Is it time for an EVIL camera?

I find that travelling with a DSLR on short trips has its pros and cons.  Of course, the good thing about it is that it captures a much wider dynamic range for sceneries (well, I am using scenery as a simple word for both street photography and landscape photography), is generally better for low light photography where using a harsh flash may just not be a good thing and the ability for manual controls to sometimes be a little creative.  However, it is also a bane at times as you will need to lug it around with you.

So, the thought of not loosing those advantages whilst travelling seem to lead us to the EVIL cameras.  They are not exactly EVIL, but stands for Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens cameras.  These are the Olympus PEN, Panasonic GF-1/GF-2, Sony NEX and Samsung’s NX-10 cameras.  In fact, some of them even boast the same or even more superior sensors than entry level DSLRs.  However, you do loose some useful buttons for quick setup changes on the cameras with them.

Anyway, now for those who are like me … HERE is a new reason!  Although it is not my preferred travelling destination, but this may happen in various places around the world.  Recently, I was stopped from taking a picture about 50 metres away from the US Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City and I think if I wasn’t using a DSLR, no one would have noticed it anyway!

Or maybe a good compact camera such as the Panasonic LUMIX LX-5 or a Canon S95 would be more convenient?

[Rumours] Panasonic GF-2 … tomorrow?

Following the success of the Lumix GF-1, Panasonic is expected to launch the Lumix GF-2 tomorrow … did I say tomorrow?  Actually, I am not sure, but generally most launches, whether they are cars, property or even cameras seem to occur on a Thursday :-)

Together with the GF-2, it is also expected that Panasonic will launch a 50mm equivalent lens (is that 25mm in 4/3 speak?) and rumours has it that it will be so compact that it will rival that of it’s own offering, the Lumix LX-5!  Of course, it has a larger sensor but with the same megapixel … 12MP.  Not much other information available but expect it to be priced similarly to the GF-1.  Will the GF-1 see a price drop or will it be replaced?

What’s interesting with this model.  It seems that it will have a built-in EVF and it is positioned at the side.  This makes sense as the camera is small and hence there is a need for the shutter to be far enough from the EVF.  It is also suppose to have a repositioned pop-up flash that is much like a DSLR, in that it is above the lens mount.

For those who are interested … I believe this patent filing document will give you an idea of what to expect.

KL Photography Festival (KLPF)

Better now than never.  Ok, there is this large exhibition going on at the Mid-Valley Exhibition Center that is hosting more than 50 photography related exhibitors for this weekend.  These include the normal suspects; Nikon, Canon, Benro, Lowerpro, Epson, Fujifilm …. but, but … also Sigma! Sony! and a few other unusual exhibitors for these type of trade shows.

I for one, who have been avoiding Mid-Valley for weekends, will not be going.  That is for sure.  However, for those who loves an adventure in traffic manoeuvring and experts in special parking areas, there are lots of activities lined up.  These include;

• Sigma New Lens Part I - Steve Chong
• The Olympus PEN as an every day camera by David Chua
• Sony Alpha “The Moment” by James, and
• Lots of Model Shooting opportunities

Have fun and do give leave your comments here after you visited KLPF!  Doesn’t have to be about photography, but the whole idea of having a trade show in a place where even without anything happening on the MVEC, it is already a nightmare place to go to …

Pre-view of 5 new Lotus cars, the Elan, Elise, Eterne, Esprit and Elite

Wow … with the on-going saga on Lotus vs Lotus (to be exact Team Lotus vs Lotus Group), Lotus Group has unveiled 5 new Lotus cars.  Ok, technically 4 more new Lotus cars as the Elite was already disclosed a few weeks back.  Starting from the £35,000 Elise to the £120,000 Eterne, the expected range of cars are:-

• Esprit … yes, the name of the legendary James Bond Lotus Esprit is back in 2013
• Elan, an everyday sports car, that is also expected in 2013
• Elite, the Aston Martin looking car, that was earlier unveiled and is expected in 2014
• Elise, the most affordable model which is expected in 2015
• Eterne, a four-door sports sedan that is also expected in 2015

The Esprit!

The Elise!

The Elan!

The 4 Door Eterne!

Oh … before someone says I forgotten one model … there is a Lotus everyday car that is based on the Concept Proton Emas as well.  But that’s not that interesting as these other 5 models … ;-)

More on A700 replacement at Photokina 2010

Found this video that seems to be captured and uploaded to YouTube by What Digital Camera.  It may be of interest to those (like myself) who have been waiting … and waiting … and waiting for the A700 replacement.

Well, not sure what to think but partially still a little sceptical on the use of SLT and hence an electronic viewfinder on a DSLR.  Oh, note … a new Flash in addition to lenses will soon be available too :-)

Is the A77 the replacement name for the A700 successor?

Sony gave further in-sight into the long … way too long (for me anyway) awaited A700 successor by calling it “Advance Model DSLR” at Photokina 2010.  Well, with the introduction of the A33 and the A55 SLT (Translucent Mirror), many are expecting it to be called the A77SLT as the camera is also expected to have a translucent mirror.

What was revealed at Photokina 2010 was that it will have a vertical grip incorporated (yikes!, that will have it rather large and possibly heavy), does AVCHD and will be using Sony’s APS HD CMOS Sensor.

One thing for sure, it is aimed at serious enthusiast and other than those specifications mentioned above, I am sure it will be better than the 10 fps that the A55SLT is capable of.  However, I personally have to think twice about using a higher end DSLR that is not based on a PentaPrism.  Yet to personally try out the non-optical viewfinder as the SLTs are shipped with an electronic viewfinder.  This I believe is to also help brightened up the 30% light that is use for the viewfinder.

Taman Ayun Temple, Bali, Indonesia

The royal temple of the Mengwi Empire, known as Taman Ayun (Ahyun) Temple, is located at the Mengwi Village, a few kilometres north of Denpasar.  Generally, tourist will visit this place as it is along the route towards Tanah Lot Temple (more on this later).  It is a beautiful and very well maintained temple that is surrounded by water in a very well “manicured” garden.

The whole garden is surrounded by a moat and you have to cross a very short bridge to get into the outer compound of the temple premises.

You will see prayer offerings all over the temples (in fact all over the whole Bali island!) and even in their cars.

One thing to note, if you are having your menstrual cycle, you should skip visiting Bali temples as all of them will have a similar signage.

The main “gate” into the temple.

An alternative view of the gate.

The actual temple is also surrounded by another smaller moat, which has very calming lotus plants floating in it and with the soft sound of water flowing.

There was a prayer being done for a young boy and I managed to capture him coming down from a prayer platform.  He is such a cute little fella.

It’s not only a beautifully maintained temple, it is also a very calming place even though we were in a rush as we have agreed with our driver on being there for 20 minutes only.  I think it is a place where if you have the time, take a very slow stroll and enjoy the environment.  If thirsty, there are lots of road side stalls selling snacks and drink across the main entrance and … you can bargain with them even for a bottle of mineral water!

Access, Edit and Manage Google Documents in Microsoft Office

Most of us are probably very comfortable with using Microsoft Office on a day to day basis but for many, like myself, we are also quite reliant on Google’s technology.  I have been sharing and using Google Documents (GoogleDocs) for sometime now but have always found the interface lacking, especially in the area of formatting.  Furthermore, each time I upload or download a document, the format is affected.

In comes OffiSync! It is a Microsoft Office plug-in that integrates your Microsoft Office with your Google Docs and Google Apps accounts.

Installing OffiSync adds a new toolbar to any version of Microsoft Office, letting users easily import web content such as images and templates right from within MS Office, collaborate with others in real time, letting users see each other's edits as they work with Office files and share their final documents with others inside or outside the firewall.

After the installation of OffiSync, you will get a new ribbon on your Office application toolbar (this is for Office 2007 and later). On the first time, you will be asked for your account login (ok, I don’t know if this information will be stored at OffiSync or not, so …) or you can go to Settings to edit your profile.

The rest of it is pretty much intuitive and a you can watch a brief introduction to OffiSync (an old version) below.

One note, in order for you to be able to save your Office documents in their native format, so that it is easy to edit and your formatting remains, you need to purchase their Premier version.  It doesn’t cost much, just USD12 per year or USD30 for a perpetual license.

Sony officially announces the A33 and A55 SLT

Well, the rumours are true!  Sony did have more than a media preview, they made a press release on their A33 and A55 DSLT!  It is not exactly a DSLR as it is now a Digital Single Lens Translucent!  What does that actually mean to you and me? In layman terms, the SLT have a “translucent” mirror that lets 70% (in this particular case) of light to pass through to the sensor, and the other 30% to your viewfinder.  In other words, instead of the mirror needing to swing out of the way to allow for exposure, it remains fixed.  This allows for the phase-detection auto-focus capability (which somewhat differentiates new DSLR class cameras now from compacts).

Although it would mean that the brightness of the view finder will be significantly reduced (i.e. dark), this technology allows for quick continuous shooting of up to 10 fps with the more precise phase detection auto-focus mechanism.  How this will actually fare, I have yet to get my hands on it.

Although it is a small camera, it comes with a 3” any angle high resolution LCD that actually gives a 100% coverage!  Sweep panorama and auto-HDR has become standard for Sony, so they are included now.

Both the A33 and the A55 are much smaller in size than a traditional DSLR and they are similar in size with the A230, A330 and A380 siblings.

In a nutshell

• A55 (16MP) and A33 (14MP)
• Auto-Focus Full HD Video, 1080i
• 10 fps
• ISO100 – 12800 (can be extended to 25600)

Coupled with SAM lenses, this camera tries to be both a still and a camcorder.

Sony A33 and A55 pictures leaked

With Nikon starting the current spate of DSLR launching with the D3100, Sony has also not been left out.  The soon to be released A33 and A55 (rumours have it that there will be a media preview on August 24th) have their pictures leaked onto the Internet.

Note the recording button on right of the view finder to confirm that this model will have video recording included.

Although these are not official pictures from Sony, I would think that they are the real stuff.  The A33 and the A55 are probably the entry level models with two other higher end models to be released.

The current expected specifications of the Sony Alpha A55:-

• 16MP sensor (to be used by the Nikon D90 replacement as well)
• ISO range of 100 - 12800
• Full HD 1080i video
• 10 frames per second
• 15 AF points
• Global Positioning System Built-in to tag your photos

“THE SHARING” Photo Exhibition

Come and witness an ongoing visual journey of 18 amateur photography students and their teacher as they will be hosting a photography exhibition to share their collection of photographs. The exhibition will be held at The Annexe Gallery, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur on the 30th August to the 5th September 2010. Admission is FREE.

Date: 30th Aug - 5th Sept (Monday to Sunday)

Venue: The Annexe Gallery, Central Market, KL

Time: Daily from 11:00AM - 8:00PM (Free Admission)

Chicken Chop @ Hailam Kopitiam

Being a fan of chicken chop; whether it’s grill chicken chop, hainanese chicken chop, chicken maryland or breaded chicken chop, they are all good to me.  One of the most confusing things about Hainanese Chicken Chop is “what constitutes it being called a Hainanese Chicken Chop”?  There are some thought behind this;

1. The chicken is deep fried in a batter that is made mainly of egg.
2. The sweetish and slightly sour sauce is sufficient to qualify it as Hainanese Chicken Chop
3. It has to be served with boiled potatoes and peas/carrots/corn combination.

All the above doesn’t seem to be adhered to in many places, and the Hainanese Chicken Chop at Hailam Kopitiam (a competing modern day kopi tiam to Old Town White Coffee) has it’s own version.

It is served with chips, some lettuce, coleslaw, deep fried and have a sweet sauce that’s cooked with the carrots/peas/corn combination.  They claimed that the food recipe is the original stuff from Kuala Pilah and have a small 1944 inscribed beside the Hainanese Chicken Chop in the menu.

Straight to the verdict?  It’s tasty, although the sauce is too sweet for my liking BUT I really don’t think this is eligible to be called Hainanese Chicken Chop.  Anyway, the food selection at Hailam Kopitiam is good and being a regular to Old Town White Coffee, this makes a good change.  I also had a Teh C with it.

Still Trappers seem to serve one of the better Hainanese Chicken Chop.  Maybe I will talk about what constitute a Chicken Maryland sometime.

Pictures from Zoo Negara

After returning from the impressive Singapore Zoo, I decided to visit Zoo Negara in Kuala Lumpur to get an idea of its progress as compared to our neighbouring country’s.

27th December 2009, New Sunday Times - Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas, when asked if the government was considering calls by several Zoo Negara life-members for the zoo to be turned into a government-linked company like Singapore Zoo, said: "We are studying various angles.

"After my visit to Singapore Zoo last month, I found that they have a very interesting model which is among the things that we are studying.

"The Singapore Zoo is a very attractive destination for tourists. This is the direction we want to head to. Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas says the ministry finds Singapore Zoo model is interesting "We want tourists to feel that their visit is incomplete without a visit to Zoo Negara.

"Our vision, together with the Tourism Ministry, is for Zoo Negara to be a must see tourist spot."

He said a paper on Zoo Negara would be presented to the cabinet as soon as all loose ends had been tied up.

Coupled with the upcoming Sony Malaysia’s event on going to the Zoo … sounds like a pre-school trip =), here are some of my Zoo photos from many moons ago …

I always liked photos that shows interaction between animals and humans as it gives it a kind of “humanity” in us.

Two deer having a go at each other.  Couldn’t get the right angle as a lower angle would be good for that shot.

That’s all for now …

Sony releases Carl Zeiss 24mm F2, 35mm F1.8 and 85mm F2.8 SAM

85mm F2.8 SAM

Ah, more choices for A-Mount alpharians.  A “luxury” Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm F2 with SSM, a portrait 85mm F2.8 lens and a fast 35mm F1.8 for APS-C sized cameras.

DT 35mm F1.8 SAM

I will predict that the prices for the 85mm F2.8 will be circa USD399 whilst the 35mm F1.8 will be slightly higher than the 50mm F1.8 at around USD249.  This are just my estimates based on them needing to be competitive with the other brands.

Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm F2 ZA SSM

Press release summary,

The Distagon T* 24mm F2 ZA SSM (SAL24F20Z) features the acclaimed Carl Zeiss Distagon design and rounds out the existing Planar (SAL85F14Z) and Sonnar (SAL135F18Z) models also developed in conjunction with Carl Zeiss. It is intended to appeal to experienced photographers looking for a large-aperture wide-angle lens of real distinction.

The DT 35mm F1.8 SAM (SAL35F18) adds the important 35mm focal length to the ‘Easy Choice’ series. ‘Easy Choice’ is intended to provide great value, compact and lightweight lenses that are attractive to entry-level and advanced photographers alike. Each lens in the series is selected for a specific purpose, for example portraiture or macro.

The 85mm F2.8 SAM (SAL85F28) is another ‘Easy Choice’ lens, this time offering the 85mm focal length considered the standard for portraiture because of the natural perspective it provides. True to type it is extremely compact and light, weighing just 175g.

The press release is here.

Some Pictures from Putrajaya Flora (Floria) Festival 2010

Didn’t really spent much time there, just wanted to test out the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 when I was out for lunch.  Since the flora festival is just nearby, decided to go over to have lunch at one of the stalls there.  Somehow, the main area seem to be dominated with coloured drinks, fried kuey teow and nasi campur.  Seriously, can’t they think of something else to sell?  Anyway, ended up at the place they reserve for the franchised eateries, e.g. KFC, Pizza Hut, Kopie Satu and Melawati Kebab!  I am not sure why but they put these fellas away from the beaten track and you really have to search for them.

Since I was short of time, I just basically did another in and dash out situation and can’t really comment on the flowers there.  Here are some shots taken … will start with the …

Of course, the attempt to take MACRO without a flash indoors won’t really work no matter what camera & lens combination you have!

My wife’s favourite flower … taken indoors and direct flash from the camera body, too harsh!

And of course a shot of lots of them together.

Anyway, didn’t spend much time there and really can’t comment on it.  However, a special mention for the FAMA franchise program for the KopieSatu franchise … the coffee rocks!  Unfortunately, I don’t qualify to be a franchisee …

Panasonic LX5 Specifications

It is highly likely that the Panasonic LX3 replacement will be named the LX5 (as evident from their own website.  If you do a search on google using “site:panasonic.com lx5”, you will actually get some links which I think by the time you access it, it will give you document not found.  Of course, you can still click on the “cache” copy and you will be shown the following page.

As a summary, the LX5 features are:-

• F2.0 Leica DC Summicron Lens (rumours indicates a 3.8x, F2.0 to F3.3)
• 1/1.63" High Sensitivity 10 megapixel CCD with evolved sensor technology (rumours indicates ISO of 80 – 12800)
• My color mode, Manual exposure even in movie mode.
• HD Movie Recording - AVCHD Lite
• Optional Optical Viewfinder available as part of the accessories list

I will assume that the launch date for the Panasonic LX5 is near, very near …

Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM Released

Ok, I just bought a Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC and here I am posting about the Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS.  Sounds the same?  Well, no!  Sometime in May 2010, Sigma launched the upgraded model to include Optical Stabilizer (OS) or in Nikon speak, VR, or Canon speak, IS, or Tamron speak, VC and whatever else the others call it.

It has a different lens construction compared to the 18-50mm F2.8 to possibly cater for the slightly wider angle (17mm instead of 18mm), a larger filter size diameter of 77mm, about 25% heavier at 565g, not a “MACRO” lens with minimum focusing distance of 28cm instead of 20cm and of course with Optical Stabilizer which allows for up to 4 stops slower.  It is currently available for Sony, Nikon, Canon, Pentax and of course Sigma mount!  Recommended retail price is approximately USD900-1,000.

More information from Sigma’s website.

Un-boxing the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 lens delivered from DD Electronics

In my earlier posting, I wrote about my experience purchasing from a lens online from DD Electronics. The box delivered was rather large compared to the actual Sigma lens box.  I made a short video on the un-boxing of the lens I purchase from them to give an idea of how it was packed.  Hopefully, this helps those who are not sure what to expect in the delivery of a fragile item such as a DSLR lens.  Also, for those who intend to sell their used DSLR lenses, hopefully, this helps in showing how it should be packed.

This short video also shows what are the items that comes with the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC MACRO lens.  Basically, it comes with the lens, the lens hood, warranty card, user manual and a nice Sigma lens case.

As this is my second time trying to make a video, please excuse the poor quality audio.  Maybe I need the Sony NEX-VG10?

Opinion on the lens coming up soon …

Cyberjaya Digital Photography Contest 2010

In order to continuously promote Cyberjaya, Cyberview Sdn Bhd has organized a Digital Photography Contest for 2010 with total prizes valued at RM3,750 (unless my calculation is wrong).  The tagline for this competition is “Discover Cyberjaya” and the theme is “Cyberjaya: Images of Glory”. Photos can be submitted centred around the following topics of interest,

• People and Residents: Shots that depict lifestyles of people around Cyberjaya, either students, workers or people living in Cyberjaya.
• Architecture: Pictures that portray the numerous buildings and facilities around Cyberjaya including development in progress.
• Nature: Greenery, and other beautiful sceneries.

I feel that this is a good opportunity for photography enthusiast as the prize money is small and hence will not attract the more serious or professional photographers.  Although the theme of “Images of Glory” seems inappropriate for the topics of interest, it is nevertheless an “entry level” competition (I guess).

Maybe I will test out of Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 MACRO on the “Nature” topic?  Application form can be downloaded here (stored on google docs!!!).

Sony Launches the NEX-VG10 Camcorder with APS-C size Sensors

Immediately following the “successful” launch of the NEX-3 and NEX-5 EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) cameras, Sony has launched the much anticipated NEX-VG10 Camcorder with Interchangeable lens!  This camcorder uses the same lenses as the NEX Alpha series, the E-Mount lenses.  Here is a video by Sony on their new “Handycam”.

In order to differentiate the NEX and the NEX-VG series, several main points are;

• Manual controls during video recording for aperture, shutter, ISO and white balance.
• 24Mbps AVCHD vs 17Mbps AVCHD on the NEX EVIL cameras
• Captures 14.2 MP still images but not RAW (hence for stills, you still need a non-video centric camera).

With only 3 native E-mount lenses currently (I am sure many more will come), Sony has also ensured that existing Alpha A-Mount lenses can be used with an adapter.  However, I would think that many of the manual control features may not work with the A-Mount lenses.

From what I can see from the promotional video released, this is the camcorder to have! … If not for the USD1,999 asking price (but with the 18-200mm lens).  The bokeh is just soo soooooo soooooooooo sweet.  Having said that, I have seen similar from the Canon 5D Mk II.  Available in September 2010.

Lens Purchasing Experience from DD Electronics Singapore

In summary, it was a very smooth and good experience.  If you like to know more, please read on. About a week ago, I decided to acquire an all-rounder lens that’s affordable for the Canon 400D body that I have with me.  Upon doing a quick review and browsing online, I stumbled upon the DD Electronics website.  I have been to this website in the past but I never did needed anything and I do have some reservations about online purchasing of fragile items.

The design of the website is functional, nothing fancy.  It was easy enough to find items but it can be better, especially the search criteria and filter.  It stocks mainly Canon and Nikon items but it also has Panasonic, Olympus and the major third party lenses such as Sigma and Tamron lenses.

So, I proceeded to create a new login ID, went in and worked out the cost of delivery for the lens.  It came up to be a reasonable price, after I made several other comparisons with other online retailers, I proceeded to place an order.  I gave the necessary details for the purchase (after reading the terms and conditions, especially the warranty of the item) and only finally clicked OK several hours later (I was sure about getting the lens, just wasn’t sure about getting it from an online retailer outside the country).  So, I hoped for the best … and expect the worse.

To my surprise, they were very efficient, they immediately sent me a confirmation email the next morning (I ordered it late evening) followed by an email informing me that they will charge a small amount to my credit card and asked me to verify that it is my credit card by replying to them the amount that was charged (the email wasn’t worded very well).  This is quite a common method for retailers to protect themselves from online credit card fraud.  This will only work if you have online access to check your credit card charges and if you don’t, you probably have to wait for your credit card statement!  (or call the credit card company).  The other drawback on this is that there will be a delay as most transactions take a day or two or more to register.  As it was the weekend anyway, it didn’t make any difference to me.

On Monday, I gave them the details and they immediately shipped out the item, a Sigma lens.  At each stage, an email will be sent to you on the status of your order, e.g. Item Shipped.  However, it would have been good if they had included the tracking ID.  The other minor complain I have is that once the courier company collects it from them, they will send you an email saying that the transaction and delivery is “completed”!.  I mean, I haven’t even received it yet! It would be good that once the courier company has confirmed delivery, only then they send out such an email.

So … it arrived on Tuesday!  Kudos to DHL! And the box is kinda large for a small lens.

As you can see, the box is several times the size of the Canon 400D body!  And what did I get?  I got myself a brand new Sigma 18-50 f2.8 lens.  It does say Macro but then it is not a 1:1 Macro but 1:3 magnification.

More on the lens later …