Product Review: Sony NEX-5N 16.1 MP Compact Interchangeable Lens Touchscreen Camera with 18-55mm Lens

A good travel companion: light, great low light performance, very good still photos

 I first purchased Sony NEX-C3 and liked many things about it, but two problems caused me to trade it in for Sony NEX-5N, which addressed those two problems. I am very pleased with Sony NEX-5N. If someone is considering both of these cameras let me start with the differences between the two cameras that made me choose NEX-5N.

My main issue with C3 was seeing the LCD screen in the sun. SONY will have an OLED high resolution view finder for NEX series in November 2011. However the mount on the OLED electronic viewfinder is only compatible with NEX-5N and is not compatible with NEX-C3.

The second issue was ability to easily override the automatically chosen a focus point. NEX-5N has a touch screen which allows one to point where the focus should be, and sometimes this allows you to compose a photo which focal point off-center (automatic focus has a strong preference for items in the center).

WEIGHT

The weight of the camera with 18-55mm lens, battery, memory card, and strap is 17.1 oz.

The body of the camera is 4 1/8 inches wide x 1 inch wide in the narrow part. It is small but not so small that is inconvenient to hold or operate. Overall the camera feels good in your hand, the mechanical parts (hinges and other controls) feel well made and pretty sturdy. The 18-55mm lens in its smallest configuration is 3 inches long.

FAVORITE FEATURES

Features that I loved, two features I never had in other cameras I owned:
* Sweeping panorama - I absolutely loved it! It worked fantastically even hand held taking photos
of night time skyline. I am attaching a photo showing this feature below.
* Anti blur - in addition to having Optical Steady Shot this camera has an option for hand-held night shots.
It takes 6 photos in quick succession and combines them to generate one shot reducing blur due to unsteady hands.
Note: these settings produce JPEG format even when the setting is set to RAW

PHOTO QUALITY

I am pleased with the quality of the photos. I was very impressed with low light performance. I was able to take crisp hand-held pictures of New York skyline using the "anti blur" setting. With sweeping panorama option I do not feel the need for a wider lens. I do get significantly more barrel distortion from the SONY 18-55mm lens than from the Canon 17mm-85mm.

BATTERY

NEX-5N comes with a separate battery recharger, which is handy since the camera drains the battery rather fast it is nice to have a spare battery charging while the camera is being used. I purchased a 3-d party (Wasabi) battery pack (two NP-FW50 batteries, one Wasabi AC charger, one car charger converter for Wasabi AC charger, European converter) which works well with my NEX-5N. The entire pack costs less than one extra SONY battery: Wasabi Power Battery and Charger Kit for Sony NP-FW50, Alpha SLT-A33, SLT-A35, SLT-A55V, NEX-3, NEX-5, NEX-5N, NEX-7, NEX-C3 available on Amazon.com.

USER INTERFACE

NEX-5N has a touch screen which allows one to point where the focus should be, and sometimes this allows you to compose a photo which focal point off-center (automatic focus has a strong preference for items in the center).

By twicking display options I was able to make the UI easy to navigate. The most helpful setting was "Big font" under Camera options. Not only did it make the text easy to read, it removed a larger number of least useful icons which de-clutters the display.

The changes I found helpful:
* Turned off pop up help (located under "Setup" and called "Help Guide Display")
Why: The pop-up help gets in the way of every operation, you cannot see the screen as it totally obscures
what you are looking at, when you get rid of pop-up then the screen you were looking at also goes away.
* Turned off object tracking (located under "Camera" top menu)
Why: When you are trying to compose a photo where the focus is NOT in the center, you can use the touch screen
to indicate where the focus should be. However, if the object tracking is turned on the focus begins moving
and shifting even though the thing you are trying to focus on is not moving. The camera prefers
items in the center of the photo, rather then a composition using 1/3 rule.
* Turned off face registration and smile shutter (located under "Set Up")
Why: these options got in the way of a good photo composition

TRIPOD

I was able to use the tripod quick release I use for my SLR. The quick release plate is a wider than NEX-5N body. It extends both in the front and the back of the camera. You cannot balance the camera on it (it tips forward), however once it is on the tripod it is very secure. The photo at the top of this review demonstrates the fit of the quick release.  Photo #1 shows the camera upside down, and photo #2 shows the camera resting on table with the quick release down.

PHOTOSHOP COMPATIBILITY

When I originally purchased the camera Photoshop CS5 did not recognize the RAW format produced by NEX-5N. However on October 23, 2011 I downloaded the latest CS5 update and it recognized ARW files generated by NEX-5N.

PHOTOS INCLUDED with this review

1) Hand-held panorama shot at twilight showing a sail boat leaving New York Seaport with the skyline on the right. Split image in the same photo is a portion of the sail boat mast in actual pixel size, so you can see the details of the noise.

2) A shot of the New York seaport taken with the camera on the tripod. In the split image you see three sections of the photo in actual pixel size. #1 is close to the left edge, #2 is center, and #3 is a section close to the right edge. You can see the difference in sharpness between the center and the edges in the close ups.


Disclaimer: My interest is still photography and I have not used the movie option yet.

Overall, I am pleased with this camera. I found this camera to be a good substitute for my DSLR when I travel.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Clorox Toilet Wand Disinfecting Refill, 36 Refills

The new version is inferior to the original product.
 

I have been using Clorox Toilet Wands for several years. The last time I bought Clorox Toilet Wand refills on line I was very disappointed. What I received is an inferior product to the original refills. They are 1/2 height in size, and don't have the same scrubby material of the original ones. They also have a more unpleasant odor.
They do okay job on light stains, but do not have the power to deal with serious build-up.  I searched for the orignal refills but it appears that they are no longer available. This version must be a cost saving measure. I am attaching several pictures with the original cleaning head and the new version of the cleaning head.

The pictures are worth a thousand words.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia reivew ★★★☆☆

Toro 38361 Power Shovel 7.5 Amp Electric Snow Thrower

 Toro Power Shovel did a great job last winter!

I recently had lower back disk fusion surgery.  In my post-surgical state I have trouble bending and lifting heavy objects. But I can work the Toro Power Shovel!

I bought it with low expectation, thinking that either it will not work well or that I will have trouble with it due to my current physical limitation. Surprisingly, neither concern materialized. Toro easily chopped through 10 inch snow banks, and I was able to push it through the snow as well as move it up and down the stairs to the house. In some areas I was able to push it one handed which was an easier position on my back, and sometimes I needed the second hand to get through a tougher spot. The handle is adjustable so with the highest position I don't have to bend too much.

Toro power shovel did well even in wet snow.  It was a little harder to push, but I found that I could brace the handle on my thigh and that allowed me to push with my leg rather than my injured back. Then it was easy!

The hardest thing to deal was not the show shovel itself, but the 100 feet of electric cord, which was heavy, unwieldy and became almost unmanageable to coil back, especially when it became cold and covered with snow. The electric caddy was not much help, it was hard to control and required me to bend. Putting back the cord tired me out more than shoveling itself.

However I came up with a solution which works beautifully for me. Below is the description of what I came up with two photos to illustrate the solution. 

I used a small water hose caddy to coil the electric cord. I put the electric caddy on a chair, which meant I did not have to bend to coil the cord. One leg of the caddy support is on the chair seat, the second leg of the caddy support is on the back of the chair. The chair provides not only the lift to a convenient height but stability so the caddy does not wiggle when you crank the handle.

I found that the Toro power shovel was stable without having to lean it against a wall when I put it a big plastic storage bin. This way when I bring the shovel in and the snow melts into the bucket I did not have to worry about a puddles on the floor. The caddy with the electrical cord fit nicely on top of the shovel in the storage bin.

The shovel is build for a right-handed person.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product Review: Martex Hospitality Washcloths - 24-Pack

I use washcloths to wash my body. I don't like large, thick wash cloths that usually come with sets of towels.

I like them not too thick (but not too thin), not too small yet not too large, and I want them to dry during the day so at the end of the day I can throw into the hamper dry. These are perfect! A nice size, not too thick but definitely not flimsy. They feel nice and soft. They are stitched well and, so (over a year since purchase) haven't started fraying on the edges. I am attaching an image of a washcloth after one laundering, the stock photo shows them all bundled up and I wished I could see the entire washcloth when I was shopping.

When I was buying I did a bit of research on the manufacture and found that they also make washcloths that are sold in Bed, Bath and Beyond. So that helped with the confidence that they will be decent quality. And they are!  Amazon's price for a 24-pack was the best price I could find.

See attached photo to see the unrolled washcloth next to ruler for reference. 

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia Review ★★★★★

Product Review: FINIS Zoomers Swimming Fins

Finis Zoomers provide an extra dimension to your swimming routine. A little extra variety makes swimming more fun, and that's a good thing! It takes only a few minutes to get used to the fins. My favorite stroke to use them on is back stroke. It really gives a good workout and  improves fitness. I can really feel my muscles working.

I ordered blue fins, size D. I wear size 7, Size D was rated up to size 8 for women so I figured they would ok for me.
I could pull them on with effort, but in the water I was in a lot of pain all over (toes, top of the foot, back of the foot) since the fin + water put additional pressure. I had to return and get the next size E and they are comfortable. They are in no danger of falling off, it takes effort to pull them off by hand.

The product exchange on Amazon was flawless (as always), but it cost me extra to pay return shipping which was over $6.


Once I exchanged the fin for the next size up, they are very comfortable and don't hurt my feet even after a long work out.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product Review: SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 4 GB MP3 Player

Review with AUDIO BOOK listening interest in particular / includes solutions to two common technical issues

I use Sansa Clip MP3 player for listening to audio books, lectures and pod casts. A couple of months ago I purchased a Visual Land V-Clip Pro 4 GB MP3 Player with Speaker (Black)player that would not remember where the listening stopped when you turned on the player the next time. This meant I manually had to spin from the tracks trying to find where to continue, that was a show stopper for me.

After that experience I was doing research before buying the Sansa Clip I had trouble finding the information that is specific to audio book listening audience. I was grateful to the reviewers who answered my comment questions regarding remembering the previous location while listening to audio books.

I LIKED:

1) Sansa clip has the most important feature for audio book listening audience. It remembers where you left when you last listened to the MP3 player. But there is more! Sansa clip a mode specifically designed for audio books. In this mode the display shows the chapter and specific tracks you are on, so it is easy to navigate or repeat portions as needed. It also has a special mode "Chapter on" which allows you to skip from chapter to chapter (rather than track to track) when you press the forward/back navigation control. Chapter mode is off by default.

2) Sansa is sized 1 1/4"W x 2"H x 5/8"D. The screen is 1"W x 1/4"H. Despite the small screen the font is bold
and crisp (see attached photo of the screen display) and I can read it even with my presbyopic eyes without the glasses. This was a nice surprise since I could not do it with the previous two MP3 players I owned.

3) The navigation controls are extremely well designed, they are intuitive and easy to use. In combination with the easy to read screen this MP3 player is a pleasure to use. Much better than the iIriver and Visual Land, the two previous MP3 players I have had.

4) The volume control is on the side, and it is very easy to control the volume without looking at the MP3 while you walk. I like the control on the side better than the control integrated into the joystick as was the case with my other units.

5) Quick start Guide that comes in the package is of very limited use, however the full manual available on the Sandisk web site very good. I recommend saving a copy of the manual on your local hard disk. This is based on experience with my first MP3 player, which I had for years and when I needed a manual years down the road to sole a problem I could no longer find it on the manufacturer's web site.

I DID NOT LIKE:

1) USB cable that came with the unit is 7 inches long (including plugs on both ends). It did not work conveniently on my work space, and I had to use a regular length USB cable purchased separately.

2) Sansa stops after each chapter. I have to manually jump to the next chapter to continue. This happens both with chapter mode on and off. Screen navigation is easy, but I would have preferred no stops. Not a show stopper... but if someone knows how to change this options, please post a comment with a solution. I would appreciate it!

3) The blister pack was very hard to open, I had to make 4 cuts to get all the pieces out. I don't recall anything that has been that hard to open in several years. Be careful, it is easy to cut yourself!

4) This MP3 player has built-in rechargeable battery and it is not replaceable. To battery is recharged by plugging in MP3 player into the USB port. This means you have to plan ahead and recharge the player when not in use. I prefer the players that have removable batteries for convenience and longevity.

I also want to share one, somewhat embarrassing, tip based on my experience. When I got the player, I could not figure out how to get past the first screen - an animation showing the earphones and the word Music. Turns out it has a very tightly affixed plastic cover over the screen, and the animation was really the changing screen lightening portions of the sticker from below.


Newer Model

In September of 2011, when I was considering buying this Clip+ MP3 player, the next version of this MP3 player (called Sansa Clip Zip) just became available. After reading its manual on-line I was concerned about the lack of references to audio books and decided to purchase the older version of the product. At the time I made the purchase Clip Zip had no reviews, and now there are reviews that mentions a problem with audio book support.  As of December 1, 2011 these issues with support of audio books on Sansa Clip Zip has been resolved.  If you get an older version, you might need to get a firm ware update from Sansa web site.

Technical Issues

I ran into several technical issues. Forums are full of users experiencing similar issues so I wanted to post my solutions here.

1) There are a number of known issues with the firmware shipping with Clip, most notably freezing of the unit on one of the screens. I was able to unfreeze it by doing a reset (holding down the down button for 20 seconds).

The recommended solution to the freezing problem is to upgrade firmware. However, the firmware upgrade application reported that it could not detect a Clip device attached to my system (it was). Turned out what it was missing is Windows Media Player version 10 or higher.

2) I lost 1.6 gigs out of 4 gig Clip in the fist month of use. I was able to reclaim lost space by reformatting the Clip. This can be accomplished by doing format from the device MENU / SETTINGS / FORMAT. I read the forums and noted that some people tried formatting using Windows and ran into issues.

Finding all the solutions to all problems took many hours. I have never received any response from support. Some people in forums reported waiting for many weeks. Forums, FAQs and perseverance were helpful in finding the solutions. I originally rated this product on Amazon as 5 star but I down graded the rating to 4 stars after technical issues and lack of response from support.
 
Since firmware upgrade I had no issues with the MP3 player and I would recommend it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Book Review : Moxie for Managers: The Secret to Evolving from Manager to Leader

I hope that every manager in my organization reads this book

"Moxie for Managers" by Ann Tardy is a must read for anyone who wants to be a manager and for people who want to know what to expect from a good manager.

Ann Tardy's approach to management is that you cannot motivate people, but you can learn how to help people motivate themselves. The manager's job is to influence this internal motivation by understanding what is important to each person. By working on helping people fulfill what is important to them, make them feel respected and valued (something we all want) in turn inspires loyalty and enthusiasm. When I worked for the bad managers, I felt I was there to help them. When I worked for the good managers, I felt they were there to help me. This books helps helps explain what specific actions made me feel that way. Ann Tardy makes it surprisingly simple.

Moxie has many discussions and specific example how to motivate people. People are very similar in some basic respects. I recognized myself in a number of examples in this book. Bad managers took credit for my work or assigned achievements to their entire team, my good managers went out of the way to give me credit. I felt appreciated, I felt my hard work was noticed, I worked even harder.

Ann Tardy discusses how to give flexibility and control to the members of your team which improves morale and overall productivity. Again, examples are simple and specific. It becomes clear why we all hate to work for micro-managers and why micro-managing is counter-productive.

I liked the section on Participatory Bias. When people come up with solutions to a problem, those solutions gain immediate support because they were generated by the people rather than the solutions that were imposed by the management.

Each chapter ends of with a set of specific actions a manager can take to apply the skills discussed in that chapter in their work place. These actions are simple and realistic, and would apply to any work environment.

This book is a must read for any manager and any organization. What the book suggest is not difficult to achieve, but requires discipline and willingness to give up some control. But there is a huge payback for those actions. I am going to post a recommendation for this book at work and I hope that every manager in the organization reads it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★