Author: Fil

Multi-tool Review: The Three Of Those
Multi-tools, yes!
The overall history of more-in-one tools is pretty long and the idea of incorporating several tools in one small portable unit is very old, dating back at least as far as Middle Roman times. Many of these tools were based around eating. Such functional products are mainly materialized around the idea of reducements in size and weight, which was always attractive to creators of equipment for soldiers (among other groups).
Such toolpacks are made in many ranges – from general purpose outdoors models, thru specialized applications, like a pack of typical bicycle keys and wrenches. Some are multi-part, the other may be made of one single piece that is pre-formed for several functions. There really is no end to variations, each aimed at being useful to a different kind of people, requirements, and purposes. Let’s also not forget those multi-use weapons, because history has adorned our destructive abilities with the likes of those too. The most commonly known would be, say, the bayonet-fitted rifles, knuckledusters on the knife or pistol handles, the knives with incorporated firearms – or vice versa…
In 1983 Tim Leatherman sold his first “Pocket Survival Tool”, larger and more robust than a pocket-knife-based tool, which incorporated a set of needle-nosed pliers. And the ultra-popular Swiss Army pocket knife offers ever more modern tools in the contemporary folding tool. You can find models with a small light, a watch, even with an USB memory stick. And still no end to ideas, ranging all the way from practical to utterly… er, less sensible.
Also, let’s not forget the TEOTWAWKI* hysterics, Zombie fighting and evading future, or any similar impulse that drives people to think up ever more variegated items, just to fit in today’s all-selling trends. But the good thing in this avalanche of multi-tool production is the enormous choice laid out before us, so as to pick what suits us best. Automation of voluminous series of all tool production has significantly lowered the prices, which in turn, magnify the sales. So the competition is really fierce. Just open the site pages like and type multitool. The number of instantly generated answers will make you duck!
But let’s get to the three samples we have at hand.

ZANMAX GH – B08AL 9-in-1 Multitool Folding Pocket Knife
Zanmax Multi-use Knife, open
This pocket knife looks gorgeous. It fits perfectly in my (not so small) hand. Considering the size it is not overly heavy, and it has a range of foldout tools you can find useful every day.
The handle is smooth but not slippery, and you can grab it full-force without any rims or corners biting in your skin. It can be applied rigorously to any material that you need to work on. Of course, it will never replace a full-tang knife, since it is a folding model, and the tools are not lockable – the feature I’m really missing.
So take care, lest you damaged yourself!
To my sorrow, the pins that hold together the product are designed in a wrong way. These connecting elements are press-fitted, and on my sample, the hind pin end has broken off. I’ll have it replaced by a long, thin screw which can be tightened if the connection becomes wacky. On the good side, this pin only holds one rotatable tool, which is the belt-attaching carabiner. Still, it would be disastrous and possibly harmful if the front pin snapped off, because of its insufficient strength, and the tool in use was bent out of alignment.
The knife arrived with one of the two main pins broken off…
I’d strongly suggest to ZANMAX to apply the screwed-on pins – of double thickness, and with at least double-sized heads – with the otherwise same model. That would make it nigh indestructible, and also more safe to use.
• Type & Name: EDC, Multitool Folding Pocket Knife, B08AL
• Manufacture: ZANMAX GH, China
• Format: Pocket Knife, foldable, non-locking
• Tools:
• Main knife blade: Yes, stainless steel, pre-sharpened
• Small knife blade: No
• Pliers: No
• Wrench: No
• Saw: Yes, pre-sharpened
• Scissors: Yes
• Can Opener: Yes
• Bottle Opener: Yes
• Cork Remover: Yes
• Fishing Blade: No
• Flat screwdriver: Yes
• Philips screwdriver: No
• Wirecutter: No
• File: No
• Additional: Hole-widening blade,
• Belt clip: Yes, fold-out belt hook
• Material & Color: Stainless Steel, White
• Handle: Gunmetal (titanium-like)
• Connection: Rivets
• Manufacturing Quality: 6/10
• Package: Plastic wrap in cardboard box
• Price (@): $4.99
• Dependability (of my sample): 3/10

Multitool Pliers & Wrench Pocket Tool
Pliers open and ready – can be locked down when not used.
This perfectly looking tool is basically a strong, thick metal handle which ends on one side with the pliers. On the other end of the tool is a wrench. The pliers handle is sturdy, excellently formed in ergonomical sense, and has a thoughtfully textured surfaces where you need and expect them. The pliers are spring-loaded forcing the handle open, but are also lockable in the closed position, so you can use other tools without the handle getting in the way. The maximum width of the pliers jaw is about 15 milimeters, and there are also the wirecutter blades in there, nearest to the fulcrum.
Let me say right away that the working halves of the pliers are riveted together, and it is my experience that exactly the wire-cutting tool puts this rivet really to the test when you try to snap some hard wire of a more serious gauge. I’ve had the pliers of one very famous multitool manufacturer skew apart right while using the wire-cutting tool. I pressed the handles together in one hand and the rivet rim was bent outwards. I tried to repair it by beating the rivet back to its original form, but it was already damaged. So I had to replace that rivet by a screw and nut, which had to be made to measure, of course. The service has cost me about as much as the whole multi-tool!
Again, I’d strongly suggest to manufacturers of such pliers to connect the halves by over-dimensioned screwable parts, since all forces applied to the levers (handle and jaws) really multiply at the fulcrum – and the wire-cutter tends to spread the jaws sidewise!
Of course, I have not tested the endurance limits of this tool here, but then, I knew the dangers of it. I only tried to cut some softer metal, like a nail, a thin stainless steel, and somewhat thicker copper and aluminum wires, and the jaws managed those with ease.
All parts exposed…
The wrench on the other end has a variable span to a maximum of 12 milimeters. It’s not much, but still very useful for everyday small applications. The jaw size is adjustable by the usual and typical excenter, and that is about all that needs be said about it. Simple and sturdy, it works well.
On the underside of the tool the ergonomy is augmented by a plastic inset that houses three screwdriver bits: two for straight-slotted screwheads, and one Phillips cross-type. The bit bases are hexagonal, and there are two receptacles for those. One is at the tip of the pliers, the other at the side. Both receptacles have a magnet inside so the bits don’t drop out.
The multi-tool also has a black anodized stainless steel knife blade of 6 centimeters length. It can be one-handedly opened toward the wrench-end side. The tool forms a safe handle, the plastic inset side up, and can be nicely maneuvered for various cutting, whittling, peeling and other applications.
On one side there is also a belt clip, sufficiently springy and mounted in a way where it does not get in the way when you use either element of this tool.
In all, this is one excellent product, which I can heartily recommend to all of you folks that follow the DIY religion!
• Type & Name: EDC, Multitool Pliers Set
• Manufacture: China
• Format: All-in-one Multi-tool
• Tools:
• Main knife blade: Yes, one-handed opening, black, pre-sharpened
• Small knife blade: No
• Pliers: Yes (lockable)
• Wrench: Yes
• Saw: No
• Scissors: No
• Can Opener: No
• Bottle Opener: No
• Flat screwdriver: 2 (bits), 2-way fixable, held by magnet
• Philips screwdriver: 1 (bit), 2-way fixable, held by magnet
• Wirecutter: Yes
• File: No
• Additional: Screwdriver bits holder incorporated in handle
• Belt clip: Yes, fixed on the side
• Material & Color: Stainless Steel, Silver matte
• Handle: Entire tool
• Connection: Screws, Rivets
• Manufacturing Quality: 9/10
• Package: Plastic ziploc bag
• Price (@): $16.03
• Dependability (of my sample): 9/10

EDC Folding Multifunctional Tool Knife
Esthetically pleasing and quite usable!
The smallest item in this review is the nifty, black pocket knife with a lot of useful blades.
Every single part is made of stainless steel, all in elegant black, excepting the connecting pins and (finally!) screwable front and back fulcrums around which the blades rotate open or closed. These are shiny chromed and create a nice contrast on matte-black surface of the handle. Both handle sides also have three holes through the linings, and show metallic-white rims. These holes are of various size, and do not actually have any function, unless one can think of something, but the overall design is interesting in an attractive way.
The screwed-in pins make it possible to replace certain blades, though it is probably just a reassurance, since it would be easier to buy the new knife than to pass through all the hassle of servicing.
There is one single thing wrong with this knifelike tool, and it is its belt hook or carabiner. It is connected and rotated around a riveted pin on the back of the handle, and an obvious afterthought, since it rages out of the handle part just where the back of your palm needs to be pressed!
So you have a part that works against the very use of the tool.
It would be of no consequence if the carabiner was screw-fixed there; one could easily remove it from the handle, and the rest of tool pack would be very handy indeed. However, the belt hook is riveted in. It is also made of a thin, soft metal which will bend if you squeeze the handle a tad stronger. And when it bends in the way that happened to me, the carabiner still juts out of the handle, with the added difference that it couldn’t be operated any more.
Frankly, it appears as functional as a loop of barbed wire added to an axe handle, so you can hang it in the shed! A simple ring where one could tie a piece of string would be more than sufficient – the way the Swiss Army Pocket knife has. Maybe the person who designed the thing just does not use multi-tools. I’m sure it looked useful in blueprint – but I’m sorry to herewith inform the designer that I’ll do my best to remove the carabiner-hook and try to forget it was ever there. It will not be so easy since it is riveted inbetween the liners, but I’ll manage.
Aside from this one grumble, the multi-bladed little knife is very nice, and if you don’t plan on using the tools too heavily, you might even leave the hook where it is!
• Type & Name: EDC, Multitool Pocket Knife
• Manufacture: China
• Format: Pocket Knife, foldable, non-locking
• Tools:
• Main knife blade: Yes, pre-sharpened
• Small knife blade: No
• Pliers: No
• Wrench: No
• Saw: Yes
• Scissors: Yes
• Can Opener: Yes
• Bottle Opener: Yes
• Cork Remover: Yes
• Fishing Blade: Yes (scale & hook remover)
• Flat Screwdriver: Yes
• Philips screwdriver: Yes
• Wirecutter: No
• File: Nail file
• Additional: Hole-widening blade, net repair blade
• Belt clip: Yes, fold-out belt hook
• Material & Color: Stainless Steel, Black
• Handle: Metal, Black
• Connection: Screws, Rivets
• Manufacturing Quality: 8/10
• Package: Plastic wrap in cardboard box
• Price (@): $9.49
• Dependability (of my sample): 9/10

Summary
We are all aware of the popular saying Less is More, right? Well, this has high logical value for photography, hinting at the quality directly related to the simplicity of the thing. It also holds true for the purpose-made, simple and rough tools in comparison to multi-tools, where simplicity means relatively low range of variations in use, but also less parts to break.
However, this is not always a rule to follow when it concerns the costs. Prices are dependant upon the number of quality parts connected in high-precision ways. The overall expenditure may depend upon the materials, the production complexity, and the purposes. The prices may also be different according to the group of users the product is aimed at. Too many factors to consider here, but you get my drift.
The affordable items shown in this review are meant to put your attention to all the elements that are involved in both – the production and your planned acquisition, but all this is just a drop in the ocean, really. I can thus only advise you to think well before investing, and then to choose carefully among the models that you can use for your work. Needless to say, offers an overwhelming choice in this matter.

* TEOTWAWKI is quite a mouthful of an acronym, meaning The End Of The World As We Know It.

March 5, 2026
The Paralenz Dive Camera: An In-Depth Review
Most reviews usually start with the arrival of the package, proceed with unpacking that reveals the contents, and then go on into progressively finer detail.
So let me say right up front that the Paralenz Dive Camera arrives in style. The cardboard box may be just purposeful and instantly forgettable but at least it is, well, post-resistant and transport-proof.
The outer package is usually nondescript, but inside that rough shielding you’ll find a more elegant box, colorfully printed in underwater motives and tasteful lettering. It was worth some minutes of perusing before going in deeper, to see and handle all that the outer wrapping announces.
The Paralenz Dive Camera comes in one practical and elegant package.
The Holdall
Cool enough, the final package to open is one elegant charcoal-colored holdall with a blue zipper running around its three sides. Zip it open, and there’s the camera sunken in its form-fitting lair in the bottom half.
Above it, there’s a dedicated cradle for the USB cable. Yet another indentation contains a tiny jar of lubricant for the camera o-ring sealings. Hmm… Maybe the available holdall space could include one more sunken area for spare SD cards? There’s room enough. Just sayin’…
The Paralenz Dive Camera: All you need (except the optional 3rd Person Viewer stick).
Inside the lid you’ll see an elastic netting pocket with some smaller necessities. These include a Ziploc bag with spare o-rings, a simple wrist strap, and a leaflet that points you to the proper choice of a memory card (not included). There’s also a length of elastic cord with a carabiner and a pair of interlocking magnets (described below). Here, you’ll also find the User’s Manual and several stickers that you might want to proudly display and “spread the word”.
With USB-C you finally don’t have to worry about which way to plug in the contact.
With the cam you also receive two more accessories; one to attach the camera to the mask strap, and the other to adapt the cam’s unique attaching system to the usual GoPro-type swiveling links. Since the tests should reflect the actual variations in the DiveCamera usage, I also got what some people would see as a “selfie stick.” However, it isn’t quite meant to be used that way.
With the stick one also uses two special flotation bodies that attach to the camera – so these were also in the blister pack with the stick. More about many among those optional items later.
The Paralenz Dive Camera: small and pretty.
Slightly off-topic, but before I forget: hey Paralenz! The product’s logo design is very good, that octopus tentacle tip is easily recognized from a distance. These stickers really, er, stick out nicely. It would be great if you could also add some front-adhesive sticker version, as the kids are sure to try and peel off the outer surface stickers. So, a sticker on the inside of the car window would make it live longer.
The Paralenz Dive Camera
While still appreciating the elegant, lightweight but tough carryall box, I naturally grabbed the central piece to inspect this highly interesting, although not-quite-cheap product at a closer distance.
Since I’ve been making the Paralenz DiveCamera preview solely from the photos and as much data as was available, I am quite proud to have been able to pre-guess so much about it at the time. Having the camera in my hands though, supplied a lot of missing information and in short, my enthusiasm grew with every detail.
I have rarely seen such a precisely manufactured product before. Aside from the obvious design features – like the form factor, sturdiness, good choice of materials, along with the best sealing and command principles – I had to admire the way this camera was finished and put together. It reminds me a lot of the Nikonos Model III and Model V, which were the top-class underwater cameras in the days of film photography. I still occasionally grumble about unwillingness of Nikon to give to the diving community a full-frame digital version based on those proven encasements and optics. I’m sure many older divers will know what I mean.
You know, this little camera here exudes the same feeling – and at a first glance. There is no detail sloppily left unfinished, and all parts show manufacturing exactness comparable to, say, an expensive, tough timepiece. Its components fit together in that unique way of precisely made handguns where the whole mechanism will work only when properly assembled – and you can’t put the parts together in two ways.
UPDATE (July 16th, 2018): I just received more good news from Paralenz. The changes in subsequent Dive Camera manufacturing introduced some new materials, like aerospace-grade aluminum and scratch-proof glass. The screws are now made of Titanium, and the selector ring system has been improved. In all, the new camera version is now considered safe for working depths down to -250 meters (820′) or in other words, it can now withstand 26 Bar pressure (about double the pressure than in an airplane tire).
So no wonder it’s been named Paralenz Dive Camera + …
Specifications
[go_pricing id=”paralenz”]
Concept & Manufacture
If you think I’m just shoveling accolades here, let me say that I have spent 50+ years handling many kinds of underwater equipment including various photo and video gear, in addition to the usual dive-related mechanisms. So it is pretty hard to impress me with something among that line of products. But this small camera does impress me, and especially so when compared to better known — and by now ubiquitous — Action Cameras. This also includes those that list certain higher values within their specifications and prices.
What can be taken apart and maintained by the user.
The Paralenz Dive Camera is different by its absence of image monitor, which might be regarded as a minus. This is a sensible compromise. By giving up a commodity in order to gain toughness, the camera retained its clean tubular form which makes it resistive to high pressures. The principle here is to reduce the surface exposed to pressure while keeping the volume. After the ball shape, the next best form is a cylinder. Curved convex surfaces better resist the pressure, while the flat surfaces will always tend to cave inwards.
So the only flat surfaces on this camera are at the front and back glass ports. Were there an image monitor of any usable size the part of the cam’s design, that would be its weak spot, resulting in a lot lesser depth pressure rating.
As the Paralenz DiveCamera’s working depth is safely rated at 200 meters (seawater), which translates as 21 kilograms per square centimeter of its surface, calculate for yourself what a humble monitor port of, say, 5 by 7 centimeters would have to withstand. Sure, there are ways to solve this… but not in this price range!
The Paralenz DiveCamera body consists of a cylindrical profile and two end caps made of aviation-grade aluminum. Its cylinder segment has eight longitudinal T-shaped ribs which augment the profile rigidity and strength, and serve as locking edges for accessory attaching. Although everything is polished smooth, these ribs offer good body grip, and also effectively enlarge the camera’s cooling surface.
End cap removed – and the most visited parts exposed.
Both end caps have solidly sealed glass ports secured by metal rings over the gaskets. The camera’s front port is sealed by its own o-rings over the lens assembly. The whole is fixed by a large screwed-on ring. This simplifies the maintenance and eventual replacement.
By the way, you can find out here in more detail about sealing and maintenance.
The end port cap screws over the rear of the camera casing via an extra-tough steep thread profile, to allow for multiple trouble-free openings and closings without any significant wear. This high-helix thread is made to begin and finish in one point only, thus featuring a positive stop at the end of its travel, and so no further tightening is neither possible nor needed. The rear glass port enables visual control of a small monitor, a memory card slot, and a USB C-type cable contact. Rear cap rim also has a protrusion with a hole where the wrist loop (or some other means of camera-securing) is attaching.
Camera Commands
This is an elegant solution that enables simple, positive and user-friendly settings of all the options that the DiveCamera offers, and there are plenty of those. It is my humble and firm opinion that all electronic underwater equipment should make use of a similar solution.
All options are easily accessible and are selected by magnetic activation.
This blue anodized octagonal aluminum ring is placed at about the back 3rd of the camera body, and there are six symbols currently etched on its surface, hinting at the possibility that two more setup positions could still be added (like some more user-customizable settings).
The ring rotates around the camera axis in eight distinctive clicks. Each time one of the symbols click-aligns with the camera logo, a small magnet within the ring activates one of the internal switches. This opens one or more (sets of) camera functions. No sealed pins pass through the camera case; all camera commands are magnet-operated. Neat, huh?
Blue ring is kept in place by four small screws that retain it in its rotating groove and is additionally shielded by the rear end cap. In the recent camera version there are no screws, however, the ring is still easily removable if one has to clean some sand grains or dirt from that area.
There is one more magnetic switch, actually a trigger used to operate the camera functions. This one is wedge-shaped and situated in the topside groove between two T-shaped rails or ribs; right behind the lens port. It is activated by sliding it back about 5 millimeters, whereupon a magnet activates whatever cam function has been chosen. You pull back the switch, release it, and the spring returns it to its front position. That’s all?
Not really. This switch operates in several ways:
- The first way is pulling back the switch and holding it through four seconds.
  In combination with command ring’s “Power” position, this switches the camera On or Off.
- The second way is pulling back the switch and letting it snap home.
  Depending upon the mode the selector ring is in, this moves one line of setting forward, snaps off a photo, starts / stops a video recording, or adds a “tag” to the running video record.
- The third way is to activate one among the options in the settings.
  Pull back and hold for one second to select the chosen option “active”.
- Finally, you can record an impromptu video while shooting photos in the “Photo” mode. Instead of pulling the switch and letting it snap back (taking a photo), you pull the switch and hold it. This records a video footage for as long as you are holding back the switch.
A small screen confirms your choices. Here are just a few of those.
Seems complicated? That’s only because you’re not (yet) holding the cam in your hands. The fact is, this system is so easy to etch into your mind that you’ll be totally familiar with it after only several usages. You probably won’t even have to consult the Manual any longer.
One more thing important to mention is the DiveCamera’s haptic response to any switch actuation. It issues a confirming vibration that you can feel through the gloves and certainly should hear well while underwater. These vibes differ; some actions return a single buzz, some other action will respond beep-beep, and so on. Thus, with no monitor and not looking at the data screen, you always know what the cam does at the moment.
3rd Person Viewer
What I mentioned above as a “selfie stick” is only visually and partly functionally appearing like one of those. The Paralenz stick is something else. Made with carbon tubes, it starts from 35 centimeters when closed, and extends to 180 centimeters in eight telescoping segments. Much like your everyday fishing pole, that.
Partially extended, just to show the pole components.
However, it is primarily meant to make the camera follow and oversee your dive, by being pulled behind and above you. For that, you also receive two buoyant bodies or “bobbers” along with the 3PV. The bobbers click solidly to the T-rails at the camera sides by means of clip-on locks unique to Paralenz cameras, and so keep the camera afloat. Fix the extended stick tip to the camera, the other end of the stick to the diver’s back. The camera looks from above at whatever the diver does.
You get two of these with the 3rd Person Viewer; the floating bodies that ensure camera buoyancy.
To facilitate this and more, you also get some more practical bits and pieces. There is a large carabiner clip, a length of elastic string/rope, and a pair of very strong magnets on keyrings. Combine these to keep any of your camera gear pieces secured to you and/or your diving tackle, and you’ll still be able to free yourself from any entanglement. Imagination is your only friend and limit here, but Paralenz makes sure you have what’s useful during your dive.
A carabiner and a pair of strong magnets used to safely dive with the cam and a 3PViewer system.
Paralenz, yet another idea here, purely from the practical aspect. The buoyancy bodies have their proper place in the original 3PV blister package. Throw away the package and you have three separate pieces to worry about, with all the diving paraphernalia one has to tote. Two simple things could make it all more portable.
Create a new 3PV handle by shaping it with two to four T-rails at its sides, so as to be able to snap the buoyancy floats there when not used on the camera.
Then, if you add two Velcro fastening loops to the spine of the holdall (sewn on, or by two stainless rivets), it combines all the accessories into a single package. The Velcro-fastened 3PViewer could then also serve as a carrying handle. This could make the whole a lot less cumbersome to carry.
Unique Paralenz Dive Camera mounting and attaching element – up close.
Paralenz Connectors
As already mentioned, Paralenz DiveCamera uses unique connecting pieces to be attached in various ways. The T-profiled longitudinal “ribs” or rails are the locking point on the camera side, while the attaching lock consists of a groove-wide plastic block flanked by two sets of “teeth” that grab onto the T-rails.
To attach the camera to such a connecting piece, press the connector’s central block between two T-rails until the teeth are properly locked. To disengage, pull the releasing levers of the connector lock away from the camera body. The two releasing levers have slits which allow you to additionally secure the coupling with, say, a length of Velcro. Well, when it concerns underwater I am the “belt plus suspenders” type of person myself; however, the connectors do lock quite positively and for most purposes, the add-on strap seems superfluous. Still, as the Germans say, “doppelt gemoppelt hält besser”, so – you decide!
Paralenz mount – easily adaptable to many other kinds of accessories.
There’s one such connector at the tip of the 3rd Point Viewer device. Each flotation body has two connectors, set apart so as to lock at the ends of their respective T-rail grooves to distribute the camera weight for optimal floating position.
There is one connector at the Paralenz-to-GoPro-type swivel adapter, and one at the mask strap attachment piece. The new mask mount has a rotatable arrangement that lets you change its inclination. Both of said adapters are included with the camera. As if it weren’t enough, there are more (optional) attaching systems. The Ball Mount Kit allows you to mount and point the DiveCamera in whichever way you imagine. Then there is a Speargun Mount Kit… best look them all up here to round up the information.
Dive App – Paralenz
What the DiveCamera lacks in image viewing monitor, it gets via its unique App and way more than that. The App is available as usual, for iOS and for Android smartphones, but also for Windows. The cam uses either Bluetooth or WiFi to facilitate the wireless photo and video transfer to the smartphone storage. Once transferred, you can perform all the usual stuff, from editing to sharing of your adventures. Firmware updates and cam controls? Yours to command, too.
The DiveApp is universally available and shown here with Windows (Test Dive screens by Paralenz).
But the Paralenz App does a lot more. Whatever kind of data the camera gathers can subsequently be interpreted and combined with the visual records.
Time, temperature and depth data are aligned to display in the form of a diving profile and all accompanying stats. While the data do not replace your diving tables or computer, it is still more than you need for your usual dive-logging. Even better, you can use the data overlay with the video to present your visit to the WaterWorld in a uniquely interesting way, especially if your records are documentary.
I won’t go into all the possible combinations here. This review is meant to give you just a taste of the Dive Camera, and not to transcribe the Paralenz website or their Manual. If you feel hooked to this nice tech piece, just visit the links provided and feed your curiosity!
Imaging
Paralenz DiveCamera’s visual output is very good, comparable to many equally priced or more expensive devices. Its 140° FOV lens is distortion-corrected, and gathers lots of light in the ambient where light is sparse and frequently changing. The cam is capable of producing 8MP stills and 4K @ 30fps video records in very low-level lighting, and better when the artificial light source is brought along. Lower the resolution and you can record at greater speeds, as shown in the camera Specs. The time-lapse function is also available.
The camera sensor copes well with cloudy sky above, and low light level under the surface.
But where its concept really shines is in doing away with physical filters of the kind the other cameras need to either be slotted to the front of their lenses, or solve through pre-programmed “underwater mode” (by shifting the White Balance) aiming at returning the water-filtered light frequencies – in itself, a kind of “mission impossible”. You can’t return what isn’t there anymore, right? So how does the Paralenz camera do it?
It uses the depth/pressure metering to determine the thickness of the water layer. This, in turn, adds the light frequencies that get filtered out from the full Daylight spectrum. Thus the water depth tells the camera how to go about its WB shifting. As this gets done dynamically, the camera user doesn’t have to do anything, bar picking up among the available options prior to submerging, or within the first meter of depth. After that, the subroutine named DCC (which is Dynamic or Depth-controlled Color-correction) takes over.
Cloudy weather and troubled water always suggests “get closer”. The DiveCamera responds nicely.
There are basically three options to choose from. The DCC lets you prepare the cam for either Blue or Green water, in accordance with your aquatorial ambient and preference. And you can also use Normal WB function which locks the color shifting and records the normal Daylight-based colors. You can also use this with artificial lighting. Simply tweak the settings to your light source’s color temperature accordingly (in °K). You can alternate between DCC and Normal white balance at any time – just triple-trigger the activation switch.
Some test video footage
The Paralenz DiveCamera was primarily made to be used underwater, but it works just as well above. Its metal casing and T-rail “cooler” surface will dissipate the generated heat well, however, I’d suggest you avoid overly longish footage. In warm weather and above the surface, it is only sensible to create sufficient pauses so the cam can cool off a bit – and that should be normal use for all water-tight photo and video cameras. It may prolong your camera life.
Summary
Simply and to-the-point, this is an excellent product all the way from its concept thru its design and perfectly executed manufacture. Its form factor is next best to the ball form, which makes it very sturdy and pressure-resistant to the working depths that the modern diving tech has made available, and surely way over the recreational diving depths. This camera also appears to be very well usable for the largest percentage of professional dives.
The vast majority of even industrial diving depths occurs within its rated pressure resistive abilities, so as an affordable recording device for a variety of application it surely surpasses many other higher-priced cams.
Whether you SCUBA dive, snorkel, or simply enjoy diving in apnea, this cam can be your addictively regular and reliable recording device. Since I think all underwater imaging serves the noble purpose of bringing to the surface the fascinating beauties, but also the alarming information of what humans do to this World’s bloodstream, it is only logical to use the best there is, whenever you can.
As an “old whale” (walrus?), I still fondly remember those never repeated Nikonos analog cameras, especially the models III and V. Such photographic tech marvels were made after the idea of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and made more than just good. On several occasions, I’ve used said models down to -90 meters, although they had ratings for only half that depth/pressure. Both cameras simply shrugged away that fact and performed flawlessly.
Now, after too many years to mention, there is a camera that reminds me very much of those old technological pearls. So that’s the most sincere opinion I can think of in describing the Paralenz DiveCamera. And it’s digital, with all the undisputable advantages this has in our times.
Paralenz, I’d like to add a suggestion here: I wish there was some horizon indicator on the camera since its form makes it difficult to hold in a precisely horizontal position. The simplest way would be to add a small spirit bubble level to the upper half of the cam’s end cap port. You could perhaps have such a device even built into the glass itself. It would cover the view of the microSD card and USB contact point, but it is not important underwater. The monitor would still remain visible, and it would also sufficiently backlight the bubble level, so the diver could check the camera inclination at all times; even in the dark! This I see as an useful add-on, as it is rather complicated to post-correct an unevenly tilted video footage.
Good:
• Idea, concept & design
• Innovative solutions
• Range of accessories
• Materials used
• Manufacturing quality
• Software & firmware solutions
• Easy learning curve
• The dedicated App
• Well made User Manual
• High-class packaging
Not So Good:
• Non-removable battery
• Relatively high price (still, it’s highly specialized tech)
• Currently without its own lighting system(s)
In Conclusion
The Paralenz Dive Camera’s an excellent product, though maybe somewhat niche for the population majority.
This camera was made by divers and for divers. While many outdoors folks will be happy with (ever) more affordable water-going cameras, the trend of high-quality miniature photographing devices is already noticeably on, replacing many among the cheap series of half-thought-through products that even many among the well-known names in photo industry were guilty of.
In my honest opinion, it’ll be hard to find a dive camera better than this one for a long time, and for the price. I predict that many among us who are lifelong water addicts will want one!

UNRELATED but URGENT & IMPORTANT:
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2018/huish-outdoors-recalls-scuba-diving-regulators-due-to-drowning-hazard
Spread the word; you just might save a life! Thank you.
February 25, 2026
ChuWi 12.3 Lapbook Review
ChuWi 12.3 size, compared to some usual things…
Let’s look at the numbers first – so as to accommodate those folks which maybe don’t feel quite enthusiastic about reading the whole lot:

Name: Chuwi Lapbook 12.3
Processor: Intel Celeron N3450
Memory: 6144MB, DDR3 + slot for optional SSD drive (M.2 SATA, 2242)
Display: 12.3”, 3:2 ratio, 2736 x 1824 px, 267 PPI, anti-glare (matte)
Graphics Adapter: Intel HD Graphics 500
Storage: 64 GB eMMC Flash, (Windows 10 pre-installed + 38 GB free)
Sound: Realtek ALC269, Stereo speakers, headphone connector
Connectivity: 1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, 1 HDMI, Audio (3.5mm), microSD slot
Networking: Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 (a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.2
Size (W x L x H): 299 x 222mm x 17.5 (11.77” x 8.74” x 0.69”)
Battery: 36.5Wh Li-po
Approx life: good for 5-7 hours, depending on work
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Webcam: 0.3 MP
Power Adapter: 100 – 240 VAC, 50-60Hz, output 12 VDC, 2A
Weight: 1.4 kg (3.09 pounds), Power adapter: 182 g (0.4 pounds)

Tech part thus delivered, let me continue in “Computers for Dummies” style. There’s always more to personal things than mere numbers…
Right out of the box, this is one pretty little machine. The package is a solid cardboard box, quite adequate but nothing to write home about. It contains the lapbook, power adapter, User’s Manual and paperwork. So even during the computer unpacking, its box will be noted as good – and forgotten.
ChuWi’s excellent non-reflective monitor
First Impression
ChuWi lapbook hints at something between a laptop and notebook, and the initial impression fits. If you’re used to larger, 14 – 17” screens, your first reaction might probably be like mine: “… and how on Earth am I supposed to work on that…”, but the feeling will quickly change.
It is a pretty little device, even if you’re not fond of silvery surfaces. The body is aluminum; does not suffer when you lift it by the corner, opened. The metal case helps in keeping its optimal operating temperature without any forced air cooling at all; it dissipates heat by transferring it to its metal surface. An absence of a blower makes it totally silent. It also better retains its effective battery charge.
Not less importantly, the case is completely closed and no dust is invited in, too. On the sides, there are several contacts and a Kingston lock point, and on the bottom side, there is only a tight cover over the (optional) SSD drive space and two perforated areas behind which the stereo speakers are placed. Funnywise, the speakers are directed downwards, which is not the best solution. I presume the layout of internal elements actually forced that decision.
Monitor
Lifting the lid (to a maximum of 145°) reveals the screen with its efficacious anti-glare surface. I’m typing this in the tree shade on the terrace, there are some sunny spots on the monitor and also wide white stucco surfaces behind me, but there are no reflections to influence the screen contrast. Thus, a big plus for that detail. This is one very well made monitor.
The image on the screen is razor-sharp and delivers plenty of detail in pleasing, maybe somewhat intensive colors. This can be regulated, as per taste and wish.
Keyboard
The keyboard I have found adequate, as it proved to be surprisingly comfortable even to my fingers, and my hands are anything but small. Black keys with white markings (while still clean!) are each in its place punched through the surface, and are well spaced too. The keyboard is not backlighted, so not meant for low light use. The height of the keys is 1.5 millimeters above the keyboard grid, and sink about that much when punched. There is no click, but the tactile information while typing is still good, reminding me of keyboards of twenty or more years ago.
Reads promising so far? That was my first impression too! But let’s never forget the thorns while sniffing roses.
Too many critical function keys placed too closely together!
The lapbook’s On/Off key is placed in the top right corner. Of course, since Murphy’s law is only sheer reality, touch it even slightly and the screen goes black. On my former machine, this spot was reserved for Delete key, the keyboard was also larger… so when I started to type here, my “finger memory” still wanted to distribute keypunches over the remembered distances. It took me five or so inadvertent switch-offs until I finally entered the Setup functions and rendered it dead. Now the key is used to switch the lapbook On, and I switch it Off either via the normal Shutdown procedure, or by closing the lid down.
That solved the problem rather elegantly, even more so since Windows is also known to be capricious when coming out of hibernation – so it removed one more frustration. The closing down of the lid now activates straight Shutdown; no Hibernate and no Sleep to pick among. Besides, there is a Sleep key (Fn+Esc, top left corner) if I ever need that.
But wait… to the left of the On/Off key, there is the NumLk! So when I noticed that my text suddenly becomes enriched with numbers smack mid letters, I realized that I have to watch yet another key. And since the Delete key is immediately over the Enter… yes. One more to watch! Thus, there’s no other way than keeping up the concentration until your fingers get used to their new playfield.
Touchpad
And then I have to tell you about the touchpad. As you can see in the photo, it lacks the distinctive left and right-click buttons at its lower end. That’s because these are still where you’d expect’em to be, only under the touch surface. Simply press down on these spots to click, though the sound is more like an overloud “clack”…
The touchpad surface is quite sensitive, and multiple-finger gestures are accepted. But – and this is my biggest but of all – there is this sweep down from the top which makes me boiling mad, as it resizes the fullscreen to… something smaller. Do what you wish, the finger will creep up to the top rim of the touchpad and willy-nilly, you’ll have to go resize the window you were into its previous size. When it happens ten times, it’s kind of written off to finger memory or inexperience… but by the fiftieth time, your comments will become distinctly NSFW – also NSFH.
So I thought, OK, let me see if I can download another driver, like Symantec’s one with all the usual gestures normally used for drawing and/or photo-editing. And then you realize you can’t do it at all, because this touchpad is treated by Microsoft as a mouse, and not like a separate device. So you’re stuck with what you have! But…
I’ve been through lots of fora and other reviews ~~looking~~ hoping whether anyone, anywhere managed to find some solution to this rather frustrating thing. People even tried to cover the top rim of the touchpad with some kind of a barrier… but it just reduces the active surface. So far, I haven’t found the cure; not the complete one, that is.
NOTE: Here is the workaround that at least disables the swipe-down gesture from changing the window size!
ChuWi, please… do separate the touchpad from the mouse, or this will be (and not only to me), the worst possible touchpad of all that I ever had to try and use!

SSD Drive space – open (with the drive inserted), and covered.
Storage
As I said, the lapbook arrives with a version of Windows 10 that you should best update to the latest version, and right away. Be warned that it takes a considerable download and installing time since we all know that Windows secret name is Please Wait (that is supposed to be a joke, MS, please don’t nuke me!). The built-in eMMC storage leaves you about 38GB free space alongside Windows, and after I have installed the text, photo, and video programs that I need, the free space dropped to 11GB. It simply isn’t enough for the kind of data I work with.
That takes us to the add-on SSD storage drive slot on the lapbook underside. It gives you an option to create more storage by slipping in a small SSD M.2 SATA 2242-sized card. ChuWi lapbook has one covered connecting point for just that on the otherwise smooth and featureless metal surface.
And when my card arrived, I simply flipped off the cover and slotted the card in. It is a Transcend MTS400S SATA III, 6Gb/s M.2 2242 (MLC NAND Flash, B+M module), said to operate up to 450MB/s. The SSD, by the way, comes with a 3-year Warranty, so you can look it up if you wish.
Using the machine Setup, creating a D: disk was straightforward, and I was able to immediately transfer all data from the eMMC (C:) to my new storage space.
Open, and right-side contacts
Summary
I’m happy with the ChuWi, bar those several grumbles uttered above. Some sensitive key positions, the unfortunate touchpad field layout due to the way it was connected is/was so far my only beef. However, considering the machine price, together with Windows 10 Home software and 1-year Warranty… Well, even when you include the added SSD drive, you can think of it as something that competes with many more expensive devices.
From its practical and simple concept to the elegantly designed lines and very precisely fitted parts, to its very acceptable battery capacity and quite a good sound, the ChuWi 12.3 is well worth the price. There are several other ChuWi models with larger monitors and different specs, for everyone to choose among. Based upon this single experience, I feel I can suggest you look closely at this one, also to look up the contemporary range of ChuWi laptops and accessories.
I am fond of simple and highly usable things that do not cost an arm and a leg. Things that can stand rough usage and variety of applications. Things that work well outdoors. Things worth taking along on my trips or trails. And even after I’ve used this lapbook for less than a month before writing this review, I sincerely think it will fit my needs and expectations.
Closed, and left side contacts.
Good:
- Price is good
- Concept & design is good
- Good manufacture & material
- Simple and lightweight
- No moving parts
- No forced cooling
Not So Good:
- The touchpad is utterly wrong and unchangeable
- On/Off, NumLk & Delete key are placed… dangerously
- Loudspeakers are directed downwards, instead of up
- Non-removable battery, I don’t like those anywhere
In short, I can recommend this buy.
February 23, 2026
The FURA Multi-Purpose Blade
The curious and multi-purpose, kiridashi-type tool
It’s not that I don’t have enough knives at home, including some perfectly and specifically used in my diving forays, but frankly, I simply had to have the one I’m presenting today.
It is offered as a single piece multi purpose blade, more precisely as an Outdoor Survival Scaling Knife with either flat or a serrated blade, and it can be found at for mere $6.65 . For that money it will even arrive to your address by Free International Shipping, to boot!
This is a small review since there are only three pieces to see, so let it be short’n’sweet.
Sheated blade, with paracord-wrapped handle
Here are some general data to support the images which usually tell quite a lot:
Material: Stainless Steel
Product weight: 0.067 kg,
Package weight: 0.110 kg
Product size: (L x H x W): 18.80 x 2.60 x 0.40 cm / 7.4 x 1.02 x 0.16 inches
Package size: (L x H x W): 19.80 x 4.00 x 1.00 cm / 7.8 x 1.57 x 0.39 inches
Package Contents: 1 FURA Fish Spear, 1 Sheath, 1 m Paracord
As mentioned before, I chose a straight-sharpened blade instead of a serrated one, because I’m more used to such edges. Since I sharpen my blades myself, maintaining a flat edge is somewhat easier. I also picked a black finish instead of metallic one to reduce shine and glittering which might influence fish behavior. For photographic reasons I want to be as unconspicious in water as can be.
However, tastes and purposes will vary, and you might well feel differently. In both cases I’m happy with the tool material. It seems to hold the edge well, and its thickness makes it very sturdy. The blade is honed razor-sharp and ready for use right out of the package.
Plain, simple and purposeful shape
The sharp end, which is roughly 1/3rd of the total product length, comes enclosed in Kydex sheath. It is a folded piece of thermally formed plastic that follows the blade shape. Two indentations in the sheath opening lock into the finger groove (which could also be regarded as a harpoon barb). The elasticity of the Kydex holds the sheath firmly over the blade.
The sheath has three shoelace-type rivets meant for fixing it in whichever way one decides, and a length of paracord-like cord tightly passes through those. There are another similar five holes on the knife / harpoon itself: two on the handle end, and three in the blade, for optional variations in the ways the product could be used.
For my kind of diving and snorkeling I have decided to wrap the paracord around the relatively thin handle part, so as to be able to hold it more firmly. I also used the surplus length of the cord to secure the Kydex sheath, and in the same way form a closed loop which allows me to fix the sheathed blade to / through / around my swimwear. By releasing the sheath off the blade, the loop opens and the blade is free to use. Sheer simplicity.
Black anodized and stainless, it comes with a razor-sharp edge
Alternatively, one can form the paracord end into a wrist strap, and secure the sheath in some other fashion. For snorkeling, the best place for any kind of knife would be the forearm (handle end close to your wrist), so as to be in the field of view for unsheathing and returning.
For SCUBA diving, the best place is the inner side of the lower leg (handle tip close to the knee), because it can be reached by either hand (!), and also less likely to snag into anything underwater – as opposed to being worn on the outside of the leg.
An exception to that would perhaps be the cave diving, where you want to have the blade handy in tight places – thus, the forearm. Small things can sometimes make big difference!
I’ll be using it underwater, so as to have a super-sharp tool for removal of torn-off pieces of fishing nets. These net pieces go on killing fish and crustaceans until taken out of water! I also want to be able to efficiently cut myself or my camera free from a possible entanglement, should such need arise.
What I won’t use it for is a weapon, since a knife is simply a tool. Those who think they can attack or defend themselves from dangerous marine life with any knife… better think again. It is way more likely to get seriously hurt in the process. Slashing open of sharks or moray eels happens only in Hollywood movies, where the beasts are just spongy rubber toys. Weight-compared, real fishes are immensely stronger than us.
Combine the paracord, sheath and knife any way you need.
And that’s about it. This simple, practical , and excellently made tool can be used in so many ways that it would be illusory to try and cover all among its possible applications! Some folks might think car, mountaineering, camping, fishing, hunt, EDC… and even to fix your camera, by means of adding an attachment accessory piece to its handletop. This kiridashi-like blade suggests its practical sides all by itself.
Use your blades responsibly, keep’em well honed and maintained – and be safe!
February 22, 2026
It’s 2024: Which Action Camera?
The other day a friend challenged me to write an article on the best affordable action cameras that would be interesting in 2018… and, like a fool, I agreed! Later, when I tried to wrap up my mind around that task, I found out it is pretty overwhelming. Here’s why. More or less.
Right away, what’s “best”? What exactly is “affordable”? What is “interesting”, and why just in 2018? What kind of action the cameras should support, or even withstand, for that matter?
EKEN H8R – affordable and good. (Read our detailed review on this model)
So it really is an equation with an awful lot of unknowns. Let’s not forget the fact that different folks use their cameras in very different ways – and I’d plain hate to be accused for wrong or irresponsible suggestions! So let me stumble over the self-set row of steeple-chase obstacles to still try and provide some sense in the matter.
In the beginning there was GoPro.
People saw what it can do and said it was good. GoPro was one and only, the company’s products were highly prized and priced. One only had to choose between two options: to buy or not to buy (that was the question). Everyone could decide alone, and the Sun was quiet.
Days passed and more companies (especially in the Far East) joined the race. More models, more abilities, more quality levels; these sprouted like mushrooms after the rain. Competition grew fierce, and the prices of small action cameras took a headlong plunge.
ThiEYE T5e, encased and ready for anything. (Read our detailed review on this model)
Every manufacturer was sharply prodded to provide “somethings”, so as to distinguish their product from everyone else’s. Options were multiplying, attractive software followed, and the sales grew, enabling larger series which in turn dropped the prices even more.
Big players joined the cavalcade of formerly never-heard-of manufacturers. Several well-known names in photography industry added their high-end versions to the general headache, and suddenly it wasn’t easy to choose any longer. In the end, people listen to the money in their wallet, and most times find some good enough model that isn’t too expensive for what they plan to do with it.
Nowadays you can decide upon the price of an action camera you’d be willing to pay, and then go look for a model that costs exactly so much and has the features you need! The prices range from $20 thru roughly $700 with more or less basic accessories.
XIAOMI MiJia 4K Mini. (Read our detailed review on this model)
So pick your own bestest, it’s easy!
Is it? Nope. Some of those original important questions still remain.
Let’s disregard how much you can afford – this is as protean as the face of the Ocean. The priceless element is usually motivation – and thus highly personal. Any specific usage narrows down the choice significantly and so can be discussed to some distance.
The very first question is “what do I need it for”, and it is equally valid for cameras as for the shoes. So anyone should try to realistically answer this one to themselves.
If the camera is to be used for recording of fast movement, the choice will prefer a minimum of visual deformation known as “rolling shutter”. If it does not matter, any camera will do.
GITUP G3 Duo, the “chameleon approach” to videography. (Read our detailed review on this model)
If the camera is to be used for recording in low light, a larger sensor and wider apertures are to be preferred; the requirements here steeply affect the camera price! If your actions happen in bright daylight, this can be disregarded – and the prices go down.
If you need extremely wide-angle lens, that’s easy. Most cams have it. Such lenses are simpler to make and to use. Don’t like the fisheye effect? A bit of software corrects it to rectilinear.
If the camera is to be used for recording underwater, or in highly polluted ambient, you’ll need quality protective case. Most of the concurrent cam models already have some such casing, but while most encasements can withstand lesser depths (say 3 – 10 meters), some can endure 20 Bar over-pressure, or 200 meters water depth without any special protection.
Typical example is Paralenz Dive cam.
This might be the determining factor for the camera model as well, since all those many manufacturers only offer the casings that protect their own models – so far no casing of manufacture A can be used for cameras B. But do you need an extra encasement?
SJ6 Legend Air – capable and impervious to ambiental influence. (Read our detailed review on this model)
Maybe not. Look at this camera here! Could you even imagine it some short years ago?
If the camera is to be used for long recording times, you have to consider its battery life, or whether an outside power source can be added to your working configuration. This might narrow down the choice drastically, especially if your camera must be powered while working inside its protective case. If you let the camera gather some time-lapse sequence or footage in adverse weather conditions, there should be ways to add a powerbank and have sufficient power for the whole recording duration.
An example would be the SJCAM Legend Air in special case.
If the form factor of your camera is important, that would also help in choosing. Some models are not your everyday small box within another box, as their designers preferred to encase their cameras in tubular bodies. Some place the optics on the smaller surface of otherwise box-like body, so as to expose the surface of less resistance to air- or water flow.
An example is seen in Sony action camera line.
Sony RX0 Camera (PRNewsfoto/Sony Electronics)
There are split camera designs where the sensor and its optical elements are in a small tube which is cable-connected to the box containing the rest of the electronics and power supply.
Rare example of such solution is Elmo SUV-cam.
If you require to record more than light and sound, some cameras will include data related to geo-locating, temperature, acceleration, and ambiental pressure, allowing you to use as a choice of overlays and other kinds of application. If you don’t need such data, it gets cheaper.
Typical examples are Garmin VIRB cameras.
SJCAM SJ360 – the All-seeing Eye. (Read our detailed review on this model)
If your usage requires wider or narrower lens angle… If you need add-on lenses or filters… If you need 360⁰ input… If you use outside microphone (mono or stereo)… You get it.
Similar logic applies to all tech, be it action cameras, cars, TV, or household blenders. Production follows general interest which determines variance, prices, and finally the abundance which then forces an upgrade. From there, the cycle repeats itself.
I hope you can see by now how hard would it be to suggest the best affordable action cameras that would be interesting in 2018! Whichever side the question is approached from, it manages to open its own labyrinth of sub-questions, each of those ending in their own personal preferences and technical cul-de-sac. That’s why I’m just offering some links and occasional illustrations, instead of direct pointers.
How will it continue? Whence we do know, but whither bound remains foggy.
To me, the most probable indicator for the future of action cameras resides in what can be gleaned from the general photographic trends throughout the industry.
Newer and larger sensors with way better performance have appeared, and one has found its way into the Sony RX0 camera, which is not exactly a typical action cam, but rather something between a camcorder and a photo camera. It does have an action camera appearance, though. Very good in various lighting situation, this model roughly points down which road the new photographic devices might move.
Paralenz Dive mounted on the mask strap, watching what the diver does. (Photo by Paralenz)
It is already noticeable how the cheap point & shoot photo cameras are pushed off the road by very advanced smartphone cameras. The rarefied space is now filling with higher-end compact cameras able to compete on the new level of recording quality. The sensors preferred in 2018, and in the years to come, will range from 1” type to APS-C to FF (full frame, or ex-135 format) to MF (medium format). Action Cameras are sure to follow.
Every new technology level keeps the prices high for a while. Once it has established itself as a new standard, the prices drop and the market becomes balanced – a state good for buyers, alarming for manufacturers! Then, along comes better tech to dethrone the current one.
In that respect, nothing changes and nothing significantly deforms the universal waveline of all natural occurrences.
And we keep on photographing under the same old, quiet Sun.
February 19, 2026
Kelima C22 Digital Microscope Review
Now here’s an interesting thing to work and play with! But let’s start from the beginning.
… The earliest known examples of compound microscopes, which combine an objective lens near the specimen with an eyepiece to view a real image, appeared in Europe around 1620. The inventor is unknown although many claims have been made over the years. Several revolve around the spectacle-making centers in the Netherlands including claims it was invented in 1590 by Zacharias Janssen (claim made by his son) and/or Zacharias’ father Hans Martens, claims it was invented by their neighbor and rival spectacle maker, Hans Lippershey (who applied for the first telescope patent in 1608), and claims it was invented by expatriate Cornelis Drebbel who was noted to have a version in London in 1619. Galileo Galilei (also sometimes cited as compound microscope inventor) seems to have found after 1610 that he could close focus his telescope to view small objects and, after seeing a compound microscope built by Drebbel exhibited in Rome in 1624, built his own improved version. Giovanni Faber coined the name microscope for the compound microscope Galileo submitted to the Accademia dei Lincei in 1625. Galileo had called it the “occhiolino” or “little eye”. (Wikipedia)
Fast forward another few hundred years. And lo and behold; nowadays a coat pocket-sized box contains an able optical device that you can acquire for small money. So…
What’s In The Box?
The envelope around the white cardboard box contains all the data you need to use the microscope, complete with specifications and suggested fields of applications.
Inside you find the Microscope unit. It is a tubular thing with lens and LED lights on one end, and an USB cable coming out of the other. There is a small chromed plastic stand, a micrometer calibrating ruler foil, and one small CD with Driver printed upon it.
I presume you noticed how many times I said small, so believe me, that’s the first impression.
It is also presumed that whichever computer you’re going to attach the microscope to, still has a CD/DVD reader, since the device itself does not have any sort of internal memory where its software could reside.
Applications
The application areas suggested point at education, medicine, engineering, production, and all the various hobbies – which is an area of interest that is impossible to list.
Basically, KELIMA says the device is good for skin and hair inspection, control of all things educative, industrial materials and print inspection, jewelry and stamp collections, viewing biological samples, and “other” use; making it really versatile.
Not quite everything is true, and / or at the right place on the package envelope…
Specifications:
[go_pricing id=”tevo_black_5aa46cdbb02d2″]
Some specs are different from those printed on the microscope package! Also, some specs are wrong – probably because of that typical lack of text control before printing. Oh, well…
On the package envelope some data differs from the data given in User Manual (.pdf)
Installing
The microscope is said to connect straight to any modern computer via an USB point, since it is supposed that all the software support it needs is already there. But (isn’t there always one?) in case it ain’t so, there is an 8 cm CD which contains the device driver, a program called Measurement, (a viewer), and a User’s Guide in .pdf format.
Sure enough, chances are you’re going to use the CD, just like me. So I installed the driver and the Measurement program. Both the Microscope icon and the camera (Amcap) icon appeared on desktop. Only thing, the first promptly activated my laptop’s built-in camera, while the other activated an array of reasons as to why the program couldn’t run on my machine.
Kelima Microscope Software mini-CD
So seeing what all I was missing to make it work, I went to collect and replace versions diverse of drivers and things alike. Long story short, I found a driver for Lenovo EasyCam and it runs the Amcap correctly. It did take some time, but time really flies when you’re bent on making something work.
At the moment of publishing, the Measurement program still wouldn’t co-operate.
So, until later…
Microscope Lens & Lighting
Build Quality
Not long ago people did have that standard riposte at being snubbed for buying sloppily produced things; They’d just say “what would you expect for $20?” and probably justify the buy. Not so nowadays. It looks like really affordable prices are not related to low-value products any longer. This Kelima C22 Digital Microscope counts among such cases.
Design? I do not feel competent to judge the beauty of microscopes, but (ain’t there always one?) with regards to handy size, shape, and command layout for the functionality, this is one beautiful product. Materials, texture, practicality of use, it’s all there, and the parts are precisely aligned and firmly connected to each other. Weight, though irrelevant, is no object even if you’d plan to take the microscope along for some excursions. Colors used are charcoal matte for the unit, with silver and gray for the commands: simple and elegant.
Well, the manufacturer suggests not to use the microscope outdoors, but it can actually be done, using adequate caution and care, of course. Water and dust may kill it quckly.
Regarding the microscope stand, it is a must-have, as it solves the same order of problem as a tripod does for a camera! Forgive me for saying, but this one is barely adequate.
The smallish and irritatingly lightweight plastic support has thin rubber glued over a ferrous metal square at its bottom. It supports a tiny ballhead on its top, and another ballhead of the same diameter is added to the horseshoe-shaped open ring designed to snap around the microscope body. Both ballheads are friction-fixed by indentations of the two clasps that use small central winged screw to hold the arrangement together.
To my eye, the stand and its fixing parts should have been made of metal, or at least of ABS… and made fairly larger, at that. It could also do without a shiny mirror-like metallic coating, which gives it somewhat cheaper look. The stand should have been made in quality matte black plastic. There should have been a cavity in the stand base where one could add some weight – like a handful of birdshot – and close it with non-slip rubber cover. That would be a grand stand! The way it is now, it can still be steadied with a magnet.
An anecdotal little experience with the KELIMA C22 inscript above the focussing wheel on the microscope: at first I thought it was a printed strip glued to the unit. But then I felt the texture of the lettering. So I said to myself, good; this is just a piece of sellotape over the chromed letters, added to shield these from damage. When I pulled the sellotape off, the letters really shone, chrome-on-black. Pret-tee! Such a classy little detail.
Alas, not for long. While I tried to focus the lens on an object, the letters dropped off, one by one. These were just individually glued to the tube surface! Whosoever decided to attach the name in that way… well. Even the cheapest cigarette lighters are printed more durably.
Parts explained
Components & Commands
The whole device consists of the actual microscope tube which contains all the optical and electronic components, and a stand to which it is mounted for stability.
Its business end comprises the lens and eight lighting diodes around it, englassed in short transparent tube with its own plug, to ward off dust and humidity.
Behind the optical end there is a large and grippy focus roller accessible from what I’d call front side (for no special reason, since you can have that side point in any direction you please). The roller is rotated to focus the lens arrangement at the object viewed, when the distance between the object and the lens determines the enlargement grade. The maximum enlargement of 1000 times thus means the closest lens-to-object distance at proper focus.
To the left and right of the focus roller there are two small buttons; the left one named SNAP, the other ZOOM. Long-pressing the SNAP activates the scope and snaps off a photo. The ZOOM will zoom in five consecutive steps; press up to four times to enlarge, the fifth press will reset it back to original image size. The zooming function is, naturally, digital only.
What the microscope sees you can watch on your computer’s monitor via the standard USB cable, which is 130 cm (51 inches) long, and plug-compatible with USB 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0.
The device contains an HD CMOS sensor with 24-bit DSP (digital signal processor). The still images can be saved in JPG or BMP format (up to 2560 x 1920px), while the video (up to 30fps) will save as AVI.
Since the optical side of the unit is encased in a transparent tube, you can use the outside light for object viewing. The eight LEDs that surround the lens are dimmable, and there is a wheel to control the light level, placed on the USB cable about 40 cm down from the microscope unit. Lighting is nicely uniform across the span of its FOV.
The Micro World
Some samples seen with the Kelima C22 Digital Microscope:
Detail of the logo printed on the cigarette pack
Tip of the lettering on a typical fruit sticker
A snailhouse spiral tip
A screwhead on my pocket knife
Melancholic expression of Jack of Spades
Worn metallic surface of laptop keyboard
Detail of a Coin
Detail of Croatian Kuna coin
Pros:
– Price; what do you expect for 20 bucks?
– Microscope unit: solid, sturdy, well-designed.
– Wide compatibility: Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, Linux, IOS
– Wide application range: dependent only upon imagination.
– User Manual added to Software mini-CD in .pdf format
Cons:
– Instructions & info – could be made a whole lot more precise!
– The Stand: flimsy, needlessly shiny finish, under-dimensioned.
– Software: platform-dependent could be made simpler to install.
– Packaging: not very sturdy, compared to, say, action cam packages.
– Chinese and English User Manual (.pdf) in the same file.
TOTAL VALUE FOR MONEY:
It is quite understandable when corners need to be cut, and so to keep the final product price in the competitive heights, so let’s not be overly sensitive to things listed as not-so-good. All factors considered, this is a very useable product easily acquired by just about everyone.
Great, affordable device. I would recommend this buy!
February 18, 2026