A japanese poster featuring the Sony A750 that is being rumoured to be launched in 2010 (well, if it is not tomorrow, it’s 2010!).
It is said to feature Liveview, HD Video(?), fast FPS and using the EXMOR CMOS sensor with 18MP capability. Stay tuned, more later …
Sony is having an attractive trade-in program for their handycam camcorder. Basically, all you need to do is to go to participating outlets and trade-in your old camcorder of any brand and receive up to RM500 rebate on a new Sony Handycam.
They have 5 models for the trade-in programme. The highest end model is the HDR-XR520E which is a HD camcorder with a 240GB hard disk. For that particular model, not only will you get the RM500 rebate, but also a free DPP-FP95 photoprinter (which somehow doesn’t sell very well) and also a starter accessory kit.
The lowest end model on this rebate offer is the DCR-SX40E, which after rebate is just slightly above RM1,000 and it too comes with some free gifts such as an additional battery pack and a carrying case.
Find out more at http://handycam.sony.com.my/index.php?c=Home.
It has been years since I have been to the historic Coliseum Cafe and Hotel (CCH) or more commonly known as Coliseum Restaurant. Recently, a friend of mine mentioned that he has never been there although he has been living in Kuala Lumpur nearly all his life. So, we decided to hop over to have a quick lunch over there.
The restaurant hasn’t really changed very much, it is still pretty much the same except for the waiters. The original partners have not retired and the last I heard, some have sadly passed away. These were the same people that served our country’s founding members in 1957!
I thought I treat myself with a nice steak as I haven’t had one for ages. Anyway, it was on the set menu, so I guess its an easy decision … medium well please. Opps, soup and coleslaw (as an appetizer?) first.
Covered with black pepper sauce. Still taste the same, not much has changed in this place. The mashed spinach is really yummy.
I guess I don’t have to give directions to this place. Just ask any local, they should be able to tell you where it is located. For parking, there’s ample parking at the rear of the building (during weekends :-)
I also managed to take some pictures of the flyer itself, not from afar as you can probably find lots of those pictures from the various promotional materials by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and from others. Anyway, I thought that I share some pictures of the Flyer taken from the capsule itself.
There are some capsules that are furnished for dining purposes too. I don’t have a close up. The picture below is one of those capsule although my intention was to show that the boarding platform curves with the movement of the capsule.
The structure of the flyer reminds me of a bicycle wheel (unlike the much more attractive looking London Eye).
Visit their website at http://www.singaporeflyer.com/ for more information.
The Singapore Flyer, which is basically a very large ferries wheel and similar to the London Eye is located at The Marina and is just beside the Singapore F1 Grand Prix paddocks.
From the flyer, you can see ships on the Straits of Singapore, over the Marina Barrage.
As mentioned, the F1 track starting grid is also in full view.
The rear of the paddocks (which is actually where the entrance/exit to the Singapore Flyer is located).
Just over Marina Bay, non-stop work on The Sands Resort is well under way. The Sands is one of the two casino based resort that will be opening its doors in mid-2010.
The Float @ Marina Bay.
You can’t miss the Durian … opps, the Esplanade as it is actually known but I am sure it is easier to identify it as the 2 durians of Singapore.
The City during sunset … actually OUB Plaza (I think).
And finally, somehow, I just can’t help but to snap and share this picture.
The KL PHOTOAWARDS is calling for entries to its Contemporary Photographic Portraiture Competition. This is the 2nd time it is having this event and it is open to all international photographers, from amateurs to professionals alike.
However, whether you are amateurs, novices, beginners and professionals, the competition does not distinguish this and does not have separate categories (well, this makes sense as how do we know if you are a beginner or a professional anyway?).
Anyway, the important information.
Timeline
Website http://www.klphotoawards.com
Just a few shots to share with a very pleasant visit to the Singapore Zoo. Unlike zoos of the past where animals are kept behind bars or in cages for visitors to see, the new generation of zoos seem to like the concept of being open. The Singapore Zoo is no exception and I must say it has been a very delightful visit. Our original intention was to visit the zoo for 2 hours but we ended up being there for about 6 hours and would have stayed longer if we were more prepared.
The Singapore Zoo specializes in primates and if you ever wonder why they have a restaurant called “Ah Meng Restaurant” which seems to be out of place for this very cosmopolitan city, Ah Meng was actually the name of an Orang Utan that died earlier this year (2009).
If you ever visit, try to go early, walk around and be early for the following shows which I think was good.
One of carlos’ friends, the penguin.
No, the picture above was not post processed, they have white tigers there.
And of course, there’s the pony rides for the kids. This fella looks kinda bored with his job. I guess walking around with a kid on your back for a short distance is really not all that exciting.
Definitely worth a visit.
There are so many manufacturers for camera bags with uncountable number of models collectively. Obviously the most well known ones are Lowepro, Kata, ThinkTank, Crumpler, Bagman, Jenova, Winner, Billingham, National Geographic and many more. So, there are probably 1000s of camera bags of whatever shapes and sizes BUT somehow you just can’t seem to find one that fits what you need. Wouldn’t it be great to have a small backpack that can fit in a body with a 70-200 f2.8 lens, a flash, a 16-135 lens, a 10” Netbook, a 4” x 6” wacom device, some filter and an additional battery for the Netbook (not the camera?) … oh, and for good measure, a tripod as well. If anyone can recommend a bag that fits the above, please tell me where.
If not, then you are in luck! You can design your own bag and if you are selected by professional judges, then you will get a hand-made KATA bag. Wait, it will also be filled with a Canon 5D Mk II, 2 Canon Lenses, Tripod, and more! (Hint: Make sure you design a bag that can fit in the prizes). If you are interested and want to know how, visit their competition website!
Have a look at the entry catalog … I am sure you may agree with many of the designs submitted too!
Well, the unveiling of “rachael” (the codename for the phone … or is it a camere? before it became the Xperia X10) has been long awaited. It’s slim, it’s a Sony … ahem, sorry, Sony Ericsson, it’s a smartphone, it runs on Android and it has Sony’s own User eXperience interface …
They also have a promotional video for racheal. I wonder if the the girl’s name is rachael? Anyway, it has an extractive and catchy music in the video.
Oh, got carried away with the catchy video. The phone comes with a 8.1 megapixel camera and 12x digital zoom. The Xperia X10, coming to you in 2010!
The first prize is a Canon Powershot S90, Canon WP-DC35 Waterproof Case (worth around USD200/- and is rated for a depth of 40 meters!) and the Canon Selphy ES40 photo printer (which of course can’t be used underwater =). How can you win it? Visit The Powershot S90 Street Photography Challenge for further details!
In short, you don’t need to be a Canon user, it is open since 23rd October and the closing date is end of this year (actually 29th December 2009), limited to 3 entries per participant (from the following countries; Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam) and submission is to be in JPEG with a file size of not larger than 1MB.
I personally find the 10 tips interesting but I guess most people will probably not be adhering to tip number 2 (use a compact camera!) as most photographers will have a DSLR handy.
By the way, the Canon S90 is very similar to the Canon G11 and it is reviewed against the Sony WX-1 here.
Once again, Sony through it’s massive marketing arm, has leaked out the new Alpha 750. I guess the specifications would not be far different from my earlier posting about the A730. Although the site below thinks that the A750 will be a 14.2MP full-frame, I am not too sure (of course, I have not idea but logically speaking, I can’t see why Sony would launch a barrage of Full Frame DSLRs unless they are trying to kill off the profit margins of N & C).
[Source: Engadet, LetsGoDigital]
This is an interesting competition in that you need to take a picture of an URL creatively! That’s kinda interesting and I can imagine quite a lot of different variations but I think I can’t think of an interesting angle.
Oh ya, the competition is slightly different. It is not the best photo that will win it but the person who submits the most number of creative images (I guess they do qualify it with the word creative). The competition is being held by Exa Bytes Network and you can get the details from here.
An excerpt from the competition site:
Time to snap, snap, snap and show off your photography skills by joining our Snap and Win Contest to stand a chance to win (are you ready?) . . . a stylish Canon EOS 1000D worth RM2199 for you to flaunt!
How to Join?
- Take a picture of any ads (from the magazine, newspaper or signboard) which contains a valid website URL.(It does not need to be exabytes url)
- Upload the picture in your blog/website/photo sharing application (e.g.: flickr, photobucket, etc)
- Submit the URL of the uploaded picture in our forum.
Remember, to join as Exabytes forum member before submitting.
How to Win?
- Submit as many entries of different ads as you possibly can.
- Contestant with the most creative entries wins.
A creative way to promote their forum and a creative way to collect more images for them to use in their marketing materials.
Today, I visited my neighbourhood friendly dragonfly, who sometimes likes to pose for the camera. Unfortunately for him, I am still not able to take it’s handsome eye shots as I don’t have a MACRO lens … or maybe it’s the photographer actually. These shots were taken with the Sony Alpha A200, with the SAL1870DT kit lens. Most of the shots were taken at 70mm focal length and at ISO100.
A head on shot of the little fella.
Focused on the wings (below).
Focused on the back of the body (below).
100% crop of the back of the body.
Another attempt at trying to focus on the eyes, 100% crop.
I am not sure whether I am actually suppose to be able to get better close up shots than these or I really do need a lens that is suitable for MACRO shots. What do you guys/gals think?
