A NITECORE NB10K Review

 

 

NITECORE NB10000 Review

 

 Review Background

This December 2023, I luckily got selected as one of NITECORE's NB10000 device reviewers.

I received the NB 10000 package via an LBC courier on December 7, 2023. 

IPX4

Looking at the front of the box it has an IPX4 rating on the lower left with a cloud with raindrops logo. Not bad. 

That means this device is protected from water jets sprayed for three (3) minutes at 4.4 PSI or that's 30kPa, with 12.5 liters per minute. 

Additionally, IPX0 means no protection from water ingress.

 

By the way, I live in a place when the monsoon season kicks in from May through October.  So, it will be pretty interesting to see this device perform next year getting into action with water (rain).

 

 

 

Hey, guys don't lose this folding piece of paper since it contains the NITECORE NB 10K operating instructions, warranty details, warnings, disclaimers et cetera. --> VERY IMPORTANT!!!

Ultra Lightweight Carbon Fiber Energy Brick

 

After unpacking, I got the stealth black version. There is also a silver version of the NITECORE NB 1oK energy brick. (I might purchase one silver version in the future for backup especially when I plan to go on a four to five days mountaineering adventures).

 

Also the above-mentioned "ultra-lightweight carbon fiber energy brick" is printed on topmost  front side of the box. 

 

Indeed, NITECORE NB 10K is very ultra lightweight at 150 grams or at 5.29 ounces.  

 

By far, this probably must be the world's most compact and lightest 10,000 mAh Mobile Power Brick.

I also love the look of NITECORE's NB 1OK with its all-black stealth presentation added to its high-tech texture providing a non-slip feel. 

 

NITECORE NB 10K comes with an ultra slim body which actually measures 10.6 mm or that's around 0.42 inches.

 

If you compare with other 1oK power bank brands in the market today in terms of actual measurements, all of these other brands are approximately 30 millimeters or 1.18 inches thick. That's bulky, ugly, and heavy.

 

UPCLOSE

 

		The first button  on the far right is the mode button. The one-eyed Cyclops smiley button, I call it. Ha ha.  -)
		Next to the mode button are four (4) small LED light indicators.   The first port on the far left is the 18-watt output (OUT) port.       Don't be deceived by this small elongated port as it is very versatile. This is the middle port next to the 4 LED lights which is equipped with 20 watts output (OUT) plus an 18 watts (IN) input port.   I find the two universal USB-A (far left) with the USB-C port (middle port) design very convenient which allows seamless port access and/or charging experience.

 

However, NITECORE could improve in future upcoming versions/iterations of its NB series products to have the corners rounded not pointed edges as it tends to puncture bags, and clothing.

USE CASE

 

My first use case of the NITECORE NB 1oK was a recent out-of-town travel to the lowland provinces.  

 

Before traveling, I checked the power level indicator of the energy brick and it only had one (1) constant on light which indicates  30% remaining battery charge available. This was out of the box when I received this device.

 

So, I charged the NITECORE NB 10K via its USB in full before traveling. 

 

During the charging process, the blue indicator LED light will flash to indicate the power level.

 

With the NITECORE NB 10K fully charged, I packed it with the NITECORE USB-C adapter in my Silent Storm stealth everyday carry (EDC) waterproof bag. 

 

See the photo below to appreciate.

 

 

 

See how compact and it neatly fits the main outer pocket of my EDC sling bag without showing any signs of bulging.  I'm an EDC guy.

I did two (2) charging top-ups using the ND 10K with my mobile phone at 70 percent battery level. Once, ingress (going down the province) and once egress (from the lowland province going up to the mountains).

 

I checked the  status of the device indicators:

I still have three (3) constant-ons so the NB 10K is at approximately 100% power-ready.  

 

I still have not reached the two (2) constant on the light indicator which would indicate a 70% percent power level. 

 

By the way, my ingress travel time was two (2) hours going down to the lowland provinces and another two (2) hours going back home to the boondocks (highland).  

A total of four (4) hours so I have to top up my smartphone since I use Spotify heavily listening to music with my in-ear monitors (IEMs).

Lastly, a flashing LED light means that the NITECORE NB 10K is nearly depleted and prompts the user to get it charged immediately.

The 10K mAh is more than sufficient for full charging of my mobile smartphone, which is a OnePlus NORD.  

 

Now, each user/person have their own unique case.  Mine is simplistic at the moment however, when I engage in mountaineering activity (documenting landscapes using video and still photos, that will put the NITECORE NB 1oK into an aggressive mode of power draw).

 

 

If my smartphone ran out of juice then, I would not have been able to capture this beautiful sunset both in still and video formats.

 

Additional NITECORE NB 10000 Protection

 

My further research of NITECORE NB 10K offers the following built-in features:

• - Over-current protection
• - Overcharge protection
• - Short-circuit protection
• - Over-voltage protection
• - Over-discharge protection
• - Thermal protection.

 

With the above-mentioned additional protection dovetailed where I presently live which is at 5,000 feet above sea level, I would not worry especially this month of December to February where the temperature is really cold. 

 

So, far I have not experienced any problems with NITECORE NB 10K energy brick since it can be operated at 10 to 40 degrees Celsius or 14 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

The above-mentioned means, no worries and lots of peace of mind.

 

SUMMARY

In my honest opinion, personally, the NITECORE NB 10,000 energy brick is my perfect travel companion whether it be on a journey from the uplands where I live going down to the lowlands (provinces) always keeps my smartphone easily topped up and/or fully charged.

 

For the moment it supplies my smartphone's power top-ups as I use heavily Spotify engaged with my in-ear monitors when mobile coupled with internet browsing. So both of these use cases of mine demand a power draw which NITECORE 10K more than adequately addresses.

 

 

As I mentioned earlier, once I resume and engage in my mountaineering activities requiring four to five days out in the great outdoors, that will prompt me to have a spare perhaps a NITECORE NB 20K to fully address my power needs powering the following devices:

- Two (2) smartphones

- One (1) camping headlamp USB

- One (1) NITECORE P20iX

- One (1) camping lamp USB

Five (5) total devices requiring both low power/high power draw for maximum five days out in the wilderness. That's forthcoming for my 2024 mountaineering adventures.
 

 

NITECORE NB 10,000 energy brick will also be my main power source when I go hiking, and mountaineering which will supply me with low-level charging options for my wearable headlights, and especially my heavy-duty NITECORE P20iX.  

 

(See the photo below to appreciate).

 

Package Contents

 

Out of the box we have the following items:

 

NITECORE NB 10K Energy Brick

 

Accessories: USB Charging Cable (USB-A to USB-C)

 

At the backside of the NB 10K, we find the following printed information. 

 

 Specifications

 

Capacity: 10,000mAh 3.85V (38.5Wh)
Rated Energy: 6,400mAh 5V (TYP 1A)
Input: USB-C: 5V⎓2.4A / 9V⎓2A
Output: USB-C: 5V⎓3A / 9V⎓2.22A / 12V⎓1.68A
USB-A: 5V⎓3A / 9V⎓2A / 12V⎓1.5A

Dual Ports: 5V⎓3A (MAX)

 

SYSMAX Innovations Co., Ltd.

Unit 6355, 5/F, No. 1021 Gaopu Road,

Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510335, 

Guangdong, China

Email: [email protected]

www.nitecore.com

 

Furthermore, the NITECORE NB 10K is described with the following packaging information:

 

Dimensions: 121.9mm × 59mm × 10.6mm (4.8" x 2.32" x 0.42")
 

Weight: 150g±3g (5.29oz±0.11oz)

 

  

 

 

The NITECORE NB 10K comes in a well-protected and well-contained plastic enclosure and carton box.

 

 

Don't loose this piece of paper also as you will need this to scan the QR code and get to NITECORE's Facebook page.

If you like this blog, 

 

Until the next blog post. 

Keep safe, and keep blogging.

Do check me out/follow me on the social media channels below:

 

Instagram: avianquest

 

Twitter: avianquest

 

Facebook:  avianquest

Blog:  avianquests.com

Nikon Z50 - The ForceZ is Strong

 

THE  ForceZ IS STRONG

 

Recently I got myself a nifty Nikon Z50 mirrorless camera.

BACKGROUND

 

The "dark side of the force" of Stars Wars is akin to the camera/photography space.

I started out as a DSLR enthusiast using my Nikon cameras.

However, on April 14, 2019, whilst I was doing street photography my Nikon D7000 started acting weird.  When I reviewed the images, my camera's shutter curtain malfunctioned/failed or reached its end-of-life.

So, from global lockdown to the present all my camera gear, lenses, accessories, et cetera remained in hibernation inside my dry box.

 

WHY DID I GO MIRRORLESS?

Day in day out as tides of time keep technology in a dynamic state, and thus, I have to try and embrace newness and stay updated with the present time in terms of cameras.

Secondly, I enjoy the best of both worlds using my favorite old-school DX lenses (F and G) with Nikon Z50 DX mirror-less platform.

 

MY PRESENT-DAY USE CASE

My present-day use case for the Nikon Z50 is as follows:

I own a varied array of Nikon, Tokina, and Sigma lenses.  

Now I decided to go for a middling level priced FTZ adapter (firmware upgradeable).

Enter the Viltrox NF-Z camera mount adapter for Nikon Z50.

The above-mentioned adapter enabled my Nikon Z50 mirrorless camera to mount Nikon non-z lenses, and third-party lenses like Sigma, Tokina, et cetera.

The Viltrox camera mount adapter works excellent in autofocus with my DSLR Nikon and Sigma prime lenses as follows: 

 

Nikorr 50 mm AF-S F1.8G; and

Nikorr 85 mm AF-S F 1.8G

Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 fixed HSM Art lens

What I love with the Viltrox camera mount adapter is a USB port for firmware upgrades enabling more camera-lens compatibility. 

PREPARATION

Whilst both the Nikon Z50 body and Viltrox NF-Z lens mount adapter then were in transit, I moved forward by doing self-study/learning via YouTube videos.

I decided that the Nikon Z50 will be my primary go-to "EDC" (everyday carry) camera.

 

 

The Nikon Z50 items that come in the box are as follows:

 

Nikon Z50 camera

Nikon battery

Nikon battery charger (with international adapter)

Nikon Z50 camera strap

A USB cable

 

The Nikon Z50 will be my primary go-to "EDC" (everyday carry) camera.

 

So, lightweight thus, no carpal fatigue, and great for traveling especially in the great outdoors when mountaineering.

 

The design was targeted mainly at vloggers in mind. The ergonomic design/features facilitate ease of use for photo/video enthusiasts and speed up the learning curve.

 

I'll keep the camera strap for posterity purposes and instead use my existing Peak Design camera strap.

The original battery is lightweight and prompts me to purchase in the future two more so I won't run out of juice whilst on the field.

The battery charger is handy.

 

The USB cable is essential.

For international travel, a battery charger prong adapter is a must.

 

First things first, I charged the batteries in full.

 

Then secondly, format my SD card.

Thirdly, I updated to the latest firmware of the Nikon Z50.

 

PET PEEVE

One of my pet peeves is an incomplete accessory that was not part of my purchase of this mirrorless camera, which is the hot shoe protector.  I hope Nikon always provide this little piece of important detail in all their Z cameras.

So, as of writing, I decided to purchase a cool hot shoe protector for the main purpose of shielding this "always-open" port from the element of water/dust and wear and tear.

USE CASE

The Nikon Z50 will be my primary camera for the following use cases:

- Landscape photography

- Street photography

- Portrait photography

- Et cetera

 

The following forthcoming accessories on my bucket list for purchase are as follows:

- Godox trigger for my Nikon -      SB700

- Extra Nikon batteries

- Possibly a light tripod/monopod combo

 

Here are a couple of images I took using this camera using the above-mentioned Nikon DX old-school lenses and Sigma.

 

Enjoy!

Yellow Lilliputians

Choir's Loft

 

A Day at the Beach

Coastal Blooms

 

The Fly

 

FACTOID: My Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 fixed HSM Art lens in the above photo weighs 810g / 28.6oz. is HEAVIER than the Nikon Z50 weighing only 14.0 oz. (395 g) .

P.S. Almost negligible post-processing. I manually set the white balance setting of my camera.

 

CONCLUSION

 As Nikon D50 puts it:

"Little but fierce
Super social
Your smartphone's new BFF
Shoot remotely
Apps like it too
Not afraid of your pets
Eye catching in many ways
Extra-creative filters and effects
Your vision multiplied
Oh, what a viewfinder
Silence is golden
A touch of genius
Chic ergonomic
Z mount. One size fits all.
Go live! with the Z50
Your camera, your style."

I concur.

 

By the way, this is PART I of the Nikon Z50 blog series.  More to come on Part II.

 

  All of the above images are in jpg fine format.

If you like this blog, 

 

Until the next blog post. 

Keep safe, and keep blogging.

Do check me out/follow me on the social media channels below:

 

Instagram: avianquest

 

Twitter: avianquest

 

Facebook:  avianquest

Blog:  avianquests.com