Product review: Smart phone camera lens Kit 3 in 1: 198 Fisheye Lens,15x Macro Lens 0.63x Wide Angle Lens

The kit includes 3 lenses: a fisheye, a wide angle and a macro lens. Initially I thought I had only two lenses in this kit, but his was because the wide angle and macro lens are shipped screwed into each other and have only one lens cap between them. Fisheye lens has a cap of its own. The side that screws into the holder does not have a lens cap. Another kit I own has caps for both ends of the lens, which is better. The lens holder is a clip. The clip is very nice, it opens easily but holds very tightly. Finally, I like that they come in a case. It helps to keep all pieces together. The case has a carabiner, so I can clip it to my purse so the lenses are always handy.



I included photos taken from the same spot with and without the lenses so you can see the difference. My favorite lens in the kit is the fisheye lens, it allowed me to take very interesting photos that I could not take without it, the photos are always sharp no fussing with the lens is needed. Wide angle lens is also easy to use. The macro lens provides magnification but focus is more challenging and requires a bit of fussing. This typical for a macro lens, so not a knock on this lens specifically.



I received this kit for testing and review. Getting a free product does not prevent me from honestly describing pluses and minuses of my experience.



YOu can find this camera lens kit on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review

Product review: DALSTRONG Santoku Knife 7"

This is an excellent knife. It is a general purpose knife for dicing, slicing and mincing. Santoku translates from Japanese to mean "well-balanced" and is designed with the weights of the blade and the handle to be equally balanced. This balance in combination with an ergonomic shape of the handle makes cutting and dicing with it quick and easy. It is very sharp, everything I cut feels as easy as cutting soft butter.



The knife comes with a protective sheath. Protective sheath is unlocked by pulling out a small black pin as I show in the video.



This knife has a limited "rocking" travel in comparison to a Western-style chef's knife. When the blade rests on the cutting plane there is very little clearance above the cutting plane from heel to the tip. The Santoku design is shorter, lighter, thinner, and more hardened (to compensate for thinness) than a traditional Western chef's knife.



The "scalloped" sides that give this knife its unique look create small air pockets between the blade and the material being sliced and reduce cutting friction. The higher quality of Japanese knives use laminated steel which has a beautiful pattern. This knife has this laminated finish. Not only does it make the blade look beautiful but it also improves the strength and rust resistance of the blade.



It can be washed in a dishwasher, but I prefer to wash it by hand so it will last longer and there's no risk of them cutting the plastic coating on the appliance racks.



The packaging of the knife is very nice. The box looks attractive and also includes a very nice manual, a cleaning cloth, and a key chain with Dalstrong logo. The manual covers information from maintenance to how to hold the knife.



YOu can find "DALSTRONG Santoku Knife" on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review

Product review: Dante RFID Blocking Slim Wallet for Women with many Slotsoduct review:

I have been using this wallet for almost two weeks and I like having so many compartments: 10 credit card slots, one ID Window, two currency pockets, one zippered pouch. I got the red color as my main purse is red and is a pretty good match in color. Initially the credit card slots were very tight and it took some effort to pull out each credit cards but after about of week of daily use it got better as the leather stretched out.



Its size is 3.75" x 7.25" (a little smaller than Amazon description).

The id compartment is 3 5/8" long and 2 5/8" wide. It fits both the drivers license and the passport card (which is tiny bit large than the driver's license).



Drivers license is 3 3/8" X 2 1/8"

Passport card is 3 1/2" x 2 1/4"



There are two aspects to consider about this wallet. First, how does it fit all items one wants to carry in the wallet. Second, is RFID protection worth paying extra for.



RFID

~~~~

When is RFID useful? There are three types of credit cards:

1) Cards that have only magnetic strip do not emit any kind of data for the thieves to steal. RFID protection is not needed.



2) RFID cards which are are identified by wavy lines on the card (see attached photo). These cards came into being a few years ago and has not became widely used. RFID chip cards produce radio waves which can be picked by thieves that are are a few feet away from the card and can be targets for electronic pick pockets. RFID protection is needed.



3) The new EMV chipped cards they are now a requirement and are common. EMV cards work either by being inserted into a check out terminal or by Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC radio signals degrade very quickly, they can only be transmitted within a very short distance measured in centimeters. This need for proximity makes the risk of electronic pick pockets extremely low. In addition, the data transmitted by the card is encrypted which further minimizing the risk. Whether RFID protection is needed is more of a personal preference rather than yes or no purely based on the technology.



So what is the bottom line? For the old fashioned magnetic strip cards RFID protection is not needed at all. If you have the old RFID type credit card, the RFID wallets are useful. For the EMV credit cards they are not really needed but could provide peace of mind for those who worry.



This wallet is provided by Dante for evaluation and review. I hope my review was helpful to figure it if the wallet is match for your needs. RFID protection is not a key feature for me, but I like the way it looks and the number of compartments it has.



YOu can find "Dante Wallet" on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review

Product review: Z-Edge Portable Powerful 12V DC Wet/Dry 100W Car Vacuum Cleaner

This vacuum is 15.5" long and weighs 1 pound 9.6 oz. It felt quite light and I was not sure if it would have sufficient suction, but it surprised me. This vacuum works well especially when I put a crevice nozzle attachment: it picked up all kinds of sand, twigs, and stones in my car in just a few sweeps. It worked better than my hand held wireless vacuum which I used to use for this job before.



Zedge vac comes with several attachments: the crevice nozzle (my favorite), two types of brushes, and a hose. The package also includes a carrying bag. The bag is very snug and fits the vacuum and attachments, but not the hose. I would have liked the bag to be bigger so it is not so snug and I would have liked it to be big enough to fit the hose as well so I could keep everything together.



The AC cord is 184" inches long. I can reach not only my back seat but even my trunk without unplugging it from the port in the front of the car.



Changing the filter is easy. There is a button next to the on/off switch that pops off the dust compartment. When you close it you need to point the dust compartment down because the filter does not lock in, so you need to use gravity to keep in the right orientation.



Despite being light and small it really sucks (in a good way).



YOu can find this vac on Amazon via this link



AshopZones review

Product review: CYC® Motorcycle Winter Snowmobile Face Mask Windproof Outdoor Balaclava Hood

I got this balaclava because my husband is a cat person. I thought he would get a kick out of me wearing and it was a hit. It is well crafted, and the nose on the mask lines up very well with my nose - so the overall effect is quite good.



However to give this great visual effect the designers made one major change to a traditional balaclava design. Unlike a traditional balaclava, you cannot totally pull down the bottom part of mask that covers the nose and mouth. I can pull it down under my nose, but not all the way below my chin. If I put it under my chin my eyes are covered with fabric, the opening is too small.



Why does it matter? Anyone who has worn a balaclava knows that they get tremendously warm. Even in wearing this thin balaclava I felt I had to open my face every now and then to cool off. I could not do it without taking the entire thing off. And to put it back on I had to unbutton my coat.



I decided to wear it because we had a stretch with sub zero record cold temperatures (frostbite warnings in 10 minutes of skin exposure) so taking it on and off was unpleasant because I had to take off my hat and unbutton the coat to do so.



So it gets great marks for appearance and craftsmanship. However, it gets low marks for practicality. After one day of attempting to wear it how I would wear a real balaclava, now I think of it as a costume. A great looking costume and comfortable for a costume, but not a balaclava I would wear doing sports or walking around in a sub zero temperature.



I received a this balaclava for evaluation and review. Getting a free product does not effect what I say. I described both pluses and minuses of my experience exactly as I see them.



You can locate this Face Mask Balaclava on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review

Product review: Polaroid Snap Instant Digital Camera with ZINK Zero Ink Printing Technology

Polaroid Snap camera is fun to have at a party. Instant prints are fun to share with friends. However, as a camera on its own right it is not the best. The prints you get are not as good if the ones I can take with my phone camera, for example, and print later. But that's the key "later" vs "now". I am including a few prints taken with the camera (indoors and outdoors) and they all have a blueish tint. The camera has a flash and the documentation says that the camera focuses and flashes automatically, but in all the pictures I have taken so far the flash has not triggered. The auto focus has been good in 99% of the photos.



The package does not include a manual or any documentation other than a small pictogram. I had to Google for documentation and then click "buy" on Polaroid web site to get to the place where I could download the documentation and download a firmware update. I have done both, the photos you see are using the latest firmware.



To turn on the camera you have to pop up the view finder, which looks like a retractable flash from the first glance. The pop-up opens easily, often accidentally when I just brushed my hand over the camera. The lens is covered with a magnetic cap. It is not attached in any other way to the camera and is fairly easy to loose if you remove it to take pictures.



The big red button on top of the camera is the shutter. When you press it there is no clear feedback that the photo has been taken until the printer starts making a whirling noise and the print comes out. From experienced I learned to press and wait a second in order not to waste paper by pressing twice because I did not think I made good contact the first time.



Zink paper is placed into the camera with the bar code facing down, shiny side up. The camera can hold only 10 pieces of paper at a time. Each paper sheet is 2" x 3". The images appears on paper by heating the Zink paper in different ways. The camera uses no ink which makes the print come out of the camera totally dry, you cannot smudge it. The print feels thick and very glossy. Unlike a regular glossy photo print Zink paper does not show finger prints.



The camera generates 5M images. The images can be saved as well as printed if you insert micro SD card into the camera. The camera supports micro SD cards up to capacity 32G. The micro SD is not included. In attached video I show both the scans of printed photos and the image saved to disk. You can see that the blue tint appears only on the paper print.



The camera runs on rechargeable 7.4V battery which is non-removable. This means at some point non-rechargeable battery will become a problem as it will hold less and less charge as the battery ages.



I received this camera for testing and review. Bottom line? A lot of fun at a party but not the best camera if you discount the ability to get instant prints. So how much weight does this unique feature have? For me taking in account all pluses and minuses it fell somewhere between 3 stars (ok) and 4 stars (good).



You can find Polaroid Snap on Amazon via this link.





AshopZones review

Product review: SINOKAL Elastic Dustproof Luggage Suitcase Protector Cover Fits Most 20" to 29" Bags

What attracted me to this cover is the thought of easily identifying my luggage on the airport carousel. I selected the "dreamy colors" because it was the wildest brightest design which I thought would stand out the most. The colors in the stock photo were accurate and it is as bright and as wild in person as you see in the stock photo.



I tried it on the two large suitcases that I travel with most frequently and both had some fit issues. I am attaching photos for each suitcases and will describe the issues so you can be the judge if they are deal breakers. One of my suitcases is green another one is red so you can match my comments to the photos.



Green suitcase

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Sinokal's bottom closes with a large Velcro strip and an elastic strap for extra security. The wheels fit fine, the suitcase rolls well. See green suitcase collage photos labeled 1 and 2.



2. The openings for the handles on the side and on top line up well. The handled are positioned in the center of the suitcase and that lines up with holes in the cover. See green suitcase collage photos labeled 3 and 4.



3. The fit problem is with the handle that extends to roll this suitcases. The handle on this suitcase spans the entire width of the suitcase and does not fit into the small opening in the luggage cover. See green suitcase collage photo labeled 4.



The fact that I cannot roll the suitcases when it case a cover on a serious problem. I would need to cut the opening to be bigger if I decide to use this cover with the green suitcase.



Red suitcase

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



1. The bottom closes with a large Velcro strip and an elastic strap for extra security. The wheels fit fine, the suitcase rolls well. See red suitcase collage photo labeled 1.



2. The handle that extends to roll the luggage lines up with the opening of the luggage cover perfectly. The handle is small and off center. It fits into the hole in the cover just right. See red suitcase collage photo labeled 2.



3. The fit problem comes from the position of the handles. The handles on this suitcases are positioned off center, so both the side and the top handles of the suitcase do not line up with the openings in the cover. See red suitcase collage photos labeled 3 and 4. However, they are close enough to the opening that I can reach them through the opening and the handles can be used.



The problems with the handles are minor, I can still use them. So overall, the red suitcase fits the cover better.



I received this luggage cover for testing and review. Bottom line: I love the idea of the luggage cover to personalize my luggage and make it stand out. It also provides protection for the suitcase which to me is secondary. However, the luggage cover is not universal. It fits best the suitcases with the following configurations:

1. the handle that pulls out has to be off center and not span the entire width of the luggage.

2. the handles on the sides has to be in the middle of the luggage.



Other configuration could work too, but you might need to do some sewing to enlarge the holes in the cover to fit your favorite suitcase.



You can find this luggage cover on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review