THE 100 BEST PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR
18 East
Fender Effects Pedals
Maude
Rudy’s Clay Spray
A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split
Filson C.C.F. Workwear
Maurten Gel 100
Salomon S/Lab Shift MNC Binding
Aer Work Collection
Firestone Lager
Meyer Optik Nocturnus
Sennheiser HD 820
Aesop In Two Minds
Giro Aether MIPS
Milo
Silca Sicuro Titanium Bottle Cage
Anker Soundcore Space NC
Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC
Mirror
Sonos Beam
Anova Precision Cooker Nano
Google Pixel 3
Montblanc Geosphere 1858
Sony WH-1000XM3
Apple HomePod
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical
Mr P. Footwear
Specialized S-Works Venge
Apple Watch Series 4
Harry’s Body Wash
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Sunscreen
Subaru WRX STI Type RA
Arvin Goods Econyl Boxers
Herman Miller Cosm
Nike Air Max 270
Suunto 9
Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speaker
Hims | Keeps
Nike Pegasus Turbo
Tecnica Forge
Away Aluminum Edition
Huawei MateBook X Pro
Nikka Whisky From the Barrel
Tepui Hybox
Barrell Craft Spirits Infinite Barrel Project
Hyperice Hypervolt
Nikon Z 6 and Z 7
The Bitter Truth Bogart’s Bitters
Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic
Ikea Vintage Collection
Norlan Rauk Heavy Tumbler
Toyota Corolla Hatchback
Boenicke Audio W8
Instant Pot Max
Oakley Prizm React
Trade Coffee
Boll & Branch Cotton Percale Sheet Set
iRobot Roomba i7
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date
Traeger Ranger
Cake Kalk
J.Crew Heritage Collection
Osprey Levity
Triumph Tiger 800 XCa
Cambridge Audio Edge A
Jacques Marie Mage Gonzo Collection
Outerknown S.E.A. Jeans
Tudor Black Bay 58
Canon EOS R
Jeep Wrangler
Panerai Luminor Logo Collection
Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Collection
Chris Reeve Knives Impinda
Kia Stinger GT
Patagonia Capilene Air Baselayers
Vitamix Aer Disc Container
Clark’s Botanicals Retinol Rescue Face Serum
Kiehl’s Body Fuel Deodorant
Peloton Tread
Volkswagen Atlas
Cocktail Codex
Lexus LC 500
Pivot Mach 5.5 with Live Valve
Volvo XC40
District Vision x Salomon Mountain Racer
LG C8 4K OLED TV
Pro-Ject Juke Box E
W.L. Weller CYPB
DJI Mavic 2
Lincoln Navigator
Rapha Explore Sleeping Bag and Down Jacket
Wyze Labs WyzeCam
Dyson V10
Lost Explorer Wellness Products
Ressence e-Crown Concept
Yeti Hondo Base Camp Chair
Empirical Spirits
Louis Vuitton Les Parfums Pour Homme
Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO
Yeti Tundra Haul
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Contents
Tech & Gadgets
024
Audio
046
THE STANDARDS
026 Apple Watch Series 4
048 Sony WH-1000XM3
044 Amazon Kindle
030 Canon EOS R
050 Sonos Beam
030 Wyze Labs WyzeCam
050 Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speaker
068 Klipsch Klipschorn Speakers
032 DJI Mavic 2
052 Fender Effects Pedals
034 Meyer Optik Nocturnus
054 Boenicke Audio W8
034 Huawei MateBook X Pro
060 Apple HomePod
036 Nikon Z 6 and Z 7
062 Sennheiser HD 820
040 LG C8 4K OLED TV
064 Anker Soundcore Space NC
040 Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC
064 Cambridge Audio Edge A
042 Google Pixel 3
066 Pro-Ject Juke Box E
088 Coleman Two-Burner Camp Stove 106 WaterRower Classic 128 Mazda MX-5 Miata 148 Cartier Tank 166 Schott Perfecto Jacket 182 Marvis Classic Strong Mint Toothpaste 198 Technivorm Moccamaster
Outdoors
070
Fitness
072 Oakley Prizm React
094 Giro Aether MIPS
078 Rapha Explore Sleeping Bag and Down Jacket
096 Nike Pegasus Turbo
080 Patagonia Capilene Air Baselayers 080 Salomon S/Lab Shift MNC Binding 082 Yeti Hondo Base Camp Chair 082 Tecnica Forge
092
096 Suunto 9 097 Silca Sicuro Titanium Bottle Cage 098 Specialized S-Works Venge 099 Peloton Tread 100
Mirror
104
District Vision x Salomon Mountain Racer
086 Chris Reeve Knives Impinda
104
Hyperice Hypervolt
086 Tepui Hybox
105
Maurten Gel 100
082 Osprey Levity 084 Pivot Mach 5.5 with Live Valve
16
216 Four Roses Bourbon
What Are The Standards? New to the GP100, our end-of-year product awards, The Standards honors the products and brands that set a benchmark in their respective categories. Here, you’ll find the gear our editors constantly reference and recommend, oftentimes decades after it first hit store shelves.
© 2018 GoPro, Inc. All rights reserved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Motoring
108
Watches
130
110
Lincoln Navigator
132
Tudor Black Bay 58
114
Jeep Wrangler
136
A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split
116
Volvo XC40
137
Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic
117
Subaru WRX STI Type RA
137
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical
120 Lexus LC 500
138
Ressence e-Crown Concept
120 Volkswagen Atlas
139
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date
121
139
Montblanc Geosphere 1858
122 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
140
Vacheron Constantin FiftySix Collection
126 Kia Stinger GT
143
Panerai Luminor Logo Collection
127 Triumph Tiger 800 XCa
144
Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO
Cake Kalk
Style
150
Grooming
168
152 Outerknown S.E.A. Jeans
170
Aesop In Two Minds
156 Jacques Marie Mage Gonzo Collection
172
Harry’s Body Wash
156 Aer Work Collection
172
Kiehl’s Body Fuel Deodorant
157
J.Crew Heritage Collection
173
Maude
157
Mr P. Footwear
174
Hims | Keeps
178
Clark’s Botanicals Retinol Rescue Face Serum
178
Rudy’s Clay Spray
179
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen
179
Lost Explorer Wellness Products
180
Louis Vuitton Les Parfums Pour Homme
158 18 East 159 Away Aluminum Edition 160 Nike Air Max 270 164 Filson C.C.F. Workwear 164 Arvin Goods Econyl Boxers
Home
184
Drinks
200
186 Herman Miller Cosm
202 Empirical Spirits
188 Dyson V10
206 Barrell Craft Spirits Infinite Barrel Project
188 iRobot Roomba i7 189 Anova Precision Cooker Nano 189 Boll & Branch Cotton Percale Sheet Set 190 Trade Coffee 192
Milo
196
Instant Pot Max
197
Ikea Vintage Collection
197
Traeger Ranger
18
208 Nikka Whisky From the Barrel 209 Norlan Rauk Heavy Tumbler 209 Firestone Walker Brewing Company Firestone Lager 210
Vitamix Aer Disc Container
212
The Bitter Truth Bogart’s Bitters
212
W.L. Weller CYPB
213
Cocktail Codex
214
Yeti Tundra Haul
MOUNTAIN 600 WEATHERIZED Lined with PrimaLoftÂŽ insulation for extra warmth when the days turn cold, the Mountain 600 is waterproof and ruggedly comfortable. Weatherized for life outside.
danner.com/weatherized
Products That Solve, Inspire or Serve The 100 best products of the year. It’s a bold assertion in our line of business and we’ll get to that in just a moment. But first, let’s talk about Sears. On October 14, 2018, Sears declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Though we’ll better know the company’s true fate by the time this letter rolls off the presses, it’s pretty safe to assume that Sears’s future does not bode well. I won’t use this space for a soliloquy about financial greed and mismanagement, but as a product guy, it would have been far more inspiring to see the brand and its leaders put up a proper fight. After all, Americans love a comeback story. Most of you reading this may not remember the last time you stepped foot in a Sears let alone purchased something from one of its stores, but beyond its current reputation as a withering vestige of tired malls, Sears has a mythical backstory. In 1886, a railroad station agent named Richard Warren Sears started a small mail-order business out of Minneapolis reselling watches to train workers. A year later, emboldened with the confidence of earning $5,000, he moved the company to Chicago, where he met Alvah C. Roebuck. The result? Sears, Roebuck and Company. The unforgettable jingle practically wrote itself. The company’s assertion, low prices and free shipping through the U.S. Postal Service were hallmarks long before the idea of Amazon ever existed. It also published what was very likely the first instance of mass product journalism with its now-iconic catalog. At one point, the Sears catalog swelled to a thousand pages and reached more than 30 percent of the American public. Inside, readers found tightly edited copy, enticing
20
illustrations and a grand index of all things procurable. In the words of economic historian Louis Hyman, “flipping through the catalog was like strolling through a department store in Chicago.” Imagine that for a ruralite in the days before tourism and the internet. Most people have forgotten by now, but Sears also bred a true pantheon of brands and products — Craftsman, Allstate, Kenmore, Lands’ End, Coldwell Banker, the Discover card — many of which were spun off and became more valuable companies than Sears itself. We’ll never fully understand the effect Sears had on the way the world shops, but the company’s impact on product culture is incomparable. Which brings us to Issue Eight, our sixth edition of the GP100 and our first ever in print. For those of you just joining us, the GP100 is Gear Patrol’s annual index of the 100 best products of the year. In its own way, it’s our homage to the Sears catalog, but let’s be clear: the GP100 is not a list designed for mass consumption. Our growing team of enthusiasts spends every single day thinking (really hard) about products and where they intersect with life’s pursuits. This process is an ongoing refinement of identifying gear that’s inclusive and intentional but also highly aspirational, which is just a fancy way of saying we like stuff that solves, inspires and serves. The book you have in your hands is crafted specifically for our readership, and it is the culmination of a year’s worth of vetting. For the fine-print readers out there, it’s worth sharing that the GP100 covers our core competencies: tech, audio, outdoors, fitness, motoring, watches, style, grooming, home and drinks. Also requisite is that
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Our growing team of enthusiasts spends every day thinking about products and where they intersect with life’s pursuits. the winners came to market in 2018, even if they were announced previously — though we gave a pass to products newly brought to the United States and introduced into the consumer zeitgeist. Then there are some products that simply exist as benchmarks of their segment, 10 of which we celebrate in a new, loftier echelon of product quality we’re aptly calling The Standards. Enduring products like the Coleman Two-Burner Camp Stove, WaterRower and Four Roses Bourbon. Some inductees date back as far back to the early days of Sears, Roebuck and Company, but amid a sea of new, shiny, innovative gear, they feel fresh as ever. Of course, no list is without its flaws. There will be detractors and valid arguments against our selections (Too cheap! Too expensive! But what about…), and some products need only time to prove their true value. But a year is a year and we want to get back to our families, so with that, it’s time to put our pencils down and humbly submit to you the 100 best products of 2018.
Eric Yang Founder, Editor in Chief @hashtagyang | eyang@gearpatrol.com
For us, innovation must always serve function. For example, raising our bezel by 2mm has improved the grip. Just a little. When you care about watches, just a little matters a lot.
Aquis Date
MASTHEAD
founder , editor in chief
ERIC YANG @hashtagyang cofounder , managing editor
BEN BOWERS @benbowersgp
managing editor , editorial operations
senior associate editors
staff writers
ALI CARR TROXELL @alicarrtroxell
JUSTIN FENNER @justinfenner
TANNER BOWDEN @danger_bowden
JACK SEEMER @jackseemer
TUCKER BOWE @j_tb3
assistant editor , editorial operations
J.D. DIGIOVANNI @JD_DiGiovanni editorial assistant
ANDY FRAKES @andy.frakes
associate editor
NICK CARUSO @thenickcaruso assistant editors
OREN HARTOV @ohartov AJ POWELL @allenjamespowell
BRYAN CAMPBELL @businessbryan MEG LAPPE @meglappe JOHN ZIENTEK @sieben_tagen associate staff writers
WILL PRICE @willcprice
issue contributors
ADAM HURLY @adamhurly
JOE MCKENDRY @joemckendry
ERIC ADAMS @ericadams321
PETER KOCH @iampeterkoch
JAMES STOUT @jestout
ANDREW CONNOR @andrew_m_connor
BRIAN MARK @brian__mark
CHRIS WRIGHT @wrights_writing
head of video
art director
deputy photo editor
LUKE WAHL @lukewahl
JOE TORNATZKY @jtornatzky
HENRY PHILLIPS @henrysp
associate videographer
senior designer
staff photographer
JARRY TRUONG @jarrytruong
SHERRY WANG @sxw
CHASE PELLERIN @chase_pellerin
platform manager
associate designer
associate staff photographer
ALEXANDER STEIN @alexanderstein
HUNTER D. KELLEY @type_hunter
CHANDLER BONDURANT @chandlerbondurant
vice president , advertising and partnerships
client success manager
head of gear patrol studios
ZACH MADER @z_mader
GENEVA AUDUONG @genevaa25
MONICA HARE
sales director , east coast
sales planner
deputy editor , gear patrol studios
JASON DAKOTA DAVIS @KidDakota
DOMINIQUE GAGEANT @dgag3ant
MEGAN BILLINGS @meganblings
account executives
campaign manager
content producer , gear patrol studios
MIKE BAILEY
GREG TATE @thegregtate
RYAN BROWER @owen_brow
platform producer
BRENDEN CLARKE @brenden.jpeg
ALYXANDER EFFRON @alyxeffron TIM MURRAY account manager
KEVIN O’BRIEN @_kevinobrien_
pacific northwest advertising director
SCOT BONDLOW @scotbondlow southern california partnerships manager
JUSTIN PARKHURST @justinparkhurst
content director , gear patrol store
store operations manager
JACOB SOTAK @jacobsotak
CHRIS HEALY @cl_healy
GEAR PATROL STUDIOS Where aspiration meets inspiration. Gear Patrol Studios is the creative partnership arm of Gear Patrol. We are enthusiasts of design, utility and adventure. Through creativity, content marketing, branded events and more, we connect brands with audiences passionate about product discovery. Select advertising in this magazine has been crafted by Gear Patrol Studios on behalf of brands to help tailor their message specifically for Gear Patrol readers. These sections are demarcated with GEAR PATROL STUDIOS.
chief financial officer
head of marketing
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KYLE SNARR @kyality
To learn more visit, studios.gearpatrol.com
marketing coordinator
or reach out to us: advertising@gearpatrol.com
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ISSN 2381-4241 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY
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22
Tech & Gadgets Technology doesn’t slow down for anything, and this year proved that more than most. We’ve seen big camera manufacturers like Nikon, Canon and Panasonic flood the zone with full-frame mirrorless cameras in an attempt to compete with Sony. A $20 smart home security camera proved that it could do the same job as something 10 times more expensive. And the battle between Google, Amazon and Apple for smart home domination only continued to heat up. Now, in the lull between the big fall releases and the feeding frenzy that will be early 2019 tech announcements, it is prime time to look back at the coolest, most impactful electronic gadgets of the year.
24
TECH & GADGETS
Top 10
Credits
027
Apple Watch Series 4
030
Canon EOS R
035
Wyze Labs WyzeCam
030
DJI Mavic 2
034
Meyer Optik Nocturnus
034
Huawei MateBook X Pro
036
Nikon Z 6 and Z 7
040
LG C8 4K OLED TV
040
Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC
042
Google Pixel 3
Words ERIC ADAMS TUCKER BOWE BEN BOWERS ANDREW CONNOR ANDY FRAKES
Photos CHANDLER BONDURANT CHASE PELLERIN
Illustration JOE MCKENDRY
The Standard 044
Amazon Kindle
25
EDITOR’S PICK
Apple Watch Series 4 The original Apple Watch wasn’t a finalized product; it was more like a field experiment in need of early-adopter guinea pigs. “We believe this product will redefine what people expect from its category,” Apple CEO Tim Cook proclaimed at the start of his announcement presentation back in September of 2014. “It is the next chapter in Apple’s story.” Cook’s words were both prescient and premature. No one really knew how a great wearable computer would impact our daily lives — not even Apple. But there were plenty of grand possibilities to explore. Apple kicked off the project, Chief Design Officer Jony Ive explained during the announcement, by seeking out horological experts to better understand the cultural and historical significance of timekeeping. The traditional wristwatch was the most successful wearable ever created. But why did it succeed? Ive’s team concluded that personalization and a diversity of styles played a crucial part in that success, so Apple developed six different strap types and three different case materials in two different sizes, all in multiple colors. The bevy of options was then curated into three entire “collections” tailored to suit every taste and budget, including a lavish Edition series in real gold that started at $10,000. Kevin Lynch, who led the development of the Apple Watch software, appeared next to kick off a showcase of the device’s many capabilities. Lynch began by switching and tweaking watch faces, at one point revealing a visualization of the entire solar system with a specific combination of taps. He fired off quick texts; he asked
Siri to call up local movie times and browsed a library of photos. He pulled up maps on the postage-stamp-sized screen, noting how the watch’s haptic feedback engine was “like having this invisible guide with you.” He even discussed how the device enabled “a new form of digital touch communication.” After a full 36-minute presentation, Cook materialized again to finally address the one function every other wearable at the time showcased: fitness tracking. “Apple builds great products that enrich people’s lives, and arguably we can take that to a whole new level with Apple Watch,” he said. “Being active is one of the best things you can do to improve your health. Apple Watch gives us the ability to motivate people to be more active and healthy.” The team’s message was clear: this new device could handle fitness tracking just like the rest of the pack, only Apple was dreaming bigger. Surprisingly though, for the first time in recent memory, the company’s grand vision for the future of technology would partially miss the mark. Millions would eagerly purchase the personal gadget, but not to text, tap and navigate via their wrist. They just wanted a better activity tracker and notification checker that worked seamlessly with their iPhone, and they didn’t need it hewn from gold. Apple, to its credit, caught on quickly. Just two years later, the Apple Watch Series 2 presentation started immediately with a frenzy of diverse, beautiful people engaged in various activities. “We think Apple Watch is the ultimate device for a healthy life,” Apple COO Jeff Williams declared by the end of the talk. The notions of changing how
people communicate, view photos or get directions were nowhere to be found. Health, however, was no longer just a code word for physical fitness. A new “SOS” feature added via a software update was the first sign of Apple’s shift in mentality. It allowed users to simply hold down a button to alert local emergency services, even without knowing the local version of 911. The feature could also automatically ping a preset contact, share a map of where you were and dis-
The company’s grand vision for the future of technology would partially miss the mark. play a quick rundown of pertinent medical information people should know, assuming your paired iPhone was nearby, was working, and had enough battery and a cell signal. By 2017, Cook touted that the Apple Watch had become the top-selling watch on the planet. It was officially a runaway hit that now dominated the wearables market as many had predicted. And how it could change the world was finally coming into focus. The Series 3 eliminated the need for a paired iPhone by adding a dedicated LTE connection. This upgrade allowed equipped versions to handle phone calls and texts, stream music and share notifications all on their own. The watch could also
Editor’s Pick, Explained For years, the Apple Watch has been the best smartwatch on the market. But only the Series 4 could be described as “lifesaving.” It features all the best qualities of the Series 3 — built-in GPS, LTE, a heartrate sensor — and adds some serious wellness features, such as fall detection and an FDA-cleared EKG monitor, to the mix. The Series 4 is also the first Apple Watch to feature a real hardware redesign: it’s significantly thinner than previous generations, with an edge-to-edge display that’s 30 percent larger than what you’ll find on the Series 3.
26
TECH & GADGETS
27
now alert owners when their heart rates unexpectedly spiked, a rare but potentially significant early warning sign of serious health issues. This year, with the new Series 4 launched in September, Apple’s long-term goals for the innovative wrist computer have finally crystallized. Nearly every element of the watch’s hardware was entirely re-engineered to refine the user experience. Both versions of the watches are now slightly bigger with crisper, edge-toedge screens that offer 30 percent more viewing space. Its new S4 processor is two times faster, and the speakers are 50 percent louder for clearer calls and voice interactions. The digital crown gained haptic feedback for more precise control. Even the back is now made with black ceramic and sapphire crystal, which allows radio waves to move more easily through the device for improved connection. And yet the Series 4’s most important longterm improvements are far less sexy, and hopefully rarely needed. The watch now has the capability to address one of the most common causes of serious injury across the globe: falls. Credit the watch’s new accelerometer and gyroscope, which feature twice the dynamic range,
boosting the ability to sample motion data eight times faster. So-called fall detection now means the watch can automatically display an SOS option button for calling in the event of a tumble. Should the wearer remain immobile for more than a minute, the Series 4 will automatically call emergency services and send a location to your denoted emergency contact. Significant upgrades were also made to the watch’s heart-monitoring capabilities to extend far beyond a simple pulse tracker. The watch can now identify abnormally low heart rates and screen for heart arrhythmias. The addition of electrical sensors in the back sapphire crystal and digital crown means the Series 4 can even perform an electrocardiogram: a test used as an essential data point by doctors to identify serious heart-health issues. In fact, the Apple Watch is the first ever device to offer this advanced medical feature directly to consumers. The technology is even cleared by the FDA. Four years in, the right question is being asked: Why should a product settle for just changing people’s lives, when it can help extend them? Apple Watch’s grand ambition is finally clear, at least for now. — BB
Apple’s long-term goals for the innovative wrist computer have finally crystallized.
Specs Sizes: 40mm, 44mm Battery Life: Up to 18 hours Water Resistance: 50 meters $399+
29
Canon EOS R Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera, EOS R, is packed with impressive specs, but its standout feature is an all-new RF system. Canon already released some pretty incredible RF optics, like the 50mm (f/1.2) and the 28-70mm (f/2), but by introducing EF and EF-S adapters, Canon also opened the door to its existing lenses, too. Essentially, the EOS R takes advantage of what Canon has always done best: lenses. — TB Specs Sensor: 30.3 MP full-frame CMOS AF Points: 5,655 dual-pixel AF points ISO Range: 100 - 40,000 $2,299 (body only)
Wyze Labs WyzeCam Wyze Cam security cameras are phenomenal values, with the base model clocking in at $20 (a pan version costs just $10 more). To get a comparable camera from Nest, you’d pay about $300, while one from Honeywell, the home-tech giant, would run you closer to $170. Also worth noting: the Wyze Cam app requires no subscription services or fees, making for one less thing to get between you and an eagle-eye view of your front door or garage. — AF Specs Full Resolution: 1080p Connection: Wi-Fi Storage: Local (SD) and cloud $20 - $30
30
Won’t enslave humanity. Will greet you when you come home.
The Good Robot anki.com/vector
DJI Mavic 2 Specs Sensor (Zoom): 1/2.3-inch CMOS, 12 million effective pixels Sensor (Pro): 1-inch CMOS, 20 million effective pixels Video: 4K video at up to 100 Mbps $1,249 (Zoom); $1,499 (Pro)
32
For professional photographers, outdoor adventurers or rising social media stars, there isn’t much to choose from in the drone space — GoPro discontinued its Karma drone earlier in 2018 — but DJI’s newest flagship drones are something special. That’s because the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom are small and foldable, similar to DJI’s entry-level Spark, but they also have photo- and video-shooting capabilities that are more akin to DJI’s higher-end series of Phantom drones. What really makes them unique is that they came out after DJI acquired a good portion of Hasselblad in 2017; both new Mavic 2 drones are equipped with cameras that were designed by the iconic Swedish camera maker. That’s right, Hasselblad cameras in drones. The Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic 2 Zoom are very similar. They look almost identical and share a lot of the same features. They can fly at up to 44 mph and for upward of 31 minutes. They can shoot 4K video at up to 100 Mbps. They can track subjects and avoid objects on their own. They can capture hyperlapses, too. And they’re DJI’s first drones to shoot HDR videos or photos. But there are also stark differences, and depending on the kinds of photos or videos you’re after, that’s going to determine which drone you should buy. The Mavic 2 Zoom is the more versatile of the two, as it can capture both wide and close-up shots. It’s the first foldable consumer drone with optical zoom, and it’s capable of 24-48mm optical and 2x digital zoom (that’s up to 96mm). DJI also decked it out with a neat feature called
“Dolly Zoom,” which keeps the subject in the center of the frame as the camera zooms in and the drone flies in the opposite direction. The result is a cinematic wind-swept effect that’s worthy of the big screen. That said, the Mavic 2 Pro will be the drone of choice for photographers who put image quality
That’s right, Hasselblad cameras in drones.
above everything else. It has a fixed, 28mm-equivalent lens and a huge one-inch CMOS sensor, enabling it to capture 20-megapixel stills (compared to the Zoom’s 12-megapixel stills) in wonderfully vivid color. It might not have the close-up capabilities of the Zoom, but its superior image quality affords photographers and videographers more flexibility in post-production. The higher-res image sensor also makes the Pro better for lowlight conditions and capturing a moving target. Want DSLR-level image quality in your aerial photos? Get the Pro. Want to shoot your subject up close or get those panning cinematic wide shots that look like they’re straight out of The Lord of the Rings? Get the Zoom. Either way, you’re getting an elite-level consumer drone with stateof-the-art object avoidance and subject-tracking technologies. You’ll be impressed. — TB
Meyer Optik Nocturnus Meyer Optik’s new Nocturnus is, according to the brand, the fastest 75mm lens ever, and it’s a boon to anyone photographing in low light. The delightfully old-school-looking lens is handmade in Germany. It features only manual focusing and can open all the way up to an aperture of f/0.95. What’s more, the lens features 15 stainless steel aperture blades, which lend themselves to an outstandingly smooth bokeh, or depth of field, thus giving portrait photographers a hell of a lot to play with. — AC Specs Mounts: Sony E, Leica M and Fuji X Focal Length: 75mm Aperture Range: f/0.95 - f/16 $2,999
Huawei MateBook X Pro MacBook users, take note: when it comes to performance, the 13.9-inch MateBook X Pro from Chinese powerhouse Huawei runs circles around the competition. It’s innovative, well-designed and equipped with excellent hardware. But most attractive is the price. If you’re looking for a better cost-to-power ratio than most Apple models — and perhaps you want to avoid subjecting yourself to the whims of their ecosystem — this may very well be the next laptop for you. — AF Specs Storage: 512GB SSD Weight: 2.93 pounds CPU: 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8550U $1,200
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C r e a t i n g n ew h e i g h t s The new Montblanc 1858 Geosphere. Spirit of Mountain Exploration. montblanc.com/1858
Specs Resolution: 24.5 MP (Z 6); 45.7 MP (Z 7) Autofocus Points: 273 (Z 6); 493 (Z 7) ISO Range: 100 - 51,200 (Z 6); 64 - 25,600 (Z 7) $1,197 (Z 6); $3,397 (Z 7)
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Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 Brand loyalists have it hard sometimes. You invest time, energy and resources into a manufacturer’s lineup, spending years learning its logic and benefitting from that knowledge in practice. But then you feel the pull of a competitor’s innovation. Dedicated Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes enthusiasts who crave the performance and efficiency of electric vehicles, for instance, have had to sit on the sidelines for six years waiting for their brands of choice to finally respond to Tesla’s aggressive visions of progressive mobility. And Microsoft users have had to watch as Apple’s stylish products trumped the popularity of their beloved PCs, smartphones and other products for what feels like ages. So it has been for photographers with the rise of mirrorless full-frame cameras, whose large sensors equal the size of a conventional 35mm frame. Sony initiated the revolution in earnest barely five years ago with the original A7, dispensing with the standard flip-up mirror-and-prism system used to send views to the eyepiece in favor of something undeniably more elegant and modern: an electronic viewfinder that shows precisely what the sensor itself sees. No more persistent and primitive jackhammering of a mechanical mirror that flicks out of the way every single time you take a photo. As proven and reliable as DSLRs are — and
have been for years — it was time to move on. For photographers interested in trying the newest technology, though, it’s complicated. It’s not like switching car or computer brands, where you simply order the new product and move forward, managing the learning curve after a few hiccups. You don’t just buy a camera, after all. You marry it. Photographers typically invest thousands in high-quality lenses, which you can’t simply abandon or trade in for new glass without taking a massive hit. This fall, Nikon finally delivered for its devoted user base its first mirrorless options, potentially averting widespread defections. The Z 6 and Z 7 bring the company — and its imperiled devotees — solidly into the 21st century. The Z 7 — replete with the familiar menus, command functions and critical button placements that will keep brand loyalists happy — hits all the notes that Sony’s mirrorless models do. Its digital OLED viewfinder instantly shows how an image will actually be shot and allows for close inspection of an image under even the brightest desert sun. It also features a 45.7-megapixel sensor, in-camera image stabilization, and its dynamic range allows for considerable editing after the fact. But Nikon also brings its own twists that give photographers upgrading to pro-am gear much to
consider, including fast 493-point autofocus capabilities (the Z 6 features 273 focus points) that cover over 90 percent of the frame, 4K video, nineframes-per-second shooting (the Z 6 can capture at 12 fps) and a helpful top-mounted display that gives photographers better access to exposure, battery-life and camera-settings information. The lens solutions are equally compelling. The Z 7
As proven and reliable as DSLRs are — and have been for years — it was time to move on. arrives with a new array of Z-mount lenses, including a 50mm f/1.8 S, a 24-70mm f/4 S and a 35mm f/1.8 S. In addition, Nikon announced the development of an amazing 58mm f/.95, which is both the fastest Nikon lens ever and a bokeh — i.e., depth of field — master. The lens system doesn’t yet include dedicated high-speed zoom lenses, namely the ubiquitous f/2.8 models all manufacturers carry, but those will arrive soon enough. The bottom line: Nikon is working hard and fast to en-
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sure that discriminating shooters have the glass they need to shoot world-class photos. The new lenses are required to match the more compact geometry of a mirrorless camera, meaning legacy lenses from Nikon’s vast history will require an adapter. But while adapters meant to fit competitor lenses on new systems with full electronic focus and aperture control rarely work particularly fluidly — though many have allowed Nikon users to switch to Sony’s mirrorless cameras more gradually — ones meant for those legacy lenses are usually quite good. This is the case with Nikon’s FTZ adapter, which permits easy transition to the new system, essentially upgrading the conventional glass to image-stabilized lenses via the Z 7’s in-camera 5-axis stabilization. The camera still has the shortcomings unique to mirrorless cameras in general, including a lesser degree of weatherproofing compared to more rugged DSLRs, reduced battery life thanks to
the processing demands of the electronic viewfinder and a tendency for the sensor to accumulate dust faster — particularly when swapping lenses on, say, a desert safari or while scaling a mountain peak. All are challenges every camera manufacturer in the mirrorless space should be working to solve, and presumably, they will within a generation or two. Those are reasonably manageable problems, though, and not a deterrent to most photographers. So whether you’re already bought into the Nikon ecosystem or are diving in fresh, the Z 7 ensures that you — as well as the company and the industry — are truly in the modern era. It sometimes takes a while for a company to create a product in a new category that meets its own standards, just as Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes have shown with their new and forthcoming electric rides. But Nikon has shown up more than ready for the fight. — EA
The bottom line: Nikon is working hard and fast to ensure that discriminating shooters have the glass they need to shoot worldclass photos.
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