Nickel Zinc is a chemistry compound first introduced by Thomas Edison almost a hundred years ago. Originally the technology was put to use in electric vehicles until the gasoline engine emerged as the technology of choice for automobile propulsion. However, with new breakthroughs in engineering, NiZn has become the new cost effective, safe battery solution for everything from consumer AA batteries to power tool packs to high-power motor driven vehicles.
Advantages of NiZn
# High Energy Density – The PowerGenix high discharge battery has up to a third more the energy density of a traditional nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery when measured by either weight (Watt hours per kilogram) or by volume (Watt hours per liter).
# Superior Power Density – The PowerGenix high discharge battery delivers a higher voltage in a smaller and lighter package than other rechargeable batteries. PowerGenix has assembled a traditional 19.2 volt pack into the form factor of a 14.4 volt pack, representing a 25% lower cell requirement that also delivers higher power and a 45% lower impedance, resulting in significantly higher torque.
# Lower Cost – Inherently less expensive, zinc provides a significant cost savings over other rechargeable batteries.
# Safety – NiZn is a proven safe chemistry that is abuse-tolerant.
# Speedy Recharge – The PowerGenix high discharge battery is capable of completely recharging in less than two hours and achieves 80% recharge within one hour, a key benefit for cordless power tools, electronics and many other applications.
# Cycle life – The service life of the high discharge battery meets or beats that of most NiCd batteries in typical applications.
# Long Shelf Life – Superior to lead-acid batteries which will sulfate over time limiting their shelf life, the PowerGenix NiZn high discharge battery has a significantly longer shelf life.
# Environmentally Green – Both nickel and zinc are non-toxic and recycled easily and inexpensively. The zinc electrode contains no lead, cadmium or mercury, and presents no threat to the environment, making it an ideal replacement for lead and cadmium batteries.
Some Frequently asked questions
Who is PowerGenix?
PowerGenix is an environmentally friendly advanced battery company based in San Diego, CA. We have developed and patented a high-power and low-cost Nickel-Zinc battery for power intensive electronics, toys, power tools and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), providing an effective and environmentally friendly recyclable alternative to existing battery technologies.
# Why should consumers consider purchasing rechargeable batteries instead of disposables?
Rechargeable batteries provide a lower total cost of ownership over the product lifetime. And, seeing as over 2 billion alkaline batteries end up in landfills each year, rechargeables are clearly the better choice for the environment.
# What makes PowerGenix batteries better than other rechargeable batteries?
PowerGenix’s batteries are a great choice for consumers because they provide the higher power performance of a disposable battery, the environmental benefits of rechargeables, and the peace of mind that comes from being nontoxic. In short – they’re the best of all battery worlds.
# Is Nickel-Zinc recyclable?
Nickel-Zinc is the most recyclable battery chemistry on the market. Unlike many other materials, both nickel and zinc can be recycled again and again while maintaining their physical and chemical properties, because the same amount of each element remains at the end of a product cycle as at the beginning.
Below is the result of my personal test using my Vivitar 285HV
Energizer
Warming up (ON) : 11 sec
Recycling time (After flash full power) : 20sec
Powergenix
Warming up : 2 sec
Recycling time : 4 sec
Very very fast!
Here’s the video!
How can i get this?
Booth 6575 (Photo Alliance!) at the Suntec Convention Center Level 6 from 11 to 14 March 2010!
Solid. Sturdy. Hefty. Old school. Mention “Vivitar 285″ to photographers who’ve been around a while and those are the words that come to mind. The 285 (and its cousin, the 283), were long considered “workhorse” strobe units by working pros and have been around in various incarnations since 1972. In those 35 years, they’ve probably found their way into more camera bags than any other portable flash units.
So what does this new-to-2007 285HV model have to offer? A lot. For very little money. Let’s get right into the details.
The 285HV isn’t intended to match the TTL, computerized, multi-function, dedicated-flash units offered by camera manufacturers — or even most off-brands, such as Metz, which has virtually full dedication. This is light to go, with plenty of power and very few bells and whistles. Oh, it has automatic mode, all right — using the time-tested thyristor cut-off method that Vivitar has been using for nearly 30 years. But it won’t talk to your camera other than to sync with it, and there’s no LCD control panel. Simple is the name of the game with the 285HV.
The biggest change to the latest incarnation — and the reason for reintroducing it — is the sync voltage: Many modern DSLRs and advanced compact digitals sync up with external flash units using six volts or less in the sync circuit. Unknowing 35mm film converts, upon switching to digital, have hooked their old reliable flashes up to their new cameras only to find the sync circuits fried quickly. The older Vivitar 285 and 283 both had sync voltages between 200 and 260 volts, high enough to give modern six-volt circuits a heart attack. The new 285HV model syncs at under six volts, perfectly safe for today’s digital cameras.
The build of this new model is all plastic on the outside, including the hot-shoe mount. It’s got a very nice, rugged feel to it though — and it doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy at all. I would have no problem tossing this into my bag and hauling it around the great outdoors (and, in fact, I already have). The plastic shoe eliminates worrying about inadvertent contact with the extra two to five terminals in modern camera hot-shoes — these are for communicating with dedicated flash units and aren’t used or needed with the 285HV. The flash’s shoe has only the center sync contact.
The flash uses four “AA” batteries, which go into a plastic holder that slips into the battery compartment. Vivitar sells extra holders and I find it very convenient to have the batteries already arranged in the holder when having to change quickly in the middle of a shoot. With alkaline batteries you can expect around 100 to 150 full-power pops (my test with new batteries gave 128 full-power firings), though refresh times will go from under 10 seconds with new batteries to almost 20 near the end. Using 2500 mAh NiMh rechargeable batteries, I got 212 full-power pops, with faster recycle times as well (about seven seconds to start, lagging to 12 near the end of their charge). With close subjects in auto mode, or on 1/16 manual power, recycle times were as short as one second. The flash has a guide number of 140 (ISO 100, “tele” 105mm zoom position — i.e. with the head/sleeve pulled all the way out — in feet), which puts it at the low end of similar-sized units like the Sigma EF-500DG Super (GN 165), Canon 580EX (GN 191), and Nikon SB800 (GN 184). The Vivitar is, however, by far the lowest-priced unit of that bunch, with a street price of $89 (the Sigma is $199, the Canon is $399 and the Nikon is $325).
The 285HV Zoom and Bounce Head
The flash head has manual zoom settings for “wide” (35mm focal length on a 35mm camera), “normal” (50mm) and “tele” (105mm), as well as a slide-in diffuser lens for “super wide” (28mm). Yes, I said manual — no zoom head motor to break or suck battery juice — just grab the head and slide it back and forth using the click-stop detents at the three settings. There’s a little wobble as it slides, but the movement is smooth enough and the stops firm. I’m a little disappointed that the super-wide diffuser isn’t attached to the unit in any way; it’s easy to imagine losing it at some point. But the slot at the front of the flash it slides into holds it well and can also be used to insert cut-gel filters easily and safely.
The flash head can be tilted up and down for bounce flash, from straight ahead to straight up, with click stops at 90, 75, 60 and 45 degrees. It doesn’t allow a little extra tilt down for close-up shots and it doesn’t swivel, though — two features common on many other flash units with bounce heads.
The 285HV Calculator Dial
There are four “ranges” for automatic flash exposure — which one you use depends on the ISO setting of your camera and your desired aperture. The automatic modes are color-coded and setting them is straightforward: You set your ISO on the calculator dial on the side of the unit (which lights up with a button), then choose the aperture to use that gives the auto range you’re interested in (an explanation of how to do this is below). Larger apertures give larger automatic ranges, as you’d expect. For example, at ISO 100 you can choose f/2.8 and have an automatic range of 65 feet to 5 feet (yellow range); choose f/4 and you get 30 feet to 4 feet (red range); f/8 gets you 15 feet to 1 foot (blue range), and f/11 works automatically from 10 feet to 1 foot (purple range).
You set the color of the range you’ve chosen on the “Vari-Power” module/dial at the front of the flash, set your camera to Manual mode with the shutter speed set to the camera’s sync speed (or slower) and the aperture set to the one chosen for your auto range on the flash, and start shooting. The Vari-Power module has an optical sensor that measures the light reflecting from your subject and “quenches” the flash when it decides it has received enough light for a good exposure. Although not as sophisticated as TTL (through-the-lens) flash metering, this simple system works quite well. I found it gave very good exposures in most situations and wasn’t easily fooled by light or dark subjects. It did tend to underexpose when faced with an all-white background, though — something to watch out for. Unlike dedicated “smart” flash units, your camera’s flash exposure compensation function will have no effect on the exposure in such cases, but “manual” compensation is easy enough. When shooting something against a white background, just open the aperture up 1/2 to 1 stop and you’ll get good results.
It’s also easy and quick to use the auto modes for fill flash in daytime by closing the aperture down a bit (i.e. smaller than what is indicated for the range) to reduce how much of the light comes from the flash, then using shutter speed (as long as it’s at your camera’s sync speed or slower) to set exposure for the ambient light. Since, unlike TTL-dedicated flash units, the 285HV doesn’t “know” you changed the aperture, it gives the same exposure every time and lets you use the aperture to control the light more precisely. A “sufficient light indicator” LED on the flash backside glows after a shot if there was enough light to make the proper automatic exposure — handy for firing off a test pop and verifying your setup will work by reviewing on your DSLR’s LCD screen. And, finally, with the addition of an inexpensive cord, the Vari-Power module can be removed from the flash unit, attached with a cord, and kept with the camera no matter where the flash is.
Lowepro is a camera bag manufacturer that has been making carrying solutions for camera equipment for the last 40 years. Weather you are a professional or amateur photographer, Lowepro is constantly innovating and making bags for a magnitude of different situations and tasks.
Lowepro claims the Fastpack 350 has the capacity to hold:
1 pro Digital SLR with lens attached (up to 70-200 F/2.8)
2-3 additional lenses or flash units
17” inch widescreen notebook
memory cards
batteries and cables
Interior Size Dimensions:11W x 6.1D x 10.6H inches ( 28 x 15.5 x 27 cm)
Exterior Size Dimensions:12.4W x 9.6D x 19.3H inches ( 31.5 x 24.5 x 49 cm)
*The dimensions meet Airline Carry On size regulations
First Impressions
In all honesty, my initial impressions on the shape and physical attributes of the Fastpack 350 when I pulled it out of the box was not a positive one. Unlike some of my other camera bags, the Fastpack 350 seemed really boxy and rectangular when I had it in my hands. It reminded me of a piece of equipment that Toy Story figure Buzz Light Year would wear. The key feature of the bag was the “Quick Draw” panel at the bottom bag. This pocket zips open East/West, unlike most bags that zip open like a clam shell North/South. There seemed like a plenty of padding and protection inside the bottom compartment for all the pricey camera gear. There also seem like lots of usable space in the top of the bag for a variety of camera and personal accessories.
I recall thinking the gauge of the zippers on the bag, (especially on the quick draw panel) seemed a bit small for pockets that would constantly be opening and closing. I expected that the teeth on this bag would be a bit larger for increased durability. The laptop compartment seemed roomy and large and nicely tucked under the breathable and padded back panel. I also noticed and appreciated the mesh pocket on the left side of the bag. This mesh pocket is plenty big enough to put varying sizes of water bottles in. If you are out and about with your camera gear, you want a place to carry a beverage!
Capacity Tested!
I had to test Lowepro’s capacity claims, so as you can see below, we packed the quick draw compartment of the Fastpack 350 with a very respectable collection of higher end camera gear. The compartment is very well padded with removable dividers to protect all the spendy gear.
We packed:
1 x Nikon D200 SLR with battery grip with 70-200 F/2.8 Lens
1 x 18-200mm
1 x 17-55mm F/2.8
1 x 60mm F.2.8
1 x 35mm F 2.0
In the top compartment we packed in a bunch of more stuff that a normal person would have with them. We loaded a bunch of camera accessories (Chargers, extra batteries etc), point and shoot camera, a couple cell phones and pens, a mini tri-pod, a flash unit, my wallet and keys. After packing in all this gear in the top compartment, we still had more room. I could have easily stuffed a lightweight jacket or long sleeve top.
The laptop compartment is straight forward. I don’t have a 17inch sized laptop, but I know my 14.1inch laptop would fit into this pocket with no problems. If you don’t have a laptop, you can use this space to put folders with documents, and even a couple books.
With all this gear in the Fastpack 350 the bag was about 23 lbs. The bag empty weights about 4 lbs. If I was to add some more things into the top compartment, a laptop, and a water bottle this backpack would be about 25-20 lbs in weight.
“Fastpack” Feature
The key selling feature and innovative design to this bag is the super fast “Quick Draw” access panel via side loading access on the bag. This is suppose to beLowepro’s answer to not having to take the back pack off your back and putting it on the ground to get at your camera gear via top load access.
You access the “Quick Draw” panel by unclipping the sternum strap, loosening the right should strap and swinging the bottom of the bag up towards your left hip. If this sounds all complicated, it is not. You can get at your camera in under 10 seconds with some practice and about the same amount of time to put the camera back in and the pack back on your back. Lowepro has an excellent video demonstration of this system in action. In my photo below, I show how the bag should end up on your body after you swing it around.
As you can also see, the bag is cut in such a way on the bottom of the bag, that it sort of cradles the right hand handle on the SLR body. At first I though this was a bit annoying as I could barley slip my skinny fingers in to grab the shutter grip on the SLR, but after I thought about the design, this is a pretty smart idea to prevent the camera from accidentally falling out of the bag when zip open the “Quick Draw” compartment.
There is also no need to worry about the entire “Quick Draw” compartment completely opening and all your gear somehow falling as the entire quick draw compartment is protected by a safety mechanism; The safety mechanism being the safety flap and the straps/clips on the front of the bag. When this safety flap is clipped by both clips, there is no chance that the zippers can fully unzip (East to West) to compromise the equipment inside.
The more I used this bag day to day, the more I like it and appreciate the “Quick Draw” compartment. I like that there are 2 padded memory card pockets on the inside flap of the “Quick Draw” panel for quick memory card changes. Getting at the camera is super fast compared to other camera bags.
Comfort and Durability
I was excited to get out and test the Fastpack 350 the day I got it. I took it for a walk to the corner store about 25minutes away from my house. I live on a mountain and the store is at the bottom. I walked down and back up with the Fastpack 350 fully loaded with gear and everything felt great. The Fastpack 350 bag fit my body well and the strap adjustments, hip belt and sternum strap all aided me to securely cinch the bag to me so it wasn’t flopping or bouncing around.
The straps are very comfortable with adequate padding and strap adjustments. The weight was surprisingly well distributed on my back and at no time walking up and down the hill did I feel the bag being cumbersome and lopsided in weight. The day was pretty warm, and I much appreciated the breathable moisture wicking padded mesh material on the underside of the shoulder straps and the back of the bag.
It is tough to test the long time durability of this backpack, but most backpacks, the first thing to go are either the zippers or the straps where they mount into the main body of the bag. Time will only tell how long this bag will last, but I think it should last awhile as I took the fully loaded bag off my back a numerous times using only one of the shoulder strap to take it on and off my shoulder. Ideally when I needed to carry the bag when it was off my back, the well constructed, one inch thick, double stitched Cordura handle at the top was used. This handle loop at the top of the bag is a very very handy feature to have.
I don’t recommend this, but I even swung the bag around by one strap a few times as well to see if I could hear any fabric stretching or ripping. The straps seem to be well fastened into the bag as slinging 30lbs of weight around by a single strap can put a lot of stress where the straps anchor.
Missing Features
Over the last few weeks with the bag, there are a few features that I wished would have been on the bag. The first feature that is missing is a dedicated a rain cover. Lowepro claims that the Cordura fabric has a DWR (Durable Water Resistant) coating on it. DWR eventually wears off and the rain will eventually soak through if you are out in the elements long enough. Living in Vancouver Canada, a rain cover is a nice accessory to have. (It rains a lot here!) There were a couple rainy days that I used the bag and the exterior did end up getting damp.
The second feature that was missing was a place to attach and hold a light weight tripod or a monopod. There were a couple times where I was out with the bag and I had nowhere to put my monopod and tripod. Constantly carrying the tripod and monopod around was pretty annoying when I wasn’t using it. I think if people are out and about, hiking or traveling with this bag, they will not be carrying around super heavy duty tripods; Like myself they will want to take the lightweight portable tripods and monopods for those shots that require a bit more stability than just hand holding. A few well placed adjustable loops/straps on the front of the bag or on the water bottle side is all that would have been needed.
Keeping along the lines of straps and loops, I think the there could have been a few more straps on the outside of the bag to add additional accessories, keep the water bottle secure and to stow lightweight clothing. There were a few times when I was using the bag that I wanted to take my jacket off because I was warm It would have been great to strap the jacket securely onto the outside of the Fastpack 350. If there were tripod or monopod straps here, I could have used these!
The water bottle holder is great for most bottles of water, but if you place a full 1.5litre bottle of water into this pocket, the bottle is a bit tall and it does tend to slide side to side and slip out when swinging the bag around to get at the camera. A strap about 3.5 to 4 inches from the top of the water bottle holder would have been nice to hold down the bottle.
Shortcomings
There wasn’t a lot of things already on the bag that really bothered me. If I was to pick a couple design issues that could be changed for next year’s version, it would be to use larger gauge zippers on the bag. Larger gauge zippers offer more durability and ease of opening. The gauge on the Fastpack 350 seemed a bit small to me.
I would also put in place larger hand pulls on the zippers. Larger hand pull tabs on the bag would make it easier to open and close all the pockets on the Fastpack 350. I felt the pulls on the Fastpack 350 zippers were just a tad short.
I would also make the option to have a vertically adjustable and user removable hip belt. The hip belt seemed to sit a bit high on my waist and depending on the torso length of the user, an adjustable hip belt may be a nice customizable feature for a wide range of body sizes.
Final Thoughts
I have to say I really like the Fastpack 350. The “Quick Draw” panel by far sets this bag apart from all my other camera bags. This feature alone makes me get over the boxy look of the Fastpack 350. Life is about compromises right? The “Quick Draw” feature works extremely well and will save you lots of time when you need to pull the camera out quickly to shoot some pictures and re-store the camera. If Lowepro were to add a few straps here and there and tweak a few things, this bag would be even better than it already is.
Longer zipper tabs and a few extra straps for a lightweight tripod or monopod are very easy low cost additions that could be implemented. Gone will be my days of using regular hiking day packs (ie North Face, Camelbak etc ) to cart around my SLR camera and lenses. Everyone that has ever used a regular hiking day pack knows it is such a hassle to dig the SLR camera out of the pack amongst all your other stuff in the bag.
A couple weeks ago, I went spring skiing up at Whistler Mountain. The day was super sunny and warm, so I figured why not pack the Fastpack 350 with some gear and really test it out. I was trying to learn how to Telemark ski, so I ultimately fell over numerous times on my front and back.
Although I landed on my back a number of times skiing, The Fastpack 350 worked out great and kept all my gear in one piece; nothing broke! I took with me an SLR body, 70-200mm F/2.8 lens and the 35mm F / 2.0 lens. I had room for a light weight jacket and a long sleeve shirt inside the bag, along with my lunch and a bunch of other personal accessories ( Sunscreen, wallet, keys, cell phone, energy bars, extra batteries, etc) All this “stuff” fit into the Fastpack 350 with no problems and I even had some room to spare. For hydration, I put my 3 liter Camelback bladder into the laptop compartment with no issues.
The bag is a bit wide so I would have to take the pack off every time I loaded the chairlift so I wouldn’t fall off the edge of the seat. Shooting pictures of my friends skiing and snowboarding in the sun was a breeze compared to previous occasions with the camera in the regular backpack. The “Quick Draw” panel actually makes you want to shoot pictures vs not wanting to take the photo because you have to go through the hassle of digging the camera out of the bag!
If you are looking for a good all round day trip bag to cart around some of your camera gear that enables you to access your camera very quickly to take photos, I would highly recommend picking up the Lowepro Fastpack 350.
Pros
Quick Draw Compartment that enables you to get your camera out super fast
Lots of useable storage space
Comfortable and adjustable shoulder straps
Weight is evenly distributed
Water bottle holder
You can fit a water bladder in the laptop compartment!
The 12-24/4 is Tokina’s offering in the popular “superwide zoom” category for APS-C format digital cameras. In this category it competes with the Sigma 10-22, Tamron 11-18 and Canon 10-22. None of these lenses has full frame 35mm coverage and so all are specified for use only on cameras with APS-C sized sensors.
Tokina 12-24/4 user review
When the digital SLR cameras with APS size sensors first appeared, most photographers were disappointed by the fact that their wide angle lenses were not wide enough anymore.
Then, Nikon responded with the launch of DX lenses, of which the Nikon 12-24 DX had the same coverage as a 18-35mm on film or full frame digital cameras.
This meant the return of the wide angle zoom for APS size digital cameras.
Shortly, other manufacturers follow this trend so we can now enjoy a lot of DX zooms and even some primes.
The Tokina 12-24 AT-X PRO line DX wide zoom is the reply to the Nikon 12-24mm DX wide zoom.
It was crazy and all the people are so fun to work with! You guys really know how to party! I love you all! Please check out the huge gallery. And if your photos are in my gallery please copy and email me the picture so i could send you the originals.
This is my recent photos of the week. Shoot at Tampines around 7pm. I was actually kinda late because the sun have already gone down. Wish me luck next time.
Reigning Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) champion Luke Kibet has won the full marathon category race for the second year running. It was an exciting climax to the 42km race as Johnstone Chepkwony mounted a late surge to pressure Kibet all the way to the finish line. Kenyan runner Kibet prevailed however, to finish first with a winning time of 2:11:24, which was just eight seconds ahead of Chepkwony (2:11:32) and 2 mins 37 seconds short of the 2:13:01 course record he set last year.
