Company Pioneer released new monitor headphones SE-MJ751i, able to reproduce sounds in 8 Hz – 28 kHz frequencies range and having 2 drivers in each cup : 30 mm for high frequencies and 40 mm for middle and low frequencies. They have 104 dB sensitivity, 16 Ohms impedance and 1000 mW max power input; manufacturer does not tell which magnets are used for membranes movement, but the most probable neodymium. 1.2 m wire is detachable and connects only to one cup; in its volume control module microphone and phone control buttons, supported by Apple iPhone devices, are built; cable connects to sound source via 1/8″ mini-jack connector. Device’s mass is 200 g; package contains : Pioneer SE-MJ751i headphones themselves, warranty card and user’s guide. Headphones are very good and there is need to look on their price, at launch time they will cost 129 USD – this is big price for headphones and for smaller sum there is ability to buy high-quality devices; so, probably, they will be worth buying after some time after release, when their price will go down.
Among Windowstablet PCs there are also relatively affordable devices, for example, Prestigio MultiPad Visconte Quad 3G PMP881TD, working on fully functional 8.1 Microsoft OS, with 8″ multi touch IPS screen with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution and 189 PPI density and 3G networks support; wherein it costs around 60 – 70 USD. In it following are built in : 4-cores Intel Atom Z3735G 1830 processor, working on 1.83 MHz frequency; Intel HD Graphics ( Bay Trail ) graphical chip, working on 311 MHz frequency; 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of built-in memory with ability to extend via Micro SDHC flash cards with 32 GB max capacity. It can work in 2G and 3G networks, but only for data transferring without phone calls support; only one SIM card can be installed into it. Tablet has no satellite navigation support ( however it can be added via external GPS, GLONASS or combined receiver ); it has only gravity and acceleration sensor.
Tablet PC Prestigio MultiPad PMP881TD ( back and side view )
In Prestigio MultiPad PMP881TD, as in most other not expensive tablets models, 2 trlatively weak cameras are placed : 2 MP main one and 0.3 MP frontal one, very functional cameras not needed very much for such devices, because they will not give high-quality photos and videos due to small sensors and lens. Tablet has Wi-Fi ( IEEE 802.11b/g/n ) and Bluetooth ( 4.0 ) connections support for remote data transferring and communications with other devices; it does not support NFC connections. Following can be found on its external panels : Micro USB 2.0 port for external devices connection via OTG ( it cannot be used for connections to other computers ), 1/8″ mini-jack headphones output, power switch and volume control buttons and mono speaker. Li-ion battery with 4000 mAh capacity is built into it, which is enough for 170 h in stand-by mode or for 6 hours of work; body of the device is made from plastic; its sizes are 208.9 ( width ) x 123.6 ( height ) x 10.6 ( depth ) mm and mass is 365 g.
Package contains : Prestigio MultiPad Visconte Quad 3G PMP881TD tablet itself, recharger, USB cable, OTG cable, 1-year warranty card and user’s guide. In practice, this is a fully functional Windows computer in compact body, external devices can be connected to it and used far from home and different desktop applications can be used on it ( except, those, which have high system requirements ) – basically it can be used for most tasks, for which usual PCs are used. There is also ability to update its OS to 10 version. There is ability to wish for satellite navigation and phone calls support, but they are not built into entry-level Windows tablet PCs.
Company Supra recently released new tablet PC M74NG, having 7″ multitouch IPS screen ( with 1024 x 600 pixels resolution and 170 PPI density ), support of 3G connections, satellite navigation, Android 5.1 OS and other modern functions and costing around 50 USD. In it following is built in : 4-cores MT 8321 processor, working on 1.3 GHz frequency; 512 MB of RAM; 8 GB of built in memory with ability to extend via Micro SDHC flash cards with capacity up to 32 GB; and ability to use as cell-phone with 2 SIM cards. Tablet can work in 2G and 3G networks, without 4G support; GPS navigation, without GLONASS support and acceleration sensors are built into it.
Tablet PC SUPRA M74NG ( views from all sides )
Just for the check in SUPRA M74NG two cameras are placed : 0.3 MP frontal one and 2 MP main one; it can establish Wi-Fi ( IEEE 802.11 b/g/n ) and Bluetooth wireless connections for remote data transferring and communications with other devices. On external panels of tablet following modules can be found : USB port for connection with computer and other devices plugging via OTG; TRS 1/8″ mini-jack output for headphones; power switch and volume control buttons; and speaker, playing mono sound. It is bundled with Li-ion battery with 2600 mAh charge, which is enough for 4 hours of work; its body is made from plastic; device sizes are 188 ( width ) x 108 ( height ) x 10 ( depth ) mm and mass is 270 g.
Package contains : SUPRA M74NG tablet PC itself, USB cable, USB-OTG cable, recharger ( 2A and 5V ), 1-year warranty card and user’s guide. All in all for such money tablet is great; there is ability to wish for 4G, GLONASS support, larger RAM size and other functions, but price will increase accordingly with them. Manufacturer does not tell which graphical chip is used, if used at all ( maybe devices uses software rendering on its 4-cores CPU ), otherwise tablet is great for such money.
Among Behringer audio devices there is dock-station iStudio iS202 for Apple iPad ( 1, 2 and 3 generations ) with advanced audio recording and playback functions. Device can work from 2 A and 12 V power adapter or 8 AA batteries; on its top panel following controls are placed : buttons for phantom power +12 V switching for microphone inputs, Hi-Z mode switch for input 2 and AUX mode switch for inputs; separate knobs for amplification control of 1, 2 and AUX inputs; monitor mode switch for headphones ( 1, 2 and AUX inputs, signal from iPad ); volume control knobs of main outputs and headphones. On its frontal panel 1/8″ mini-jack output for headphones is located; on back panel there are : power switch button; power adapter input; composite video output; USB port ( probably, device can be used as external USB audio card without connection to iPad ); MIDI input and output; two TRS 1/4″ jack inputs for expression and foot switch pedals; 2 TRS 1/4″ jack main balanced outputs; ground connector; 2 RCA linear/AUX outputs; combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack output, which can work in microphone ( balanced ), linear and instrumental Hi-Z modes; another one such input, which can work only in microphone ( balanced ) and linear modes. On bottom side of Behringer iStudio iS202 there are batteries compartment and panel and holes for connection to instrumental stands.
Behringer iStudio iS202 – iPad dock-station ( back view )
Behringer iStudio iS202 connectors have following properties : microphone inputs ( gain in 25 – 55 dB range, maximal input signal level -7 dB, 2.6 kOhms impedance ); linear inputs ( gain in 0 – 30 dB range, maximal input signal 16 dB, impedance 40 kOhms balanced and 20 kOhms unbalanced ); instrumental input ( gain in 0 – 30 dB range, maximal input signal 16 dB, 16 MOhms impedance ); AUX input ( linear mode : amplification -infinity – 0 dB, +22 dB maximal input signal; phono mode : amplification -infinity – 52 dB, -40 dB maximal input signal; both modes : 47 kOhms impedance ); main outputs ( signal level -infinity – 6 dB, maximal output level 13 dB, impedance 240 Ohms balanced and 120 Ohms unbalanced ); headphones output ( signal level -infinity – 6 dB, maximal output level 16 dB, impedance 150 Ohms ). Device sizes are 305 ( width ) x 216 ( depth ) x 75 ( height ) mm and mass is 1 kg ( without power adapter, batteries and iPad ).
Package contains : Behringer iStudio iS202 dock-station itself, power adapter, 3-year warranty card and user’s guide. All in all device is interesting and has lots of audio connectors, part of inputs and outputs are balanced; however here is need to look on dock-station and external studio-level USB audio interfaces : it is possible, that such interface with similar ports sets of Steinberg, Behringer itself, Focusrite, Roland, M-Audio, ESI and other manufacturers production cost less. Their purchase is more suitable, because they can tightly integrate with modern DAWs ( FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others ) via specialized drivers with ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio support.
I love optics, now I have 2 photo lenses : Mir-1V and Helios 44M-7 both are made in Russia and have M42 mounts for attachment to camera ( it has 45.5 mm work segment, with according adapters lenses can be easily used with all modern cameras, except of mirrored Nikon cameras, which have larger operating segment and require lens adjustments or mount thread modifications ); lets test first one of them to learn its strong and weak sides, optimal photos and videos making conditions and the most optimal settings for different environments. Lets begin with technical characteristics : it has 37 mm fixed focus distance, f/2.8 – f/16 diaphragm ( this is a middle light strength lens ), it is designed for 24 x 36 mm film or full-frame sensors, field of view is 60 degrees, minimal focusing distance is 0.7 m, 6 lens elements in 5 groups are built into it, they have yellow coating. My lens has 10 diaphragm blades ( 8 and 10 bladed variants were manufactured ), opening form is closer to circle, than of Helios 44M-7; standardized resolution is 45/23 lines/mm ( center/sides ). Lens length is 56 mm, maximal diameter is 59 mm, mass is 200 g; 49 mm optical filters and attachments can be screwed to it. It is copied from Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm F2.8 lens; different modifications of Mir-1V were produced from end of 1950-ies.
Mir-1V photo lens for M42 mounts ( back view with partially closed diaphragm )
On Micro Four Thirds sensor with crop-factor 2 field of view is reduced 2 times ( only central part of light beam is used ) : from one side this reduces field of view, from the other side this allows to use only central part of lens with lowest amount of aberrations and highest resolution and gives tele photo lenses in compact body. Photos, made with Mir-1V lens can be seen on this page : test photos of Mir-1V lens. Test video with counter and side lighting without YouTube recompression can be seen here : test video of Mir-1V lens.
Mir-1V photo lens for M42 mounts ( side view with control rings )
Lens has diaphragm presetting ring, so that minimal diaphragm can be limited; however on sensor with crop-factor 2 there is no big need in diaphragming it. Diaphragm control ring made slightly unlogical in accordance to presetting ring : when mark is on minimal diaphragm value, it is fully open, when it is on maximal value, it is maximally closed; probably, this way it is easier to implement such mechanism; but there is ability to accommodate to it very fast and remember in which direction diaphragm opens and in which closes. Focusing ring has smooth and tight movement : everything is ok in this respect; lens can be screwed by its mini-blend and unscrewed by its focusing ring ( after setting it on minimal 0.7 m macro focusing distance ). Frontal glass is located deeply enough and closed by small blend on the sides, so on nature lens can be used without attachment blend.
Mir-1V photo lens testing, counter light, Sun in the center of frame
Helios 44M-7 has small depth of field ( DoF ) and it is easy to focus it on object, even focusing on camera display; Mir-1V has larger DoF and it is harder to focus it on the object, it is better to use it with tripod. Also it has middle light strength and requires longer expositions, so, when photos are made from hands they can be blurred in motion, here tripod is also useful. Mir-1V has quite peculiar color reproduction : indoor and at cloudy weather it is even slightly “brutal” ( colors intensity is decreased further and dark parts become even darker ); at sunny weather color reproduction is natural. On sensor with crop-factor 2 it has no chromatic aberrations at all, even at sides; and it is good in counter and side lighting, however attachment blend is useful, when Sun is close to the border of frame.
Mir-1V photo lens testing, counter light, Sun at the top border of frame
There is need to learn to use this lens, it requires more work to be precisely focused and longer expositions; it should be used with tripod or there is need to learn to hold camera in hands so, that its shaking will be minimal. The other advantage : it has no electronics at all and its body is made from metal ( aluminum ), so it is much more resistant to shaking. All in all Mir-1V lens is very good, when used properly, and gives much better photos quality, than bundled kit zoom lenses wit large glasses amount of cameras; especially taking into account price, for which it can be bought.
Mir-1V photo lens testing, light, Sun close to the border of frame ( lens flares are visible )
Additional photos, made with this lens, can be seen in White Stone in December article. Here I just started to learn to use it and many of photos are blurred in motion, due to camera shaking. On the next week I’ll print test image, made its photos and add them to article with testing description and results. But even now there is ability to say, that lens will produce sharp photos even on open diaphragm, because it is used on sensor with crop-factor 2; the same way as it gives chromatic aberrations free image with such sensor. In January or February I’ll order macro rings and will test this lens in more macro mode with larger magnifications and on closer distances. If you have other propositions on this lens testing, then share them in the comments to this article, I’ll perform them, if they will allow to better unfold technical abilities of Mir-1V. In the next article I’ll test monster of soviet optics : Helios 44M-7 with 50 lines/mm resolution and aperture 2.
Mir-1V photo lens testing, light, Sun is further from border of frame ( there are no lens flares )Mir-1V photo lens testing, chromatic aberrations, longitudinal ( trees branches and trunks without wind )Mir-1V photo lens testing, chromatic aberrations, lateral ( tilted black letters on white paper ) + 70 cm macro photo
Update from 16.1.10 : here are photos of test mira for lens sharpness and geometrical distortions determination ( in article there are PNG parts of these images, originals are in album with rest of test photos ); mira is slightly rotated around lens optical axis and its right side is closer to camera, but there is ability to make conclusions. Firs of all, diaphragm 2.8 of lens is not usable at all, because even on sensor with crop factor 2 there is lots of soap even close to the center of image; diaphragms 4 – 5.6 give sharp images and are working values for lens, down to diaphragm 8 image is good, this value also can be used with tripod. Second, diaphragms 11 – 16 are also not usable due to very long exposures required and blurring, this time due to diffraction. So, here are additional conclusions : even on Micro Four Thirds sensors with crop factor 2 there is need to close diaphragm to 4 – 5.6 – 8 values and use these ones to obtain sharp images and videos without diffraction.
Mir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 2.8, center of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 2.8, right bottom corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 2.8, left top corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 4, center of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 4, right bottom corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 4, left top corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 5.6, center of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 5.6, right bottom corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 5.6, left top corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 8, center of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 8, right bottom corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 8, left top corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 11, center of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 11, right bottom corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 11, left top corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 16, center of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 16, right bottom corner of mira, sharpness and diffractionMir-1V photo lens testing; diaphragm 16, left top corner of mira, sharpness and diffraction
Company Pioneer recently released new dynamic over ears headphones SE-MJ503, with 10 Hz – 24 kHz reproducible sounds frequencies range and closed back acoustic architecture. 30 mm membranes, moved by neodymium magnets, are built into them, their impedance is 32 Ohms, sensitivity is 100 dB and maximal input power is 500 mW. To both cups detachable 1.2 m cable with volume control module and 1/8″ mini-jack gold-plated plug is mounted for connection to sound source. Mass of headphones is 126 g ( without cable accounting ), they are supplied in 5 color variants : black, white, green, red and blue, and can be folded for more compact storing and carrying.
Headband and cushions of Pioneer SE-MJ503 are covered with soft material for comfortable long-time wearing; each cup has only 1 audio emitter; they have no active noise-cancellation function, as some monitor headphones have, wherein they have quite good noise isolation. Device has no built-in microphone and smartphones control button.
Package contains : Pioneer SE-MJ503 headphones themselves, warranty card and user’s guide. They cost around 18 Euros : for 10 Hz – 24 kHz and neodymium magnets – this is a great price; there is ability to find cheaper headphones, but their reproducible sounds frequencies range is narrower and they have ferrite magnets; so, these ones – are one of the best variants for high-quality sound playback.
There is also need to note, that for the close price there is ability to buy 40 mm monitor headphones, providing higher quality of basses reproduction. Adding acceptable amount of money, there is ability to buy 50 mm monitor headphones, providing even better basses playback quality and loudness. If from device compactness and small mass are needed, then there is ability to buy in-ears headphones, which do not provide the same quality of audio playback, as monitor ones do, especially in basses area, but they cost much cheaper, have small sizes, are light and comfortably place inside of ears. Which is especially important during sportive exercises and trainings; cable of such headphones often has slider and clip for prevention of tangling and clinging to clothes and surrounding objects.
Pioneer Corporation – is a Japanese manufacturer of electronics, company was founded in 1938 year in Tokyo as service center for repair of radio and speakers. Currently this is one of the largest world wide corporations – producers of electronic devices; it participated in development of many electronics novelties, among them there are : cable TV, optical disks, DVD, plasma displays, Organic LED ( OLED ) displays and other devices. There is also need to note, that in the country of the rising Sun audio technics and electronics overall usually is developed and manufactured with high components and production quality.
One of the newest mirrorless compact cameras is APS-C sensored camera Sony Alpha ILCE-6000 with built-in viewfinder and tilting display. Its sensor has 24.3 MP effective resolution, BIONZ X graphical processor, optical image stabilization ( with lens, that support it ) and Sony E bayonet for interchangeable optics are built-in. It makes photos with 6000 x 3376 pixels maximal resolution and saves them in JPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG formats; supported video recording modes are Full HD 1920 x 1080 60p/24p and HD 1280 x 720 60p/24p with saving in AVCHD 2.0 ( with MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 image encoding; and Dolby Digital AC-3 or Dolby Digital Stereo Creator stereo sound ) or MP4 ( MPEG-4 or AVC/H.264; MPEG-4 AAC-LC ) formats, wherein sound is recorded via built-in microphones. ISO sensitivity levels are in 100 – 25600 range; viewfinder resolution is 1.44 M dots, LCD screen is 921.6 K dots – it is not touch screen, camera has built-in flash.
Camera Sony Alpha ILCE-6000 ( top view )
Sony Alpha ILCE-6000 saves photos and videos on Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo, Memory Stick XC-HG Duo, SD, SDHC and SDXC ( UHS-I ) flash memory cards; and supports wireless Wi-Fi connections with NFC One-touch function for remote data transferring and control. Camera can record photos and videos with automatic and manual focusing, diaphragm and exposure settings and can be used for astronomical photos making with use of T-ring adapter. It has following connectors : USB for connection with computer and Li-ion battery charging, HDMI Micro Type D and Hot Shoe; one charge of NP-FW50 battery is enough for 360 photos ( this is a good value for compact mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses ); it has only one speaker, playing mono sound. Device sizes are 120 ( width ) x 66.9 ( height ) x 45.1 ( depth ) mm and mass is 285 g ( only camera without lens, memory card and battery ); working conditions are the same, as other similar cameras have : temperature in 0 – 40 degrees on Celsius range and relative air humidity in 10 – 80 % range.
Camera Sony Alpha ILCE-6000 ( back view )
Package contains : Sony Alpha ILCE-6000 camera itself, Micro USB cable, Li-ion battery NP-FW50, optional AC-UB10 power adapter, recharger, shoulder strap, lens mount and viewfinder caps, warranty card and user’s guide; there are also kits with included lenses. Camera is great and worth its money, one single 24.3 MP APS-C sensor worth it + there are BIONZ X graphical processor and different semi-professional functions. So, if there are enough money to buy such camera, then it is better to buy it, but if it costs too much, then there is ability to look on Micro Four Thirds cameras of Olympus and Panasonic, giving great photos and videos, if used properly, with more affordable price, wider interchangeable lenses range and usually their lower price.
Among new smartphones recently Philips Xenium V787 was announced, working on Android 5.1 platform with 5000 mAh battery and Full HD 1920 x 1080 5″ multi touch IPS screen with tough glass. In it following modules are built-in : 8-cores MediaTek MT6753 processor with 1.3 GHz frequency, Mali-T720 graphical chip, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of built-in memory with ability to extend via Micro SD slot for flash cards with 128 GB max capacity and 2 Micro SIM slots. Smartphone can work in 2G, 3G and 4G LTE networks; GLONASS, GPS and A-GPS navigation systems are built into it, as well as movement, acceleration and proximity sensors.
Smartphone Philips Xenium V787 ( back view )
Philips Xenium V787 has 2 cameras : 5 MP frontal one and 13 MP main one with LED flash; it supports wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth ( 4.0 ) connections for data transferring and communications with other devices. It has USB 2.0 port for connection with computer and built-in Li-ion battery charging and 1/8″ mini-jack connector for headset; charge of Li-ion battery is equal to 5000 mAh – this is a very good value for smartphones ( it is enough for approximately 24 hours of talking ). Device sizes are 71.5 ( width ) x 143.2 ( height ) x 9.8 ( depth ) mm and mass is 164 g, in its body plastic and metal parts are used for increased wear resistance.
Package contains : Philips Xenium V787 smartphone itself, USB cable, recharger, headset, warranty card and user’s guide. Smartphone is good : having big Full HD screen, 5000 mAh battery and powerful processor and graphical chip; from its minuses only built-in battery can be noted, which can be replaced only in service-centers or by oneself with warranty void. Now it is available for preorders for approximately 250 USD – this is a adequate price to its functions, for the same or smaller amount of money devices with similar characteristics of Microsoft, Huawei, Highscreen and other manufacturers production can be found.
Company M-Audio released new external DAC Transit Pro with support of work modes up to 384 kHz sampling rates and 32 bits per sample precision. It is able to convert digital USB signal to optical one and output analogue signal to headphones connectors with built in amplifier. On sound card frontal panel 1/4″ jack and 1/8″ mini-jack headphones outputs with their volume control knob are placed; on back panel : optical output, optional power adapter input and USB port ( for communication with computer and powering from it ) are placed.
External sound card M-Audio Transit Pro ( back view )
M-Audio Transit Pro has following characteristics : signal to noise ratio 112 dB, THD+N 0.003 %, support of headphones with 16 – 600 Ohms impedance and support of Direct Stream Digital ( DSD64 and DSD128 ) modes. Audio interface is powered via USB connection, but can receive power via power adapter input, for example, when it is connected to notebook and there is need to save its battery. For it drivers are released for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.9 and newer operating systems.
Package contains : M-Audio Transit Pro external sound card itself, USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. This audio interface’s main task is to convert digital USB signal to optical one with ability to output high-quality analogue signal via headphones ports. For its tasks it is very good; but if there is need in more functional external sound card for wider range of tasks ( high-quality analogue signals recording, MIDI ports support, high number of analogue outputs and other functions ), then it is better to buy one of Steinberg, Behringer, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio itself or other manufacturers production.
Lets review today compact on ears headphones Sven AP-010V, which cost around 5 USD. 27 mm membranes are built into them and they can reproduce sounds in 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequencies range, have 32 Ohms impedance, 105 dB sensitivity and 2 m cable with 1/8″ mini-jack connector and built-in volume control module. They are designed in black and silver colors, have light construction with adjustable headband and soft ears cups for comfortable long time wearing. Package contains : Sven AP-010V headphones themselves, warranty card and user’s guide. Headphones are good and make their job, wherein their price is very adequate to their functionality and in value/price ratio terms they are better, than many other similar devices.
