to add ease and efficiency might be a better application, especially since today’s games are very sophisticated and require a lot of control ability to be fully engaged.

Price: $15.99
Where to buy: Amazon.com
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ACGAM.

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ACGAM G402 gaming mouse review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 14, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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