Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

My friends,

I have taken the time to compile a small video reviewing the Inova T4 Tactical/Police Flashlight. If you have any further questions I would be more than happy to answer them or you can email me at aaronker@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

Aaron Ker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FodcaWvirt8

Good review, but I do hope that can of OC you have is have is inert or empty.;)

Good review, but I do hope that can of OC you have is have is inert or empty.;)

Its Dog Repellant, I just said OC to avoid confusion

Excellent review, thanks.

And if you would talk a little faster they would hire you for those disclaimers at the end of commercials.:D

Excellent review, thanks.

And if you would talk a little faster they would hire you for those disclaimers at the end of commercials.:D

I get that alot actually :mad:

Dammit, I wrote a lengthy critique and the fricking computer lost it! :mad:

Well, I don't feel like writing it all again (maybe another day) so I'll cut to the chase - still plenty of room for improvement (nitpicking) but, overall, Good Job (A for effort)! Thanks for sharing!

Also see http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/inova_t4.htm

Hey MB, ok have a little bit of time right now - please take the following as constructive criticism (even though it's nitpicking):

I just went through yet another instructor development course (64 hours) so I'm a little more sensitive to "glitches" in presentations right now.

1. tech setup - Do you have the ability to review and/or edit your presentation before submitting? Also, are you limited on the size or length (time) of your video by a website server or other factor? I think you did a good job of covering what you did in one pass but could you do it a different way?

2. "ums"/"uhs" - many people, including me, say them way more often than they think. Sometimes people may not notice, sometimes they may key in on it. IF they key in on it, your audience may conclude that you are unsure of yourself or, worse, unfamiliar with the subject matter (when really all you may need is a little more work on your transitions). Other "repeats" include "ok?", "all right", "you know", etc.

3. voice/mannerisms - IMO, you seemed a little hurried and your voice was more on the monotone side. Don't worry about it TOO much - a few of the video reviews I've seen of products on big websites like CNET have been the same (hurried). With regards to your verbal delivery - try changing your inflection, timing, volume. Play around a little - have fun. The reason I asked about your setup - perhaps you could slow down your flow of information a little by segmenting your presentation into 2-3 separate video clips? Also, if you have the ability to review/edit, try playing back your recording 4 ways: 1. sound only - listen to your voice, 2. video only - watch your movements/gestures, 3. video and sound together, 4. fast forward - watching your movements/gestures (are you doing the same thing over and over, etc).

4. choice of background - yours didn't really bother Me, but some people are more easily distracted than others. If you can reduce the "clutter" in your background, you have a better chance at keeping your targeted audience focused on what you want them to see.

5. message you want to send/ comparisons to known quantities - I liked the way you compared the size But did you have a ruler handy (not everyone has a Nano or MK3/4 can of spray)? Or, sometimes people will show relative sizing by shooting video/pictures of the subject item compared to other common items in its class (e.g. T4 vs Streamlight SL20 or Maglight 2/3D or Mini Maglight, etc). Not sure if I missed it, but what was the "bottom line" of your review? What did you like, what didn't you like, was it worth the money, etc? And, if you have the ability, beamshot comparisons between the T4 and other "known" lights would be very nice - darkened hallway, night time outdoor, etc.

I think that's about it for now. Again, I hope my comments don't irritate or discourage you. You did a Good Job! Also, how many people who own T4's have actually stepped up to the plate and made and shared a video?

Looking forward to your next review.

As an Instructor Samuel has some great tips on polishing your performance. Thanks for the heads up on the flashlight.

Hey MB, ok have a little bit of time right now - please take the following as constructive criticism (even though it's nitpicking):

I just went through yet another instructor development course (64 hours) so I'm a little more sensitive to "glitches" in presentations right now.

1. tech setup - Do you have the ability to review and/or edit your presentation before submitting? Also, are you limited on the size or length (time) of your video by a website server or other factor? I think you did a good job of covering what you did in one pass but could you do it a different way?

2. "ums"/"uhs" - many people, including me, say them way more often than they think. Sometimes people may not notice, sometimes they may key in on it. IF they key in on it, your audience may conclude that you are unsure of yourself or, worse, unfamiliar with the subject matter (when really all you may need is a little more work on your transitions). Other "repeats" include "ok?", "all right", "you know", etc.

3. voice/mannerisms - IMO, you seemed a little hurried and your voice was more on the monotone side. Don't worry about it TOO much - a few of the video reviews I've seen of products on big websites like CNET have been the same (hurried). With regards to your verbal delivery - try changing your inflection, timing, volume. Play around a little - have fun. The reason I asked about your setup - perhaps you could slow down your flow of information a little by segmenting your presentation into 2-3 separate video clips? Also, if you have the ability to review/edit, try playing back your recording 4 ways: 1. sound only - listen to your voice, 2. video only - watch your movements/gestures, 3. video and sound together, 4. fast forward - watching your movements/gestures (are you doing the same thing over and over, etc).

4. choice of background - yours didn't really bother Me, but some people are more easily distracted than others. If you can reduce the "clutter" in your background, you have a better chance at keeping your targeted audience focused on what you want them to see.

5. message you want to send/ comparisons to known quantities - I liked the way you compared the size But did you have a ruler handy (not everyone has a Nano or MK3/4 can of spray)? Or, sometimes people will show relative sizing by shooting video/pictures of the subject item compared to other common items in its class (e.g. T4 vs Streamlight SL20 or Maglight 2/3D or Mini Maglight, etc). Not sure if I missed it, but what was the "bottom line" of your review? What did you like, what didn't you like, was it worth the money, etc? And, if you have the ability, beamshot comparisons between the T4 and other "known" lights would be very nice - darkened hallway, night time outdoor, etc.

I think that's about it for now. Again, I hope my comments don't irritate or discourage you. You did a Good Job! Also, how many people who own T4's have actually stepped up to the plate and made and shared a video?

Looking forward to your next review.

I appreciate your lengthly review samuel, In answer to your questions:

1. Yes, I have several programs at my disposal in order to edit my movie (windows movie maker, Adobe creative suite) The service I used (youtube) takes quite a while to upload videos, hence the time.

2. This is just a nervous thing...

3. Good idea

4. I have changed the background.

5. A final remark will be added, as well as beamshots

Again, I truly appreciate the time you took to make such a great review, I should have the "revised video" up sometime tonight.

Regards,

Aaron Ker

One of the biggest pluses the Inova has going for it is it's durability (said to be crush resistant or crush proof, I'm not sure which one) because of aluminum grade it's made from. Would you happen to have anything you can run it over with or park on top of it? Say, a Crown Vic or Leopard II tank?

Just joking. Don't ruin your light, but on a more serious note maybe you could incorporate a dunk test or drop test to demonstrate its water resistance/durability? Just an idea.

The video is about the light. The viewer wants to actually see the light for more than a brief second.

The viewer doesn't have to see you to hear the narration.

Let the light lay there on its bezel in front of the camera and talk. Just let it sit there, unmoving.

Let everything revolve around the light.

Oh, and BTW, the less movement there is (depending on the encoding scheme), the lower the file size.