Does your smartphone look boring? Why not decorate!

Odds are that you don't have the latest nor greatest smartphone. Odds are also that your somewhat older smartphone is decent enough for your usage, but it may just start to look boring. Well, that's what I thought... You may be using a case for your phone, and then it's refreshing to take it out of its case for a while, so the device looks different. In the same way, I wanted my device to look different from how it looked over the past year. Now, I'm not a case man. The first time that I used some kind of case for my smartphone was when I used my very first smartphone: the Sony Ericsson Satio. We all know how that ended... Only once more did I use a case for my phone in my life, with the Sony Xperia S. At the time I worked at a supermarket, and my Xperia S sometimes randomly turned on and my leg was pressing things on the screen. I couldn't afford any catastrophes, so I bought a flip cover, one that opens as a book. It's the only kind of case that I was willing to try.

I'll call it the Sony Xperia Z1 Premium

I've used my Sony Xperia Z1 for almost two years now, and it's still in great condition without the use of a case. Only the back has some minor scratches. I've always liked the look of vintage cameras, too. Honestly, it's the reason why I liked the Fujifilm XF1 in the first place. Needless to say, I'm really happy with how the skin for my Xperia Z1 turned out in the image above. Although I had a bit of trouble applying it perfectly, it does make the device look much more luxurious. The best part is that the scratches on the back are now covered and I can finally start sliding my phone across tables like the average person. The skin holds up against scratches rather well, it seems.

If you're not a skin-kind-of person, there are other options that may not have crossed your mind. For instance, if you don't like the limited choice of colours you had when you first purchased your device, why not try painting? It's a more drastic modification, sure, but remember: "if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything!"

Compact cameras in 2015 - who needs one anymore?

In this modern day and age where everyone carries around a digital camera slapped to the back of a smartphone, who in their right mind would still want to buy a compact camera? With smartphone camera sensors equaling the size of compact camera sensors yet being smaller and more pocketable, one might argue what the point is of compact cameras nowadays.

The title of this article may make you think otherwise: I am indeed positive about compact cameras. Honestly, it took me a while to realize the niche. Up until now, for quality shots I had my Nikon D5100, whereas for quick and easy snaps I always carried my smartphone. Having tried to get the most out of my phone's camera however, I realized we're not quite there yet in terms of image quality. Smartphone cameras seem to be getting as good as their size allows, but some things simply need more space. Think of aperture blades and zoom lenses for example. Not just that, but a key factor in improving image quality is increasing sensor size. The larger the sensor is, the more light is able to fall on the sensor, so the better the theoretical low light performance is. As the intro of this article states, some compact cameras have sensors the same size as a smartphone camera sensor (mainly 1/2.3"). However, most competent compact cameras have sensor sizes much larger than this with the best ones reaching sizes of 1" [useful chart], the popular Sony RX100 series being perfect examples. I decided to give it a shot, trying to see how useful a compact camera can be, next to a decent smartphone camera and a Nikon D5100.

The Fujifilm XF1: My very first personal compact camera.

Notice in the image above how most of the image is dark whereas the bright lens is properly exposed. I shot this image with my smartphone (a Sony Xperia Z1), and although I'm pleasantly surprised by how this image turned out, the dynamic range of the phone leaves a lot to be desired. If I hadn't adjusted the exposure compensation for this shot, the lens would have been overexposed leaving the text on the front unreadable. I'm hoping that the larger sensor of the Fujifilm will lead to a better dynamic range, and so far it seems good. I bought the Fujifilm mostly as an impulse purchase, but I've wanted to try out compact cameras for a while. I went into town with my new camera last weekend, and here are some of my thoughts about it: