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@@ -1,48 +1,49 @@ # Scratch -## Nemo Osmo Dagger Review +The Fujifilm X-T5 (9/10 WIRED Recommends) is the best camera I've tested this year. Fujifilm uses APS-C sensors, which are smaller than the full-frame sensors in the rest of the cameras in this guide, but with the 40-megapixel sensor in the new X-T5 you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. Images from the X-T5 are sharp, wonderfully detailed, and don't suffer too much noise. This sensor also manages to retain that uniquely Fujifilm look. -Reasonably light, very spacious, and easy to set up and take down. -Interior comfort is fantastic—there’s sufficient room side-to-side and lengthwise for two people to comfortably sleep. -Large and functional vestibules make it easy to organize and stash gear. +With the X-T5 Fuji has focused more on the stills shooter, with it's updated X-H2 being the best option for those more invested in video. The camera body's design is reminiscent of film cameras, and perhaps the best thing about it is how seldom you need to use digital controls. ISO, shutter speed, exposure compensation, and shooting modes are all accessible via physical dials. Plus, Fujifilm's excellent line of lenses is surprisingly affordable relative to some of the others on the list, making this one of the least expensive systems to invest in. My only real gripe is the grip; it's on the small side for a body of this size. -New Osmo fabric is resists sagging in wet weather, holds up well in wind. More sustainable fabric. Reasonably light. Large, spacious vestibules. Roomy interior with excellent star gazing potential. +Other options: The X-T4 remains a solid choice, especially if you want a fully articulated rear screen, which is helpful when shooting video of yourself. The X-T5 lacks a rotating screen, though there is one on the X-H2, which is also a good choice for video. +Z6 is still a great camera that you can get for a little less. Its processing power is not as speedy, and it only has one XQD slot. Alternatively, if you want more resolution, there's the Z7 II, which is very nearly identical to the Z6 II, except it has a 42-megapixel sensor. It's more expensive, at $3,000. -ility slant. -Nemo boosted interior storage with the latest model, and I had no trouble finding room for all of the essentials inside. +## Fujifilm X-T5 Review -At a campground last week I watched someone set up what looked like an old-school canvas tent, complete with a wood burning stove in it (it is winter), and I thought see, you don't really need all that expensive high tech gear, army tents still work. When I got home I looked up that tent and realized it was more expensive than most of my backpacking equipment combined. Never mind, I'll stick with the lightweight nylon. +The Fujifilm X-T5 is the best camera the company has ever made and, for the right photographer, it might be the best camera you can buy right now. -Recently I've been using Nemo's Osmo Dagger 3P tent, a three-person (sort of) freestanding, double-walled tent made of a new fabric Nemo calls Osmo. It's not cheap either, but the new Osmo fabric is a nylon polyester blend, made with 100 percent recycled nylon and polyester yarns woven in such a way that it stretches less and repels water more than nylon alone. It's also made without the use of flame-retardant chemicals or fluorinated water repellents (PFC and PFAS). Nemo is using this new fabric on its Dagger and Hornet Elite tents. +Once the flagship mirrorless in the X series cameras, that role is now filled by the X-H2, which leaves the X-T5 free to become a great stills-oriented camera aimed at photographers. It's not perfect—the autofocus could be better—but if you love manual controls, the ergonomics of classic film cameras, and the distinctive color and character of Fujifilm's X series cameras this is the camera for you. -While the new fabric is a nice extra, what I like most about the Dagger 3P is just that it's a solid, roomy, lightweight tent capable of withstanding considerable wind without so much a ripple in the tent. +### Classic Style -### Specs +The X-T5 represents a return to form for the X-T line. It's smaller and lighter than it's predecessor, and doesn't have much in the way of new video features. Instead it takes mainly stills-oriented features from the flagship X-H2—including the new 40-megapixel APS-C sensor, the fifth-generation X-Trans Processor, better autofocus, and in-body image stabilization. -Nemo makes both two and three person model of the Osmo Dagger. While I have only tested the three person version, aside from the dimensions and weight there isn't any difference between the two. In fact, given how roomy the three person is, this is one tent where I would say couples looking at the two person version don't need to size up to have enough room. +The new sensor is the highlight. This is the first APS-C sensor that matches the image quality of what's in my Sony A7RII. It's not as large or high resolution as newer full-frame cameras like the Sony A7RIV, but it's good enough that, when editing images, I never found myself thinking "I wish I'd shot that in full frame." -The three person model is 90 by 70 in for a total of 41 square feet of living space. I had no trouble getting three 25-inch sleeping mats in it and the length was enough to accommodate my five feet ten inch height with about five inches to spare. The max height at the center of the tent is 42 inches, making it rather lower profile, which helps make it aerodynamic. That squat aerodynamic aspect proved welcome during a couple of very windy nights testing in the Porcupine Mountains, where local wind sheer was well over 50 MPH. +The X-T5 shoots surprisingly good video footage as well, but lacks some high-end features, like ProRes support (available over HDMI), that you'll find on the X-H2. Likewise the flip-out variable angle rear screen so handy for shooting video is gone (again, it's been relegated to the X-H series cameras). The clear message here is if you want a high-end hybrid still and video camera, the X-H2 is the camera for you. The new X-T5 is very much geared toward still photographers, and manages to find the near-perfect balance between technical chops and that ill-defined thing photographers call "character". -Setting the tent up wasn't hard. The Dagger comes with one multi-segmented pole that's single down the main length of the tent, forking at each end with a cross pole in the middle. The four end points fit into corner jakes feet connectors. The all-in-one design does mean the poles are slightly bulkier when packing it up, but it makes setup super simple. The cross-body pole does a good job of staking out the sides to create more vertical sidewalls for increased living space. +First the technical chops. As noted the 40 megapixel sensor is wonderfully detailed and doesn't fall victim to the higher noise issues that sometimes come with more megapixels. That said, this will depend somewhat on how and what you shoot. I tend to use fast lenses in low light situations, and rarely shoot over 1600 ISO. In testing I found that once you went over that, noise became more of an issue. 3200 is still usable, but I would not go above that. -The sidewalls of the inner tent start off solid Osmo fabric for the first six inches, and then transition to white no-see-um mesh that's still see through, but less than black, which affords you a bit more privacy even with the rain fly off. The top of the tent is black mesh, which provides great ventilation and makes for excellent for stargazing on clear nights. That said, the huge amount of mesh means this tent is definitely in the three-season category. I did not have an opportunity to test it below freezing, but did spend several Autumn nights in the lower 40s Fahrenheit and was quite comfortable. +There is also the fifth generation X-Trans processor, which Fuji claims is four times faster than the X-Trans 4. This is also part of the new autofocus system which, while very good within the Fuji X-series cameras, is not that great compared to what you get with Nikon or Canon systems. If you need extremely fast, completely accurate autofocus, you're better off with Nikon, Canon, or Sony. For most people's purposes though the autofocus of the X-T5 is good enough. What troubled me more than the speed was that sometimes, especially with eye-tracking turned on, the autofocus just missed. I've seen other reviewers with similar experiences, which makes me hope that this is something Fujifilm will address in a future firmware update. -The rainfly is where the bulk of the Osmo fabric comes in and I did indeed find that it lives up to its hype. I didn't encounter any torrential rains, but as noted it held up in some high winds and moderate rains. +While autofocus still isn't the best, the new in-camera image stabilization is fantastic. Fujifilm claims the IBIS system will buy you 7 stops of hand holding, but I found it was even better than that. I have fairly steady hands, but I was able to shoot quite a few usable images at 1/4 of a second hand held. -This might sound incredibly shallow, but I also very much liked that the Dagger is a muted gray-green rather than the more neon color schemes of some other Nemo tents. +Now for the character, which I think of in two parts. First there is the distinctly Fuji output of the RAW files, and especially the in-camera JPGs, which can be customized, tweaked and tuned in ways that no other camera maker even begins to approach. When you meet rabid fans of Fujifilm cameras, this is usually the thing that hooked them. There are in fact hundreds of "recipes" around the web for tuning the in-camera JPGs to simulate various looks, from old film stock to whatever creative look you're into. I happen to like the [old film stock recipes](https://fujixweekly.com/recipes/) that Ritchie Roesch of Fuji X Weekly makes available. -The rainfly provides two equal vestibules at either door. Doth have zippers at either end for venting or getting in and out. There's also two vent flaps at the top with stays to keep them open so condensation doesn't build up in a prolonged rain storm. The vestibules were plenty big enough to store three packs and three pair of boots, and you can get what Nemo calls landing zones -- an option vestibule floor that clips into color-coded tabs on the tent and vestibule, creating a little gear hammock just off the ground. +The upgraded sensor hasn't lost the distinctive character of Fujifilm images, which to my mind is more than just the in-camera JPGs, Fujifilm lenses have a warmth and color rendition that's unique to the X Series. Everything Fujifilm fans love about color, rendering, and the character that these cameras and lenses produce remains with the new sensor. -Inside organization is a little bit limited. There are some side pockets on the walls and overhead pockets that are primarily intended to hold a headlamp and diffuse the light. Personally I just need a pocket for glasses and a headlamp, which the Dagger offers, but if you like tons of storage space, that's something to keep in mind with the Dagger. +The other half of that character is the design of the camera. The Fujifilm X-T5 looks more at home next to my old Nikon F3 than it does next to the Sony A7. I spent three weeks with the X-T5 and in that time I had two people come up to me and ask if I was shooting with a film camera. To me this captures the look and feel of this camera better than anything I could say. -The Dagger is what Nemo calls an ultralight tent, which means it's light, packs small, but also that it's a little more fragile than a heavier, more traditional nylon tent. I didn't have a footprint, but I would highly suggest one to help protect the floor. I also find that ultralight tents benefit from more careful attention to site selection, set-up, and breakdown. Spending a minute to clear sharp debris before you pitch your tent will go a long way to helping it last. +Some might argue that appearances don't matter or that Fuji cameras are for hipsters, but I think that misses the point. Form and function are intertwined, one serves the other. Film cameras were designed they way they were because it was the simplest method of making all the settings available to the user. The manual dials to control ISO, shutter speed, and (on most lenses) aperture aren't there to make the X-T5 look cool or retro, they serve a purpose: you can set all those things before you bring the viewfinder to your eye. That way the exposure is dialed in and you can focus on composing. The X-T5's manual features serve a purpose—to get the technical aspects of photography out of your way quickly so you can focus on the creative part. -### Conclusion +The only time I found the dials got in the way, was when I wanted to put the camera in full auto mode so my kids could try it. That requires turning the shutter speed dial, ISO dial, and lens aperture dial to A setting, which is cumbersome. But the X-T5 isn't priced or really aimed at entry-level photographers anyway so I don't see this as a huge issue. -I really love this tent. It's lightweight, packs small and is easy to divide between hiking partners. Setup is quick and it sleeps three with gear. The new fabric performed well and is relatively environmentally friendly. It stacks up will against the competition as well. It is longer than the popular MSR Hubba Hubba, with more vestibule space. On the other hand the Hubba Hubba has more storage options in the form of a gear loft and larger pockets. +Not everything can be controlled with dials. You'll still want to get into the menu system, which I found easy to navigate (but I am coming from Sony, which I think has the most confusing menus in a camera). There's no touch capability when browsing the menu system on the scree (as with previous models, the touch features are limited to focus and shooting). The first thing I do with any camera is turn off touch completely, but if that's something you want be aware that it's not here. You can navigate through using the D-pad, selecting options with the center button. + +Finally, it's worth noting that this camera has a new battery system, which is frankly excellent, but as part of it there is no way to put a battery grip on the X-T5. I have never felt the need for a battery grip on any camera and definitely didn't on the X-T5, but if that's something you swear by, no that you aren't getting it here. + +In the end what made me like that X-T5 so much is that it's a rather opinionated camera, but one that shares my opinions -- autofocus is nice, but not necessary, all important settings should be dials, and what really matters is that undefinable something extra you see in the results. The only place the X-T5 and I part ways is that I want all that in a rangefinder body like the X-Pro or X-E series cameras. In the mean time though, the X-T5 is mighty tempting and as good as it gets for Fujifilm photographers. -For me though, the Nemo Osmo Dagger is one of the best tents on the market right now. @@ -1430,6 +1431,53 @@ contain microfibers: http://guppyfriend.com/en/ # Reviews +## Nemo Osmo Dagger Review + +Reasonably light, very spacious, and easy to set up and take down. +Interior comfort is fantastic—there’s sufficient room side-to-side and lengthwise for two people to comfortably sleep. +Large and functional vestibules make it easy to organize and stash gear. + +New Osmo fabric is resists sagging in wet weather, holds up well in wind. More sustainable fabric. Reasonably light. Large, spacious vestibules. Roomy interior with excellent star gazing potential. + + +ility slant. +Nemo boosted interior storage with the latest model, and I had no trouble finding room for all of the essentials inside. + +At a campground last week I watched someone set up what looked like an old-school canvas tent, complete with a wood burning stove in it (it is winter), and I thought see, you don't really need all that expensive high tech gear, army tents still work. When I got home I looked up that tent and realized it was more expensive than most of my backpacking equipment combined. Never mind, I'll stick with the lightweight nylon. + +Recently I've been using Nemo's Osmo Dagger 3P tent, a three-person (sort of) freestanding, double-walled tent made of a new fabric Nemo calls Osmo. It's not cheap either, but the new Osmo fabric is a nylon polyester blend, made with 100 percent recycled nylon and polyester yarns woven in such a way that it stretches less and repels water more than nylon alone. It's also made without the use of flame-retardant chemicals or fluorinated water repellents (PFC and PFAS). Nemo is using this new fabric on its Dagger and Hornet Elite tents. + +While the new fabric is a nice extra, what I like most about the Dagger 3P is just that it's a solid, roomy, lightweight tent capable of withstanding considerable wind without so much a ripple in the tent. + +### Specs + +Nemo makes both two and three person model of the Osmo Dagger. While I have only tested the three person version, aside from the dimensions and weight there isn't any difference between the two. In fact, given how roomy the three person is, this is one tent where I would say couples looking at the two person version don't need to size up to have enough room. + +The three person model is 90 by 70 in for a total of 41 square feet of living space. I had no trouble getting three 25-inch sleeping mats in it and the length was enough to accommodate my five feet ten inch height with about five inches to spare. The max height at the center of the tent is 42 inches, making it rather lower profile, which helps make it aerodynamic. That squat aerodynamic aspect proved welcome during a couple of very windy nights testing in the Porcupine Mountains, where local wind sheer was well over 50 MPH. + +Setting the tent up wasn't hard. The Dagger comes with one multi-segmented pole that's single down the main length of the tent, forking at each end with a cross pole in the middle. The four end points fit into corner jakes feet connectors. The all-in-one design does mean the poles are slightly bulkier when packing it up, but it makes setup super simple. The cross-body pole does a good job of staking out the sides to create more vertical sidewalls for increased living space. + +The sidewalls of the inner tent start off solid Osmo fabric for the first six inches, and then transition to white no-see-um mesh that's still see through, but less than black, which affords you a bit more privacy even with the rain fly off. The top of the tent is black mesh, which provides great ventilation and makes for excellent for stargazing on clear nights. That said, the huge amount of mesh means this tent is definitely in the three-season category. I did not have an opportunity to test it below freezing, but did spend several Autumn nights in the lower 40s Fahrenheit and was quite comfortable. + +The rainfly is where the bulk of the Osmo fabric comes in and I did indeed find that it lives up to its hype. I didn't encounter any torrential rains, but as noted it held up in some high winds and moderate rains. + +This might sound incredibly shallow, but I also very much liked that the Dagger is a muted gray-green rather than the more neon color schemes of some other Nemo tents. + +The rainfly provides two equal vestibules at either door. Doth have zippers at either end for venting or getting in and out. There's also two vent flaps at the top with stays to keep them open so condensation doesn't build up in a prolonged rain storm. The vestibules were plenty big enough to store three packs and three pair of boots, and you can get what Nemo calls landing zones—an option vestibule floor that clips into color-coded tabs on the tent and vestibule, creating a little gear hammock just off the ground. + +Inside organization is a little bit limited. There are some side pockets on the walls and overhead pockets that are primarily intended to hold a headlamp and diffuse the light. Personally I just need a pocket for glasses and a headlamp, which the Dagger offers, but if you like tons of storage space, that's something to keep in mind with the Dagger. + +The Dagger is what Nemo calls an ultralight tent, which means it's light, packs small, but also that it's a little more fragile than a heavier, more traditional nylon tent. I didn't have a footprint, but I would highly suggest one to help protect the floor. I also find that ultralight tents benefit from more careful attention to site selection, set-up, and breakdown. Spending a minute to clear sharp debris before you pitch your tent will go a long way to helping it last. + +### Conclusion + +I really love this tent. It's lightweight, packs small and is easy to divide between hiking partners. Setup is quick and it sleeps three with gear. The new fabric performed well and is relatively environmentally friendly. It stacks up will against the competition as well. It is longer than the popular MSR Hubba Hubba, with more vestibule space. On the other hand the Hubba Hubba has more storage options in the form of a gear loft and larger pockets. + +For me though, the Nemo Osmo Dagger is one of the best tents on the market right now. + + + + ## Hasselblad X2D 100C Story Hasselblad's name is synonymous with medium format photography. From the iconic 500 series film cameras to 2016's X1D, which was the first digital, compact (well, relatively), medium format mirrorless camera. The original X1D's image quality was outstanding, unfortunately the rest of the camera left much to be desired. Even the second model, which sped things up considerably, was still not quite there (6/10, WIRED Review). @@ -1458,7 +1506,7 @@ Hasselblad has ditched the top dial it used on previous models for a small LCD s And finally the moment you've been waiting for, the video features in the X2D: there aren't any. I rather like that there's no video, despite my editor's protests that "it's a $13K camera system that doesn't shoot video?" Yes, yes it is. If you want a medium format camera that does video, the Fujifilm tk is what you're after. More on that camera in a minute. -While all the upgrades, the sensor, the gorgeous viewfinder, the faster processor, are all welcome—especially the processor, it would be difficult to oversell what an upgrade that is over the previous X1D, which, frankly, was just dog slow -- my two favorite features in this camera are actually quite small and might even escape your notice at first. The first is that the X2D has a built-in 1 TB SSD. It also has a CFexpress Type B card slot, which you can use as primary, or a backup, but the SSD is incredibly nice to have. It was so much easier to just connect the camera to my laptop to dump files, which was orders of magnitude faster than using a card. It left me wondering why every camera maker doesn't offer an internal drive. +While all the upgrades, the sensor, the gorgeous viewfinder, the faster processor, are all welcome—especially the processor, it would be difficult to oversell what an upgrade that is over the previous X1D, which, frankly, was just dog slow—my two favorite features in this camera are actually quite small and might even escape your notice at first. The first is that the X2D has a built-in 1 TB SSD. It also has a CFexpress Type B card slot, which you can use as primary, or a backup, but the SSD is incredibly nice to have. It was so much easier to just connect the camera to my laptop to dump files, which was orders of magnitude faster than using a card. It left me wondering why every camera maker doesn't offer an internal drive. The second small, but welcome feature I loved was how fast the X2D charges. I never removed the battery. Instead I just plugged the camera into my laptop (via the USB 3.2 Gen 2 port), transferred over my shots, and then shut the camera off and left it sitting there why I did a bit of image editing. When the camera is off the LCD panel offers a percentage view of the battery's current charge. Needing to shut the camera off is the only downside, but otherwise it was so nice to just top off the camera charge at the end of the day and to not have to worry about charging up batteries. Hasselblad rates the X2D at 420 shots per charge. I never maxed it out, but out shooting one day I took 112 shots and when I got back the battery meter read 70 percent, which is pretty close to the spec sheet. @@ -1486,7 +1534,7 @@ For the right kind of photographer though the X2D is going to be one of the best ## Garmin Forerunner 255 -The Garmin's Forerunner line of GPS-enabled fitness trackers is bewilderingly complex and the company updates Forerunner models so often even those of us who test them for a living have trouble keeping up sometimes. That's a good thing—new features are almost always a plus -- but it does make picking the right model a challenge. +The Garmin's Forerunner line of GPS-enabled fitness trackers is bewilderingly complex and the company updates Forerunner models so often even those of us who test them for a living have trouble keeping up sometimes. That's a good thing—new features are almost always a plus—but it does make picking the right model a challenge. To further complicate your decision, Garmin recently updated its Forerunner 255. The latest model brings multi-band GPS support, barometric altimeter, and much-improved sleep tracking, among several dozen other welcome additions. |