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A mixed Xperiance
Sony Xperia X Performance review: 80% of a great phone
Sony's new line of smartphones gets a spec boost in the Xperia X Performance, but do a few tweaks to the formula justify its $699 cost?
Daniel Bader
The Sony Xperia X Performance is a good phone, but it not only fails to justify its $150 premium over its cheaper counterpart, it also falls down as a flagship, too. Too few improvements over the Z5 series, and some frustrating screen responsiveness issues, have us asking how, after so long, Sony still can't get it right.
Great performance in apps and games
Nice daylight photo capabilities
Excellent stereo sound output
Waterproof metal chassis is one hand-friendly
Stupefying screen responsiveness issues
Slow camera startup and occasional shutter stutter
Too similar to the Z5
Can't justify its $150 price increase over Xperia X
Fighting to justify a price
Sony Xperia X Performance Full review
Sony's had an interesting few years in the mobile space. Since 2013, the company released a new Z-series product every eight months or so, iterating on what has become a relatively safe, austere design ethic. When the series arrived at its fifth version (the Japan-only Z4 notwithstanding) in 2015, it became apparent there wasn't much innovation left to extract from, as the company claimed, "the best of Sony."
That's why, when the Xperia X and its Performance counterpart were unveiled at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, I was at once let down and cautiously optimistic about Sony's commitment to improvement. Let down because at first glance the new series resembled its predecessors in too many ways; optimistic because Sony claimed that it was breaking ties with its past.
The reality is somewhere in the middle: while the Xperia X, and its X Performance counterpart, are in some ways marked improvements in Sony's mobile narrative, they are also regressions in a couple important ways. And when the more expensive of the two arrives at a price point equivalent to some of the best products on the market, its existence becomes harder to justify.
About this review
I (Daniel Bader) am writing this review after using the Canadian model of the Sony Xperia X Performance (F8131) for two weeks in the Greater Toronto area. I used the phone primarily on Bell's LTE network, but popped in my personal Rogers SIM card for a time.
The device ran Android 6.0.1 on Build number 35.0.A.1.227 for the entirety, with a (disappointing) April 1, 2016 security patch.
5.0-inch Full HD
IPS LCD Display
1920x1080 resolution (441ppi)
23MP, ƒ/2.0 lens
2700 mAh capacity
Chips:
Dual-core 2.2GHz, Dual-core 1.6Ghz
microSD slot
Sony Xperia X Performance Hardware
Last year, when Sony replaced its so-called OmniBalance power button with a flat, sunken key that doubled as a fingerprint sensor, there was a palpable sense of rightness in the decision. That the Xperia X Performance maintains that legacy is no surprise, but Sony's decision to keep all but a few elements of the Z series in tact is — and disappointing.
(A quick note: the U.S. version of the Sony Xperia X Performance doesn't include a fingerprint sensor in the power button, for reasons both confusing to us and irrelevant to users who miss out on one of the phone's best features.)
Compact though it is — the metallic chassis more than resembles the Xperia Z5 Compact — the 5-inch display approaches the edges on the vertical side but leaves plenty of room on the horizontal. Thankfully, Sony decided to use the area on top of the 2700 mAh to expand the cavities in both front-facing speakers, resulting in some of the best external sound I've heard on a smartphone outside of HTC's products.
The right side reinforces Sony's "if it ain't broke" mentality, recalling every Z-series product with the centered power button above an elongated volume rocker and dual-step camera shutter. I suppose I should be grateful for the camera shutter, but as you'll see later, its efficacy is marred by software that cares little for cooperating.
While the phone's IPS panel is great, the phone's touch sensor is not. In fact, it's the X Performance's biggest fault.
And while the phone's frame is metal, as is the back, whose hairline brushed texture differentiates it from the staid aluminum of the Xperia X, the sides are a smooth plastic, which elegantly meet the curved glass of the 1080p screen.
I concur with Mr. Dobie in saying that I don't begrudge Sony sticking to a 1920x1080 pixel panel for the X series; it is not only one of the best I've seen on a smartphone, but at 441ppi it is sufficiently sharp to meet even the most demanding of critics. Moreover, the screen gets bright — really bright — which is fantastic for outdoor visibility.
But here's the thing: while the IPS LCD panel is great, the phone's touch sensor is not. In fact, it's the X Performance's biggest fault. When I began using the phone, I tapped out a few messages to some friends and discovered the screen couldn't keep up. I changed keyboards, from the default SwiftKey to Google Keyboard, with identical results. I descended pages in Chrome, realizing the phone didn't always register my light taps to stop scrolling. I did the same for Twitter, with identical results.
In app after app, I discovered the X Performance failed to register light taps. I went back to the Xperia X and noticed a similar trend. I asked Andrew Martonik, who received the X Performance a week after me, who corroborated my findings.
Now, touch sensitivity is a, well, sensitive topic. Some people mash their keyboards; others very deliberately tap to stop a scrolling web page. Those people should be fine with the X Performance, but this is an issue I haven't experienced so overtly since the poor touch performance on the Nexus One back in 2010. For the way I use my phone, the X Performance quickly became an exercise in frustration. While I found more success switching to gliding, that I couldn't confidently type consistently marred the experience of using the Xperia X Performance. What's unclear is whether the X Performance could avert this disaster on a larger scale with a software update, or if the touch sensor is inherently flawed. (Sony has been mute on the topic so far.)
It's also possible that I am being overly, well, sensitive to this whole thing and that its screen sensitivity will go unnoticed by Sony's customers — but I'm willing to bet it won't.
Around back, the X Performance's camera neither protrudes nor draws attention to itself, which is a nice change of pace from the rest of the big players in the industry, but the single LED flash is disappointingly perfunctory. More on the camera below.
The specs contained inside is where the X Performance is supposed to differentiate itself. With a quad-core Snapdragon 820 — currently Qualcomm's fastest chip, and the same one found in the Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5, and HTC 10 — the Performance has ample room to breathe. In fact, as Alex noted in his review of the Xperia X, even the much slower Snapdragon 650 is sufficiently capable of powering Android 6.0 with a 1080p display.
So why covet the more powerful chip? While apps and games certainly load faster and perform better, much of the difference can be seen in the speed at which the camera app loads and takes pictures. Sony still has a long way to go to compete with Samsung and HTC when it comes to the camera loading times — the speed at which you go from black screen to shutter — but the X Performance is notably faster than the X in this regard. The Snapdragon 820 also has a best-in-class image signal processor that improves overall photo quality by reducing noise, especially in low light, and anticipating hand shake to offset motion blur. Unfortunately, without optical image stabilization, Sony's excellent 23MP sensor is still subject to the whims of physics, but the X Performance takes great photos at least some of the time.
So subtle
Xperia X Performance Software
It's clear that, like many other OEMs, Sony is moving away from software differentiation in favor of a simplified launcher and Material Design flourishes in its apps.
But Sony has not taken hints from the likes of HTC in reducing the number of apps it pre-installs on its devices. To wit, the Xperia X Performance arrives replete with (admittedly well-designed) takes on the gallery, video player, music player, email client, news aggregator, weather app, fitness app, sketching app, movie maker, and Shazam clone. (A few like to pop up promotional notifications as well.) In all, aside from the essentials like the phone and contacts app, there were 14 Sony-built apps preloaded on the X Performance, and a couple others, like Amazon Shopping and AVG Protection antivirus, that were tacked on for additional revenue.
Defying appearances of a lightweight experience, Sony's version of Android occupies nearly 12GB of the phone's 32GB of internal storage
I can't really begrudge Sony for wanting to outfit its customers with the best experiences, but there is just too much in the way of superfluous and unnecessary software here for my liking. Apps like Movie Creator and Sketch are inherently not well suited for a 5-inch canvas, and should have stayed on the Play Store as opt-in experiences.
Defying appearances of a lightweight experience, Sony's version of Android occupies nearly 12GB of the phone's 32GB of internal storage, a gross misuse of important user resources. Some of these assets can be found in the form of themes, four of which are included on the phone, with many more available on Sony's haphazardly stocked and of-dubious-quality Xperia Theme store.
The company's launcher has stolen one of the better features from the iPhone in the ability to swipe down on an unused portion of the homescreen to quickly search for and open apps. While Sony does use this as an opportunity to suggest likely-sponsored apps, I found it an effortless and intuitive way to quickly bypass the folder/app drawer dichotomy. Elsewhere, the multitasking menu, notification shade, and quick settings are all reminiscent of stock Android Marshmallow, which I dare say is a good call.
As it tends to, Sony's bundled a confusing array of audio options that are thankfully not necessary to enjoy the phone's excellent aural output, but present for those who want to tweak. A feature taken from the company's new Walkman line, DSEE HX, upconverts music to "near Hi-Res Audio quality" by interpreting in real time and filling in the frequency gaps in most modern compressed audio streams. Another, ClearAudio+, automatically equalizes and normalizes music played from either the headphone jack or front-facing speakers. I found that neither setting dramatically improved the quality of a typical 320kbps Spotify stream.
Similarly, Sony's outfitted the X Performance with a vast array of display settings, including its mainstay X-Reality for mobile algorithms that improve the quality of photos and videos when viewed or played through its first-party apps. These are, as above, subtle changes that most people either won't notice or take the time to appreciate. They'll just hear great audio and view vivid images.
Here's what I think: If Sony really wanted to use the X line to split from the deleterious abundance of options in its Z series, it should have merely incorporated these algorithms into the core operating system and removed the user from the equation altogether. As it stands, the X line is shaping up to be just as bloated as its forebears, which will (in addition to its insane price) harm its mass appeal. Samsung is a good example of a company that learned its lesson between generations by explicitly simplifying its software, emphasizing only those features it truly believes users will want to both download, and use.
Sharp, at times
Sony Xperia X Performance Cameras
If you want the best camera on an Android phone, especially one in the $500+ range, look elsewhere. While the quality is marginably improved over the regular Xperia X, thanks to differences in the image signal processing between the Snapdragon 650 and 820, you're getting pretty close to the same experience.
As with much of the X Performance, the camera experience is nearly great but is marred by a couple of glaring issues.
As in years past, the 23MP Exmor RS sensor is of high quality, but fails to impress in low light situations. In sunlight, though, I was able to take some pretty great photos, with sharp, fast focus and ample detail. In low light, however, the lack of optical image stabilization forces Sony's camera app to raise the light sensitivity (ISO) to undesirable levels in order to keep shutter speed apace with its subjects.
Let's put this into real-world terms: I attended a wedding this past weekend, and used the Xperia X Performance as my primary camera. Since it was at a botanical garden, I was able to snap some lovely nature photos, and some great portraits, all of which came out superbly thanks to Sony's relatively intelligent Superior Auto mode. But once we went indoors and the lights dimmed, the X Performance balked at any attempt I made to capture even the slowest-moving of humans, maxing its shutter at a woeful 1/8 despite ratcheting the ISO to above 2000.
While optical image stabilization doesn't solve for fast-moving subjects, it does account for hand shake, and usually leads to better photos in general. Sony's stubborn refusal to outfit even its flagship products with such a module borders on idiocy at this point, as practically every other OEM, from Samsung to HTC to LG, OnePlus and Huawei, have figured this out (the Nexus 6P being the one major exception).
As with much of the X Performance, the camera experience is nearly great, but, photo quality aside, is marred by a couple of glaring issues. The camera app doesn't load quickly enough, and the shutter often stumbles on its first capture, which is usually of the most critical subject. And mirroring its predecessors, the app's manual mode is woefully understocked, with no ability to set shutter speed or focus. For a phone that wants to sell itself on the efficacy of its camera experience, it stumbles far too often.
One big change from the Z5 series is the 13MP front-facing camera, which is indeed one of the better sensors I've tried. It's also paired with a fairly wide f2.0 lens that meets all of the important criteria for social engagements: quick focus; room for more than two people without stretching; and smile shutter.
Good, not great
Xperia X Performance Battery life
With a slightly larger 2700 mAh cell than its X counterpart, the X Performance offers merely average battery life. After using the phone as my daily driver for two weeks, I would end some days with upwards of 30% left in the tank, while on others I would contend with having to charge by 3 p.m. The Snapdragon 820 seems to be more efficient than the 810 found in the Z5, but I also think that phone's 2900 mAh was probably the right size, and I would have taken a slightly thicker chassis to benefit from an extra 10% of battery capacity.
Thankfully, the phone supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 standard, which promises to charge it from dead to full in under 90 minutes. That said, some sort of fast charging support is table stakes for phones half this price. You'd also think that including a quick charger in the box would be table stakes ... but the Canadian model doesn't have one (the U.S. model does, though.)
Should you buy the Sony Xperia X Performance? Probably not
Let's take a look at what we have. A phone with at least one critical flaw that could possibly be solved with a software update. A phone that, were it $200 cheaper, would still have trouble standing out amidst a sea of affordable and compelling Android devices. A phone that misses its opportunity to really capitalize on Sony's glowing reputation for making the industry's best phone camera sensors. A phone that insists on offering the same number of vexing and acronym-heavy audiovisual features as its predecessors.
When I look at the X Performance, I don't see a series that breaks away from its Z predecessor. I see evidence of a company that knows how to make 80% of a great smartphone and no idea where the other 20% is hiding.
Where to buy the Sony Xperia X Performance
You can buy the Sony Xperia X Performance from several retailers online in the U.S., as well as in Canada.
See at B&H Photo
See at BestBuy
Welcome ot the party
Sony joins the Android 12 club, updates the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III
Sony has begun updating its phones to Android 12, starting with 2020's Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III flagships.
Protect the Fold's screens
Keep your Galaxy Z Fold 3 looking fantastic with these screen protectors
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a beautiful phone with improved durability. But you might want to get some extra insurance by throwing on one of these screen protectors.


IT'S BEEN A BUSY START TO THE YEAR. HAS IT NOT?
You might be wondering how you can have so much to do right out of the gate. This is definitely going to be an action-packed year! I can assure you.
This week is particularly potent because we're in the middle of eclipse season!
The year began with an eclipse on January 5th, and our first Full Moon of the year on Sunday is a Supermoon eclipse.
ECLIPSES ALWAYS BRING UNCONSCIOUS EMOTIONS TO YOUR AWARENESS.
That's why you most likely haven't solidified your intentions for the year. There's an influx of intuitive information coming into your consciousness. You have a lot to process!
The eclipses of 2019 are bringing awareness to your past life karmic lessons.
The planet Saturn is our big player this year. Saturn is known as the Lord of Karma.
Saturn can be a stern teacher, yet its lessons are ultimately liberating.
Sunday's Supermoon eclipse will be a sight in the skies and bring illumination to your psyche.
This is the last in the series of the Leo-Aquarius eclipses we've experienced since 2017 (and won't come around again until 2026). The energy of this eclipse will help clarify your ideals in a way that allows you to claim your leadership and courage.
Culminations and endings can transpire during Full Moon eclipses.
Make sure to focus your energy on releasing whatever is keeping you from radiating more brightly in the world.
This is a year of re-invention. You must let go of identities, people and beliefs to make room for blessings!
This will prepare you for the many transformations that will transpire in this life-changing year.
This entry was posted in Astrology by EraOfLight. Bookmark the permalink.


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Over 34,600 rape cases in India, Delhi tops among union territories
Over 34,600 cases of rape have been reported across the country last year with Madhya Pradesh and Delhi topping the infamous list of states and union territories respectively.
New Delhi | August 30, 2016 8:11:07 pm
Over 34,600 cases of rape have been reported across the country last year with Madhya Pradesh and Delhi topping the infamous list of states and union territories respectively. A total of 34,651 rape cases were reported in India in 2015. Among these, in 33,098 cases the offenders were known to the victims, as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released today.
The rape victims were among the age group of below six years to over 60 years. Madhya Pradesh has reported 4,391 rape cases, a highest among the states. Whereas, the national capital has reported 2,199 such cases–highest among the union territories.
Nearly 3.27 lakh cases of crimes against women were reported across the country. Of these over 1.3 lakh were sexual offences–1.2 lakh in states and 9,445 in union territories. The sexual offences cases included rape, attempt to commit rape, assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty and insult to modesty of women.
Among the rape cases, Maharashtra reported 4,144 such incidents. A total of 3,644 and 3,025 rapes were reported in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the data said.
As many as 2,251 rape cases were reported in Odisha, Assam (1,733), Chhattisgarh (1,560), 1,256 in Kerala, West Bengal registered 1,129, 1,070 in Haryana and 1,041 in Bihar, it said.
Among the union territories, 72 rape cases were reported in Chandigarh, 36 in Andaman and Nicobar Island, eight in Dadar and Nagar Haveli, five in Daman and Diu and three Puducherry. No such crime was reported in Lakshawdeep.
Of the total sexual offences against women, Maharashtra reported a highest of 16,989 cases, 12,887 in Madhya Pradesh and 11,343 in Uttar Pradesh. As many as 9,359 such offences were reported in Odisha, 8,873 in Rajasthan, 8,274 in West Bengal, 8,049 in Andhra Pradesh and 6,044 in Telangana.
Chhattisgarh reported 3,500 such cases, 1,743 in Gujarat, 1,738 in Bihar and 270 in Goa. Among the north eastern states, Assam reported a highest of 6,636 sexual offences against women, followed by 609 in Tripura, 231 such cases in Meghalaya, 186 in Arunachal Pradesh, 141 in Mizoram, 133 in Manipur, 53 in Nagaland and 29 such crimes in Sikkim.
Punjab has reported 2,164 cases, 1,633 in Tamil Nadu, 737 in Himachal Pradesh and 623 in Uttarakhand.
Among the union territories, Delhi has reported 9,104 sexual offences against women, followed by 164 in Chandigarh, 98 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 47 in Puducherry, 13 in Dadar and Nagar Haveli, 12 in Daman and Diu and seven in Lakshawdeep, the data said.
In the category of states that reported criminal cases against women, a total of 35,527 were in Uttar Pradesh, 33,218 in West Bengal, 31,126 in Maharashtra, 28,165 in Rajasthan, 24, 135 in Madhya Pradesh, 23,258 in Assam and 15,931 in Andhra Pradesh, it said.
Among union territories, a total of 17,845 cases of crime against women were registered. Of these, 17,104 were in Delhi alone, 463 in Chandigarh, 136 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 80 in Puducherry, 28 in Daman and Diu, 25 in Dadar and Nagar Haveli, and nine in Lakshawdeep.
A total of 3,37,922 cases of crime against women were reported in 2014.
Patients operated on at night twice more likely to die: study

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Peter Hackworth, the mother of Brisbane's market scene, is horrified by Brisbane City Council's decision to give a Sydney-based consortium the contract to run Brisbane's much-loved West End community markets.
Brisbane City Council on Monday gave Sydney firm Blue Sky Events the right to run West End's Green Flea market for the next two years.
The market has grown like topsy behind South's Rugby League Club at Davies Park for the past six years.
Five thousand people in January signed a petition to keep Peta Hackworth as the West End market's manager.
"We're pretty mad I can tell you," Ms Hackworth said, confirming she is taking legal advice on Brisbane City Council's decision.
"This one is a consortium that flies up Friday night from Sydney and goes back Sunday night," Ms Hackworth said.
"It runs the South Bank markets (a market also started by Ms Hackworth) and I think they have another year left to go there," she said.
"And they run (Sydney's) Manly markets and the Opera House markets.
"They are total business. They are going to muck up Green Flea big and proper.
"They have already said they are going to tidy it up. Oh boy."
Ms Hackworth has had a short-term licence to run the markets after her contract expired.
This short-term licence expired about three months ago and she has since been working on a month by month basis.
She has run the Green Flea markets for six years and said Blue Sky Events proposed changes did not suit the site, or the atmosphere of the market.
"They said they are going to tidy it up and make it more compact. I mean, are they crazy, this is what the people want.
"Five thousand people said leave it alone, we want it like this and organic."
Ms Hackworth pays $4400 a month rent to Brisbane City Council for the markets, plus keeps site fees to $40.
Local councillor Helen Abrahams demanded a 'cooling off' period on the contract to allow the people of Brisbane to have a say in the decision.
"The West End market is loved by people all over Brisbane," Cr Abrahams said.
"Each Saturday thousands of people bypass the South Bank Markets and come to the West End Markets for the unique atmosphere, culture and sense of community," she said.
Cr Abrahams said the West End market was unlike any other market in South East Queensland.
"It has grown. It has become a Brisbane institution because it is total chaos and wonderful."
Blue Sky Events could not be contacted last night.
But Brisbane City Council's Community Services chair, Geraldine Knapp said council had followed the same process that had been set down by Labor in the 17 years Labor had run markets in Brisbane.
"This is the normal process for any market," Cr Knapp said.
"For Cr Abrahams to now request a change in the procedure would be unfair to the many people who tended for market rights across Brisbane," she said.
"It is frankly quite amazing how Labor changes position on issue of law now they in Opposition."


Thoroughbred trainer Mark Casse is always generous to the press. It was no different when Tepin won the 2016 Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal Ascot race meet in England.
"They said, 'You missed it,'" he recalled recently.
One of the biggest wins of his career, and he missed meeting Queen Elizabeth II.
"It was my biggest regret," Casse said.
This year, Casse entered La Coronel in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. A talented filly, but no Tepin. Even the queen visited the paddock to get a look at Tepin last year.
As Casse watched the races on June 23, Queen Elizabeth II's representative approached. She wanted to meet.
When the time arrived, they waited outside the Royal Box as one of the queen's horses finished its race. She is an avid race fan with a stable of racing thoroughbreds of her own.
"I had a nice little conversation with her. She loves horses. She asked me the difference between racing at Royal Ascot and racing in the United States. I told her I'd never been anywhere like Royal Ascot. It's just so impressive," Casse said.
The relaxed meeting lacked the bow and curtsy common when meeting the queen. It didn't even come up when prepping for the meeting.
"I thought we would have the pleasure of being face to face with her. I didn't think we would interact with her. She shook our hands and conversed with us. It was a memorable experience," she said.
The meeting lasted a few minutes and, as race time for La Colonel neared, Casse needed to saddle the horse.
After the meeting, Colby, 14, asked his father if he, too, was struck by the queen's presence.
"Colby said, 'Dad were you shaking like I was?'" Casse said.
For Tina, the nerves hit after the meeting.
"The whole idea of what had just occurred hit me. My heart was pounding," she said.
Unfortunately, no photo exists of the meeting.
"You're not allowed to take photos," Mark Casse said.
"I'm sure she would have let us if we asked," he added.
The three did need special badges to enter the Royal Box. Tina Casse will mount the badges and other memorabilia to remember the meeting.
"It's something I will never forget," Mark Casse said.
Will Classic Empire prove to be Mark Casse's work of genius?


Your Canon Digital Rebel can capture close-up (or macro) photography, the technique behind many of the most captivating nature photographs, as well as almost all product photography. Close-up shots don't necessarily require fancy macro lenses — although it helps to have a quick photography tutorial to guide you through the best tips on close-ups.
Check your owner's manual to find out the minimum close-focusing distance of your lens. How "up close and personal" you can get to your subject depends on your lens, not the camera body itself.
Take control over depth of field by setting the camera mode to Av (aperture-priority autoexposure) mode. Whether you want a shallow, medium, or extreme depth of field depends on the point of your photo. In classic nature photography, for example, the artistic tradition is a very shallow depth of field and requires an open aperture (low f-stop value). But if you want the viewer to be able to clearly see all details throughout the frame — for example, if you're shooting a product shot for your company's sales catalog — you need to go the other direction, stopping down the aperture as far as possible.
Not ready for the advanced exposure modes yet? Try Close Up mode instead. (It's the one marked with the little flower on your Mode dial.) In this mode, the camera automatically opens the aperture to achieve a short depth of field and bases focus on the center of the frame. As with all the other automatic exposure modes, though, the range of apertures available to the camera depends on the lighting conditions.
When shooting flowers and other nature scenes outdoors, pay attention to shutter speed. Even a slight breeze may cause your subject to move, causing blurring at slow shutter speeds.
Use fill flash for better outdoor lighting. A tiny bit of flash typically improves close-ups when the sun is your primary light source. You may need to reduce the flash output slightly, via the camera's Flash Exposure Compensation control. Keep in mind that the maximum shutter speed possible when you use the built-in flash is 1/200 second, so in very bright light, you may need to use a high f-stop setting to avoid overexposing the picture. You also can lower the ISO speed setting, if it's not already all the way down to ISO 100.
To really get close to your subject, invest in a macro lens or a set of diopters. A true macro lens, which enables you to get really, really close to your subjects, is an expensive proposition; expect to pay around $200 or more. But if you enjoy capturing the tiny details in life, it's worth the investment. For a less expensive way to go, you can spend about $40 for a set of diopters, which are sort of like reading glasses that you screw onto your existing lens. The downfall of diopters, sadly, is that they typically produce images that are very soft around the edges — a problem that doesn't occur with a good macro lens.


Hello everyone. Yesterday I started rigging character from KF to port it into NMRiH using standard ValveBiped with Skin modifier.
Model was almost ready. The problem is that after exporting, all the polygons (triangles) in SMD file are using one single bone (zero bone, also mesh), because of that now it's like a single prop . Any ideas?
After looking at the actual SMD, your SMD is exporting with multiple bones. Note the Skin weights per vertex are showing multiple bone weights. So it should be fine.
Thanks for your reply. You were right. In the end, there is no T-pose in a game and animations work fine, but anyway, I don't get it. Feels like I'm doing something in a wrong way. I've seen a lot of SMDs that used Pelvis bone as root bone, they had no "mesh bone" that my model has and like I said earlier, polygons on these models were tied to different bones, not just to root bone (like mine). So, I'm relying on your advice, because I really don't know how to fix it..
...animations work fine... So, I'm relying on your advice, because I really don't know how to fix it..
I really don't understand the issue. If the animations are working, then your model is perfectly fine.
The bone a mesh vertex is tied to is directly related to what MESH OBJECT it belongs to. Remember that objects are also bones when exported. If you make a model up of multiple meshes, then you will see each part assigned to a separate bone. In either event, it's irrelevant as your skin weights override the weighting.
Hopefully this helps you understand how it works. There is nothing going wrong when you only have the root mesh bone assigned to all the vertices. It's not something that is "right" or "wrong".