Designed to look like a normal laptop, the ConceptD 3 Ezel is a two-in-one created for illustrators, animators, designers, and photo and video editors.
Designed to look like a normal laptop, the ConceptD 3 Ezel is a two-in-one created for illustrators, animators, designers, and photo and video editors.
Image: Supplied

1. TWO-IN-ONE 

I spend my time doing a fair amount of video, photo, and audio editing which, in my opinion, is easier to do on a tablet than a laptop. Or so I thought until I saw Acer’s ConceptD range.

Designed to look like a normal laptop, the ConceptD 3 Ezel is a two-in-one created for illustrators, animators, designers, and photo and video editors. What makes it unique, and useful to someone like me, is the floating display that can be adjusted to virtually any angle, which makes editing, drawing, typing, and presenting so much easier. If you’re an artist, then you’ll be happy to know that the Full HD IPS Pantone-validated display features 100% of the sRGB colour gamut and has been calibrated to achieve a Delta E average of less than two.  It also has all the ports you’ll need and up to 18 hours battery life. Brb, just going to trade in my tablet quickly.

Acer 's ConceptD 3 Ezel, R32 999, available from shopacer.co.za

Fifine’s K690 microphone.
Fifine’s K690 microphone.
Image: Supplied

2. MIC 

Have you ever opened YouTube, seen a thumbnail of a video that looks really good, clicked “play” and then discovered that it has awful audio?

Or maybe you’ve jumped onto a Zoom call and, no matter what you do, you cannot hear what the speaker is saying? Yeah, that’s happened more times than I care to remember.

Fifine’s K690 microphone is the perfect solution to all of that.

Because it’s a USB mic, there’s no need to connect it to external power and there’s no additional software to download. Just plug it in and you’re on your way to sounding like you do voiceovers for a living. The mic has four different pickup patterns, output gain controls, a three-capsule microphone with zero-latency, a mute button, and a heavy-duty 360° adjustable desktop stand.

Fifine’s K690 microphone, R1 976, available from takealot.com or syntech.co.za

Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag.
Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag.
Image: Supplied

3. BLUETOOTH TRACKER 

Have you ever gone to an event and absent-mindedly put down the really expensive camera you brought with and then forgotten about it? No? Just me, then.

In fact, looking for things I’ve absent-mindedly put down should be on my Tinder bio as a hobby because I do it that often. That’s why I love Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag.

The small, rounded-square Bluetooth tracker can be attached to pretty much anything, from your keys to your pet — or your really expensive camera — and leverages Samsung’s Galaxy Find network to help you find your items when you’re out of Bluetooth range. SmartTags can also be used as a one-click control for a range of IoT devices and you can use it to help find your phone.

Samsung has also announced a SmartTag+ which uses ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to help exactly locate your lost or misplaced item when you’re within a certain radius and using a compatible Galaxy device.

Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag, R499, available from samsung.com

The Fujifilm X-E4 is the smallest X-mount camera on the market.
The Fujifilm X-E4 is the smallest X-mount camera on the market.
Image: Supplied

4. CAMERA

Sometimes size doesn’t matter Fujifilm makes some of my favourite cameras. Not only do they have that gorgeous retro styling but they also boast some incredible technology and colour-reproduction capabilities — as well as some of the best glass in the industry.

The new X-E4 is no exception. It’s the smallest X-mount camera on the market, weighing a mere 364g, yet somehow manages to pack a 26MP APS-C sized sensor, X-Processor 4 image processor, and 3-inch tilting screen into such a tiny body. Capable of shooting 4K video up to 30FPS and HD video up to 240FPS, the X-E4 isn’t just a great photography camera, it’s a great video camera as well.

Not only will this help up your vlogging game, but you can also connect it to your computer and use it as your primary camera for all your Zoom and Teams calls.

• Fujifilm X-E4 from R17 595, available from outdoorphoto.co.za

 From the June edition of Wanted, 2021.

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