Rowenta SF 4522 hair straightener - product review

Rowenta SF 4522 Liss & Curl Keratin & Shine Elite, Hair straightener product specifications and consumer review

    Rowenta SF 4522 hair straightener

Rowenta SF 4522 product specs

  • Type: Hair straightener 
  • Color: black/silver
  • Manufacturer number: SF 4522
  • Input voltage: 110 - 240 V
  • Consumption: 50 watt(s)
  • Automatic switch-off: Yes, After 60 minute
  • Cable: Cable with Swivel
  • Heat-up time: 60 Seconds
  • Temperature: 130 - 230 Temp.
  • Temperature setting adjustable
  • Heating plates Plate width 2.5 MU
  • Coating: Ceramic
  • Safety: Transport lock, Heat protection
  • Ready light: Optical

Today we are reviewing a product that is a bit away from the most common things we discuss in our consumer blog. It is the premium hair straightener Rowenta SF 4522.

Radio alarm clock Sencor - consumer review

Full product test and video review of the projection digital clock radio Sencor SRC 3100 B

Sencor radio alarm clock review
Sencor SRC 3100 B - compact and affordable radio alarm clock with projection

It has been quite some time since we haven't reviewed any clock radios in our blog so the Sencor SRC 3100 is our pick for the Christmas holidays. 

This compact projection alarm digital clock and radio is very well build and costs around 20-25 Euro. 

Product specifications
To start with here are the main specifications of the Radio alarm clock Sencor: 


Radio alarm clock Sencor 3100
Product Specifications
Main specsBrand: Sencor
Model: SRC 3100
Type: digital alarm clock and radio
PLL FM Radio with 10 Presets
FM Receiver 87.5 - 108 MHz
Amber LED display 0.9"
Dimmer Function
Red Projection of Clock
180° Rotating Lens with Adjustable Focus
Dual Alarm
Wake Up with Buzzer or Radio
Sleep Function
Snooze Function
Battery Back-Up CR-2032 1 x 3 V (Battery Not Included)
Power: AC 230 V / 50 Hz
Consumption: 5 W
Dimensions: (w / h / d) 160 x 60 x 57 mm
Weight: 370 g

Cat photography - Panasonic GX9

Cat photos taken with the Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9

cat photo GX9
Ginger cat photo taken with the Panasonic Lumix GX9

Our subscribers already know that we are using the Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 as our main video and photography tool in the last couple of months. 

We have to admit we are very pleased with the results the GX9 is delivering and that is why we are giving it a small tribute, showing of with some beautiful unedited pictures of cats.

Consumer review of the Panasonic Lumix GX9 after 3 months

Our first-hand consumer review of the compact mirrorless digital camera Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 after 3 months of use

Panasonic Lumix GX9 box
It has been couple of months since we are using the Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 for our main photography tool for Test and Review consumer blog. We did a thorough research prior buying it and we didn't face any major surprises but there are things we want to share about it, after some 3 months user experience with the GX9.

Performance and Handling
Since it was released int 2018 the GX9 gained much popularity among street photographers due to its compact sizes, nice options for micro 3/4 lenses and awesome 20 megapixel sensor inside. The performance as you can guess is on a very good level. Note that Panasonic is using the same sensor in higher models like the more expensive G9.

Panasonic Lumix GX9 - top 5 reasons to buy


So here are the things we did with the Lumix GX9 during these last couple of months: 

Street photography
Of course that we took some awesome street photos with the GX9. This camera really comes alive being on the street. Our best examples came from Frankfurt where we also captured the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show and at the Kapana Fest in Plovdiv where many people gather around small shops in the center of the city. Here are some example photos:

Frankfurt at night
Frankfurt night skyline
GX9 sample photo
BMW 7-series luxury sedan captures at the IAA 2019
Back at the time we took these photos we used the kit 12-60 Lumix lens (not the Leica equivalent) that came with the camera when we first bought it. These lens are sharp at daylight but we wouldn't recommend it for dark conditions. Of course it is nice to have the vario at hand but we knew we need to invest in another lens.

That is when we bought the Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens which we believe are some of the best portrait micro four-thirds lens on the market. They are sharp, super compact and have a very nice bokeh effect.


Videos
Panasonic Lumix GX9 shoots 4k videos at 30 framers per second. Please note that this is not meant to be a video oriented camera but still one can make a very decent videos with the GX9. The in-built stabilization helps a lot, especially if you pair it with a stabilized lens when you get Dual IS effect, which is 5-axis in the compact GX9.

Actually this state of the art stabilization is what made us buy the Panasonic over the Sony Alpha A6400. With the GX9 it is much easier to use straight out of the box, without gimbels or other stabilizing accessories, something that is almost impossible with other compact mirrorless cameras.

Here is an example of a handheld video we shot with the Lumix GX9 earlier this year: 

We also shot couple of corporate videos and they came out really well with professional grade picture but unfortunately moderate sound. One thing that we really hate about the GX9 is that it is lacking mic-out. Well, this can be easily compensated with external voice recorder which is a must for professional videos.

Lens
We are planing to invest in more lens in the next couple of months. Currently our targeted objects are the Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. for common day to day use and the Panasonic LUMIX G 100-300MM F/4-5.6 OIS II telephoto zoom lens.

Drawbacks / Downsides 
As we already mentioned we kind of miss the mic-out and we really don't get why Panasonic decided to skip it in the GX9 (it is not a super-budget camera after all and was previously present in the GX series).  Here are few other drawbacks that you may consider before choosing this camera:
  • No weather sealing - unfortunately you can only have weather sealed lens but the body of the GX9 would remain unsecured for dust, splash and temperature anomalies.
  • Expensive MFT lens - if you want to get quality results you would need to pay the premium for expensive Panasonic own Micro 4/3 lens or the alternatives made by Leica which are even more expensive.
  • No super-slow-motion video

Accessories
We got the with kit lens and extra battery which was a nice starter pack. Soon after we bought a very nice Rivacase 7450 camera bag which is an amazing value for money bag and also very comfortable on the go.

Last week we also bought the Velbon VIDEOMATE 538 tripod which we have only test couple of times but no complaints so far. Soon we will post our first video taken with that one, hopefully it would come out crisp and smooth.

For taking photos and recording high-quality videos we are using the SANDISK Extreme Pro SDXC memory card.

Well, that is most of our thoughts after using the Panasonic Lumix GX9 for couple of months. We should say we are pretty happy with its performance.

Panasonic Lumix GX9 sample photos


What are your thoughts and comments about this camera or the one you are currently using? We will be happy to hear your comments!

Samsung 43RU7472 4k Smart TV with TIZEN OS

Quick consumer look of the premium 43-inch 4k Ultra HD Smart television Samsung 43RU7472

Samsung 43RU7472 TV
Samsung 43RU7472 TV

We survived the 2019 Black Friday but now the Christmas Holidays are coming, so many of you will be in the hunt for new big screen TV. Well, the Samsung 43RU7472 is not exactly big but it definitely is a good sized and well priced 43-inch Ultra HD 4k television.

Samsung 43RU7472 picture Samsung 43RU7472 image quality

It also incorporates company's TIZEN operating system which provides you the ability to use multiple Smart TV features and popular apps like YouTube, Netflix etc. 

Samsung 43RU7472 TV specifications

FeatureSpecification
BrandSamsung
Model43RU7472
Resolution4K ULTRA HD 3840 x 2160
Refresh ratePQI 2000
TypeLED TV
Smart TVYES
OSTIZEN
WiFiYES
HDMI3
AudioBluetooth enabled
Audio output2x 10W