Archive for the ‘Nikon’ Category
Tuesday, December 4th, 2012
After a scrumptious meal at CoCo Ichibanya, we made another unplanned stop at the Tosu Premium Outlets before continuing towards our first night in Kyushu – Beppu.
* All photos in this post were taken with a Nikon D800 DSLR and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens.
Window dressing for Dog Dept, one of the shops at Tosu Premium Outlets.
The town of Tosu lies at the crossroads of two major expressways of Kyushu.
Some familiar brands at the Tosu Premium Outlets.
One runs north-south from Fukuoka to Kumamoto and beyond, while the other runs east-west from Oita to Nagasaki.
So it’s an ideal location for Premium Outlets.
People commuting long distance from one part of Kyushu to another tend to go through Tosu and it’s so convenient to just make a quick stopover.
We’d already planned our final hotel stay in Kyushu to be in Tosu before flying out of Japan.
But since it was on our way to Beppu, we decided to take a quick preview of what the outlets had to offer.
As an outlet shopping mall, the Tosu Premium Outlets seemed pretty run-of-the-mill, with the usual brands that we see at other similar malls.
Another unplanned stop to take a preview of the Tosu Premium Outlets.
But we’ll be taking a closer look at the end of this trip so maybe we’ll discover something special.
Miyuki – a local restaurant in Beppu whose owner doubled up as enthusiastic tour guide. This photo of its exterior was shot at ISO 6400 with little noise.
After Tosu, we continued our drive towards Beppu, the seaside town known for its hot springs.
Trying out the local fare – especially the Dango Jiru soup, which is made with flattened wheat flour dumplings.
Here we had a little bit of difficulty locating our hotel among the tiny and complicated streets in the area.
Checking out the shops and wares of You Me shopping centre in Beppu. Everybody recommends it – for its free parking in town, from which to visit other sights.
Contemplating whether to make a stop at Uniqlo. This shot was deliberately over-exposed to get a high-key effect that puts the focus on the boy in the car and the brand.
So we asked a local who promptly got onto his motorbike to show us the way to the family-run establishment called Happy Neko – where we had booked a studio apartment complete with kitchen and launderette facilities.
Bukkake is served in the food court – here it’s a legitimate and traditional Japanese dish, not a genre.
The Czech proprietor, Bibo, sat down with us to tell us about the places to visit, food to eat, and things to do during our 2-day stay at Beppu. He spoke perfect English.
So we headed out for dinner at a local restaurant, whose owner plied us with more brochures, travel magazines and recommendations on what to do during our stay.
The owner was a one-man-show: owner, chef, steward. He had visited Singapore before and immediately associated the Merlion with our island nation.
After dinner, we popped into the huge shopping mall in town – YouMe, before visiting the Hyotan onsen spa near where we stayed – an apt and restful end to a long day of travel.
Tomorrow, we shall visit the Beppu Hells – eight natural hot springs that tourists all over Japan come to visit.
Tags:Beppu, Bukkake, D800, driving, Food, holiday, Japan, Japan 2012, Kyushu, Nikon, onsen, rental car, travel, vacation
Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Food, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, Shopping, Travel | 1 Comment »
Monday, December 3rd, 2012
The direct flight from Changi Airport Terminal 3 in Singapore took slightly more than six hours to reach the International Airport in Fukuoka, where we collected our rental car.
* All photos in this post were taken with a Nikon D800 DSLR and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens.
SIA SQ656 flies 5 times a week direct from Singapore to Fukuoka – 0105 hrs to 0810 hrs. This is the golden sunrise from the plane’s window.
We paid for the air tickets using the UOB Prvi Amex card which entitled us to a free airport limousine transfer from home to the airport. We did have some problems getting them to change the date of the limousine to the correct day, but the service from the driver was excellent.
First thing upon arrival is to pick up the rental car. Take a free airport shuttle from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal and then cross the road.
The flight itself was unremarkable and upon landing we promptly collected our rental car from Nissan Car Rental outside the Domestic Terminal.
First stop after picking up the car is to visit the supermarket to stock up on supplies, especially bottled drinking water.
First stop was the supermarket to top up supplies and to get bottled water, before heading to our first stop – Beppu – a seaside town 2 hours’ drive from Fukuoka.
We’d discovered CoCo Ichibanya during our visit to Kyoto and Nagoya some years back and the children loved it.
We didn’t get far before we came across an outlet of the CoCo Curry house.
CoCo Ichibanya has since expanded into Singapore although we haven’t had the chance to check it out back at home.
That’s our favourite Japanese curry house so we decided to stop there for lunch – that’s the kind of flexibility that a self-drive holiday gives you – you can make unplanned stops at your whim and fancy.
Tags:CoCo, curry, D800, driving, holiday, Japan, Japan 2012, Kyushu, Nikon, Nissan, rental car, SIA, travel, vacation
Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos | 1 Comment »
Sunday, December 2nd, 2012
Every time we set off for a family vacation, guess who gets to set off first, and is always the last to return home?
Cliff gets to set off for his staycation before us and only returns home after we’ve returned and settled back at home. Photo taken with Nikon D800.
It’s Cliff of course – that’s our resident Golden Retriever.
Before we set off for our family vacation, we have to pack him off to his boarder – which costs as much as our own hotels.
We wonder if he misses home and us, but secretly concedes that he probably enjoys his staycation as much as we do our vacation.
What with the other dogs at the boarder to hump interact with.
And we usually pick him up after we’ve come back from vacation and have unpacked and settled down.
So guess who has the longest vacations in the family?
Tags:Cliff, D800, dog, holiday, Japan, Japan 2012, Kyushu, Nikon, travel, vacation
Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, Lens, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, Travel | No Comments »
Saturday, December 1st, 2012
So we decided that there was a 2-week window to grab a quick break. But that’s like one-week away. Is it possible to plan the usual DIY self-drive holiday at such short notice?
Aerial view of Fukuoka, our gateway to Kyushu.
The answer is yes, with the advent of the Internet. Here’s a recap of what I did for my own holiday.
Cutting it close
I booked the air tickets the day we decided to go for the break, the car rental the next day, 3 hotels on the third day, and the remaining 3 on the fourth day.
The remaining days were spent planning the itinerary for each stop.
It’s as close to the date of departure as I’ve ever tried going on a self-planned, self-drive vacation.
First the obvious, decide how long you’ve got and where you want to go. In my case, we’ve long wanted to visit Kyushu in Japan, and the window of opportunity available was roughly two weeks.
If you’re thinking of visiting Japan, I recommend this site called japan-guide.com. It has comprehensive descriptions of popular tourist spots all over Japan, as well as travel tips for Japan.
Even more useful is its forum where vacation planners get their queries answered in detail with advice from a community of fellow travelers, as well as useful links to resources – such as timetables, rates etc – outside of the website.
Next book the air tickets. The availability and price of last-minute tickets usually determine whether your vacation destination will become a reality.
Cameras of choice
For this vacation, I’m entrusting our memories to the Nikon D800, with the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED and the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lenses.
That’s almost 4 kg of camera gear but for the sake of image quality, I believe the 36.3-megapixel full-frame camera and two FX lenses from Nikon are worth every ounce of their weight.
Besides, we have the rental car to carry the gear between sights.
For a second camera, my wife will be carrying our trusty Olympus E450 with the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens.
I use Zuji.com to get a feel of the airlines plying Singapore and the possible stops and the price range, then if there’s time, check competing sites or the airline’s website for better rates.
For Kyushu, it was pretty straightforward, only Singapore Airlines fly directly there from Singapore – to Fukuoka. It’s straightforward until you hit the SIA website. For a premier airline, it sure has a terrible website for bookings and reservations – plenty of long waits.
Next is the car rental. I use ToCoo car rental. It helps you check the rates for multiple car rental companies with cars available in the cities where you intend to pick up and drop off the car. But you’ve got to compare rates manually yourself.
Computing on the go
For computing, I’m bringing along the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook, a BlackBerry PlayBook, and the Seagate 1TB Backup Plus.
The X1 Carbon is sleek in design, wonderfully thin and light, yet powerful enough for surfing Web and running Photoshop and Dreamweaver CS6 for photo-editing and blogging back in the hotel room.
The 7-inch PlayBook keeps the children entertained with game apps, and serves as an e-book reader. Its biggest bugbear is that it’s the Wi-Fi version and does not have 3G, but I don’t use 3G data in Japan anyway.
To store and back up the 40MB RAW photo files generated by the D800, I brought along the 1TB Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive. The 2.5-inch plug-and-play drive constantly backs up the hard disk and makes posting photos online a breeze.
Usually, I pick up the car at the airport, drive off to the first destination and return the car at the airport I’m flying off from. If the pick-up and drop-off locations are different, check if a surcharge is levied and how much it is.
Fuss-free music
For music in the hotel room, we’re bringing along the Jabra Solemate portable speaker. Instead of lugging stacks of CDs around, simply download your favourite tracks onto an SD card and plug it into the Solemate.
What I like most is we can play our song collections and playlists wirelessly from our smartphones, tablet and Ultrabook via Bluetooth. It’s portable, easy to use and the sound quality is superb.
Finally, book the hotels. I know some Japanese so I used to browse Japanese booking websites and hotel websites directly, calling them on the phone for enquiries and reservations.
This time round, I discovered that my favourite accomodation-booking website for Europe holidays – booking.com – now has quite extensive list of hotels in Japan. Enough to find hotels that fit your budget in most places in Japan.
I like booking.com because of its clear information and easy booking. So even if you don’t know ANY japanese, you can still find and book accommodation easily.
Smartphones
We don’t use smartphones an awful lot, but for the record, we’re bringing along the Android Sony Xperia ion and an aging iPhone 3GS.
I’ve left the Nokia Lumia 900 at home because Nokia maps does not have the navigation map for Japan, and I’m renting an English GPS with the car anyway.
Another website that I tried last year – hotels.com – seems to be only beginning to move into Japan, with poor selection and high prices. I’m hoping there coverage and pricing will improve over time.
Once you’ve gotten the flight, car and hotel bookings out of the way, what remains is the physical packing for the big day.
Tags:Backup Plus, Carbon, D800, holiday, ION, Jabra, Japan, Japan 2012, Kyushu, Lenovo, Nikon, Olympus, Seagate, Solemate, Sony, travel, ultrabook, vacation, X1, Xperia
Posted in Apple, Audio, Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, Lenovo, Lens, Lumia, NIKKOR, Nikon, Nokia, Notebooks, Olympus, Phones, Photography, PlayBook, RIM, Seagate, Sony Mobile, speakers, storage drive, Tablets, Travel, Ultrabooks, Xperia, Zuiko | 1 Comment »
Thursday, November 22nd, 2012
Nikon will be at SITEX 2012 at Hall 4B, Booth 4D01 in the Singapore EXPO.
Click to view or download Nikon promotions for SITEX 2012. (Caution: 3.3MB PDF file with 4 flyers)
Check out Nikon’s SITEX 2012 promotions and discounts for its range of DSLRs, Nikon 1 mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and COOLPIX compact cameras.
The new Nikon 1 V2 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera hits the shelves in Singapore today.
The new Nikon 1 V2 is also available in Singapore from today.
These will be available from SITEX as well as limited sets at dealers stores.
Available in black or white, prices range from S$1,299 to S$1,549.
The Nikon 1 V2 has 14.2 megapixels, ISO range from 160-6400, as well as features like Live Image Control, Slow View, Manual Control dials and buttons, Smart Photo Selector, and an Advanced Hybrid Auto-focus system.
Tags:cameras, compact, DSLR, EXPO, IT exhibition, MIL, Nikon, promotions, Singapore, SITEX, SITEX 2012, SITEX 2012 cameras
Posted in Brochures, Cameras, Compact camera, COOLPIX, DSLR, Exhibition, Gadgets, MIL, Nikon, Prices, Promotions, Specifications | No Comments »
Thursday, September 13th, 2012
Nikon has launched its latest DSLR: a full-frame shooter that fills the gap between the recently-released D800 and the DX-format D7000.
The FX-format D600 has a 24.3-megapixels sensor and will be available from 18 September for S$3,249 (body only).
Nikon D600 was launched in Singapore. Full-frame 24.3 MP. S$3,249 from 18 September.
The Nikon D600 is targeted at the serious photography enthusiast upgrading to an entry-level full-frame camera.
I played with the D600 during its launch in Singapore at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Look at it one way, it’s a D7000 with the technological prowess of the D800. Look at it another way, it’s a D800 with the ergonomics and usability of the D7000.
Full-frame digital SLR cameras excel over other digital cameras equipped with smaller sensors, especially under challenging low-light conditions and where the wider angle of view is critical for shooting scenarios such as landscape and architectural photography.
Equipped with the heart and technology of its higher-end siblings (the D4, D800 and D800E), the D600 is more affordable and has a similar ergonomics and layout of controls as the D7000 to make the transition easier for the photographer making the cross-over.
The D600 has the same EXPEED 3 image-processing engine as the D4 (S$9,799) and D800 (S$4,488), and sports the following features:
- an optical viewfinder with 100% frame coverage
- Full-frame mode: 24.3 megapixels
- DX-format crop mode: 10.5 megapixels
- a magnesium-alloy weather-sealed body for dust and water-resistance
- 3-D axis tracking with 39 focus points
- built-in automatic HDR capturing/processing
- time-lapse video function
- dual SD memory card slots
- ISO range from 100-6,400, expandable to 50 (Lo-1) and 25,600 (Hi-2)
The Multi-CAM 4800FX AF-sensor module of the Nikon D600 utilises 39 focus points.
WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter
Images captured with the D600 can be transferred to a smartphone or tablet over a wireless network connection using the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter (sold separately).
The photos can then be uploaded to blogs and social networks for sharing with friends and family.
The smart device can also be used to control camera shooting as a remote with a live view display and touch auto-focus.
The system also places an emphasis on the human face, working in conjunction with the Advanced Scene Recognition System to provide accurate face detection even through the optical viewfinder.
The camera also offers seven cross-type sensors that are fully functional when using super-telephoto NIKKOR lenses and teleconverters (2.0x) with an aperture value up to f/8.
This is useful for those who need extreme telephoto focal lengths for sports or wildlife.
Nikon D600, entry-level full-frame DSLR.
The Nikon D600 also features a precise Scene Recognition System that analyses detailed scene brightness and colour information acquired from the 2,016-pixel RGB sensor.
The information is then applied to autofocus, automatic exposure, i-TTL balanced fill-flash, and white balance control, all to achieve detailed and balanced images.
For storage, the Nikon D600 has dual card slots for SD cards, and offers users the ability to record backup, overflow, RAW/JPEG separation, and the additional option of shooting stills to one and video to the other.
The new Nikon D600 (left) sitting side-by-side with its higher-end sibling, the D800 (different lenses).
Cinematic HD Video
When it comes to recording HD video, users have the choice of various resolutions and frame rates, including full HD 1080 at 30/24p utilising the Nikon D600‘s entire full-frame sensor, and HD 720 at 60/30p.
| Nikon D600 |
| Megapixels |
24.3 megapixels |
| Sensor |
FX-format CMOS (full-frame) |
| Image processing engine |
EXPEED 3 |
| ISO |
100-6,400 (Expanded: 50-25,600) |
| Burst mode |
5.5 fps |
| LCD |
3.2″, 920k dots, TFT colour |
| Movie |
Full HD (1080/30p) |
| Size /mm |
141 x 113 x 82 |
| Weight |
760 g |
| Price |
S$3,249 |
By utilising the B-Frame data compression method, users can record H.264/MPEG-4 AVC format video with optimal size and quality for up to 29:59 minutes per clip (normal quality).
The Nikon D600 also enables users to use both compatible FX and DX lenses to shoot HD movies.
The FX-based movie format makes full use of the large image sensor and offers a shallow depth-of-field with an emphasis on background-blur characteristics while the DX- based movie format is optimal for recording movies and bringing subjects closer (1.5X) when lenses with short focal lengths are used.
For professional and broadcast applications that call for outboard digital recorders or external monitors, users can stream an uncompressed full HD signal directly out of the camera via the HDMI port.
The Nikon D600 is also equipped with an audio monitor port for headphones to be used.
Tags:cameras, D4, D600, D7000, D800, D800E, DSLRs, full-frame, Nikon, photography, Photokina, Photokina 2012, Singapore, video
Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Nikon, Photography, Prices, Specifications, Videocams | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, September 4th, 2012
The Nikon COOLPIX L610 is now available for sale in Singapore (S$339).
Nikon COOLPIX L610 comes in black, red or silver.
The compact COOLPIX L610 was launched in Singapore less than two weeks ago, as one of six new cameras Nikon launched as part of its Autumn 2012 collection.
The Nikon COOLPIX L610 is available in Singapore today.
The L610 has 16 megapixels and 14x optical zoom from 25-350mm (35mm equivalent).
It is equipped with Target Finding AF, for optimal focus on a subject with the camera.
The camera records full-HD (1920 x 1080p/30fps) movies with stereo sound.
The Nikon COOLPIX L610 features 5 in-camera filter effects: Soft, Selective Colour, Cross Screen, Miniature Effect, Painting.
The L610 uses AA batteries and is available in black, red or silver.
Tags:available, cameras, compact, COOLPIX, Nikon, Singapore
Posted in Availability, Cameras, Compact camera, COOLPIX, Gadgets, Nikon, Photography, Prices, Specifications | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 28th, 2012
Nikon D4 has received the “European Professional Camera of the Year 2012-2013 Award” while the Nikon D800 has received the “European Camera of the Year 2012-2013 Award”.
Nikon D4 (left) and D800. Not shown to scale.
The Nikon D4 and Nikon D800 FX-format digital-SLR cameras were awarded the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) Photo Awards.
Read the citations by EISA for the two cameras below.
(more…)
Tags:awards, cameras, D4, D800, DSLR, EISA, Nikon
Posted in Announce, Cameras, DSLR, Gadgets, Nikon, Photography, Tickers | No Comments »
Monday, August 27th, 2012
Nikon will be at COMEX 2012 at Suntec Singapore at Level 4, Halls 402 & 403, Booth 8218.
Click to view or download Nikon promotions during COMEX 2012.
Check out Nikon’s COMEX 2012 promotions and discounts for its range of DSLRs, Nikon 1 mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and COOLPIX compact cameras.
Tags:cameras, COMEX, COMEX 2012, COMEX 2012 cameras, compact, COOLPIX, DSLR, IT exhibition, MIL, Nikon, Nikon 1, promotions, Singapore, Suntec
Posted in Brochures, Cameras, Compact camera, COOLPIX, DSLR, Events, Exhibition, Gadgets, MIL, Nikon, Prices, Promotions, Specifications | No Comments »
Thursday, August 23rd, 2012
Nikon spearheaded its Autumn 2012 collection of cameras with 6 new cameras, 1 lens and 1 waterproof casing. Among these cameras are the super compact S01 and the Android-equipped S800c.
All will be available in September. Prices TBA.
Nikon launched 6 new cameras and accessories in Singapore to spearhead its Autumn 2012 collection.
Most camera launches roll out more of the same, with slight improvements in features or specifications.
The Nikon P7700 is the new flagship of the COOLPIX lineup. 12.2MP, 7.1x Zoom, f/2.0-4.0 lens.
So its most refreshing to see Nikon trying to innovate by launching cameras that genuinely push the boundaries.
My favourite among the slew of cameras launched in Singapore today is the S01.
You’ve got to see it to believe it and you’ve got to handle it to appreciate it.
The S01 is smaller than a credit card!
It’s thicker than the card of course, but it’s like one of those charms people dangle from their keychains, although I wouldn’t want the camera slamming against the dashboard as I drive.
And people with big hands might not appreciate the compactness as much.
The Nikon COOLPIX S01 is smaller than a credit card. 10.1MP, 3x Zoom, 77 x 51.2 x 17.2mm
It’s a bold step for Nikon to take – pushing the limits of camera miniaturisation.
Nikon COOLPIX L610 has 16MP and 14x Zoom.
I’m sure smartphone makers would be very keen to adopt some of the technologies developed to make their smartphone cameras perform even better.
Already, these camera phones are encroaching into the market share of compact cameras with the only difference being image quality, which is made up for by the convenience of having the smartphone camera being available and handy at all times.
I won’t be surprised if some of Nikon’s sub-contractors are already talking to smartphone makers on possible collaborations.
The Nikon COOLPIX S800c runs Android 2.3 and has Wi-Fi connectivity.
On the same front, Nikon is hitting back at the smartphone camera sector with the S800c – a compact camera with an Android OS (2.3) and Wi-Fi connectivity.
So you can use photo-editing apps (such as Photoshop, Instagram and PicsArt) from the Google Play store to edit photos taken with the camera, and share it online on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.
You can also use any of the other 500,000 apps on the Google Play for gaming or other purposes.
The Nikon COOLPIX S6400 has 16MP and 12x Zoom
What the S800c doesn’t have yet is 3G connectivity, to give it 3G data connectivity in case there’s no Wi-Fi connectivity.
Who knows, you might even see a Nikon camera-phone (in that order) in the future!
The other products launched today are more run-of-the-mill cameras and accessories.
These include three new compacts from the COOLPIX family: COOLPIX P7700, L610, and S6400.
The Nikon 1 J1 MIL camera has been upgraded to the J2, with new Creative Modes, a new 1 NIKKOR 11-27.5mm f/3.5/5.6 lens, and an Underwater Case.
For its mirrorless interchangeable lens line, Nikon has launched the Nikon 1 J2, 1 NIKKOR 11-27.5mm F/3.5-5.6 lens, and the Nikon 1 water proof case.
I’ll be posting more details of each camera so you can check the tech specs in those articles.
Tags:adventure, Android, Apps, Autumn 2012, cameras, Clifford, compact, COOLPIX, Facebook, Fullerton, Google, Instagram, launch, lens, LinkedIn, MIL, Nikon, Photoshop, Singapore, Twitter, waterproof, YouTube
Posted in Android, Cameras, Compact camera, COOLPIX, Events, Facebook, Gadgets, Gaming, Internet, Launch, Lens, LinkedIn, MIL, NIKKOR, Nikon, Opinion, Photography, Specifications, Twitter, YouTube | 2 Comments »
