Archive for the ‘A7’ Category
Sunday, October 5th, 2014
Photo of the Day: We were strolling along a path at the side of a hill one evening when we came across a peaceful lawn that the path overlooked into. Inside the lawn were these two metallic sculptures at one corner, right by the hedge.

The two dogs seemed to be frozen in time, and yet looked as if they would come to life anytime and were about to pounce onto something in the lawn. Photo taken with a Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
“有一个宁静的傍晚,我在奥地利萨尔茨堡山边小径走着时看到了路边一个私人住宅的小草坪里摆设了两只铁雕小狗狗,栩栩如生;就好似将要向前扑跳,捕猎什么猎物似地。耐人寻味。” – 科技点心(微薄)
We had just finished visiting the Salzburg Fortress and were walking towards the Nonnberg Abbey when we came across these metallic sculptures in a quiet lawn.
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Tags:A7, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, full-frame, photography, photos, potd, Salzburg, Sony, travel
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, cameras, Events, gadgets, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony, Travel | No Comments »
Sunday, September 28th, 2014
Photo of the Day: The Salzburger Dom overlooks the Residenzplatz in the centre of Salzburg Altstadt (old town). It contains the baptismal font in which Mozart was baptised.

According to Wikipedia, during the second World War, single bomb crashed through the central dome over the crossing. Repairs and restoration were only completed in 1959.
* All photos in this article were taken with a Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
The Salzburg Cathedral – called the Salzburger Dom in German – is dedicated to Saint Rupert and Saint Vergilius.

The interior of the Salzburger Dom.
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Tags:A7, Austria, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, Europe, full-frame, photography, photos, potd, Residenzplatz, Salzburg, Salzburg Cathedral, Salzburger Dom, Sony, travel
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony, Travel, travel | 1 Comment »
Sunday, September 21st, 2014
Photo of the Day: Brought my daughter back to where I had discovered this kindle of kittens last year. Lo and behold, they were all still there sans one or two who had been adopted or died.

This photo was taken just after the cat had scuttled into the safety of this drain as it eyed us warily with its dilated eyes. It was already twilight and rather dark in the drain but the A7R didn’t have any problems getting a focus on the cat, although I had to dial up the ISO to its maximum of 25,600. The result was not surprisingly grainy but it was amazing that we even got any shot at all in that dim light! Photo taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with a 55-210mm E-mount zoom lens. 184mm, f/6.3, 1/250 sec, ISO 25,600. Photo credit: John Tan.
In particular, there was one black and white cat which I had photographed previously (see below).
“陪伴小女儿重游去年拍摄小猫咪的地方,发现当时只有几个星期大的小妈咪如今已长大了。连小女儿也觉得些许感概。但看到它安然成长,却也是一种安慰。祈福它与同伴们日后也能够继续安然度日。” – 科技点心(微薄)
We had so much fun comparing the fully grown cat with the photos that I’d taken of the kitten a year ago to affirm they were the same cat – the lines emanating from the corner of the eyes, and the stripes on the forehead.
The retirees looking after the cats confirmed that these cats were indeed those kittens all grown up.
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Tags:A7R, animals, cats, kittens, photography, photos, potd, Singapore, Sony
Posted in A7, Cameras, cameras, Gadgets, gadgets, MIL, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 16th, 2014
The Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS (SEL1635Z) lens has a versatile wide-angle zoom range and is optimised for Sony A7 series 35mm full-frame cameras. Available in Singapore from November 2014. Price TBA.

Unveiled at Photokina 2014: Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS (SEL1635Z) lens.
The lens ships with Optical SteadyShot in-lens image stabilisation and is compact and portable.
It is built with dust and moisture resistant design.
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Tags:A7, Alpha, lens, lenses, Photokina 2014, Sony, Vario-Tessar, ZEISS
Posted in A7, Accessories, Exhibition, Gadgets, gadgets, Lens, MIL, newArrivals, Photography, Sony, Specifications | No Comments »
Sunday, September 7th, 2014
Photo of the Day: Cliff the Golden Retriever is usually lively and enthusiastic. But why does he look so rueful today?

There’s a carnival just outside but it’s not time for Cliff to go for his walk yet. So after peering eagerly through the grills of the garden gate, he has resigned himself to the role of onlooker – resting his head on the grill to see the world go by.
* All the photos in this article were taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with a 55-210mm E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Cliff the Golden Retriever is a friendly fellow who loves to mix with the crowd.

Here’s Cliff looking ruefully at me while I snap his portraits from the garden.
There’s a rowdy carnival just outside and Cliff can see the kids out there.
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Tags:A7R, animals, dogs, photography, photos, potd, Singapore, Sony
Posted in A7, Cameras, cameras, Daily life, Gadgets, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony | No Comments »
Sunday, August 24th, 2014
Photo of the Day: Resinzbrunnen is the grand baroque fountain that sits in the middle Residenzplatz – right in the centre of Salzburg Altstadt (old town).

We couldn’t resist splashing the water in the fountain as well when we visited the Residenzbrunnen. Photo taken with a Sony A7 full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
It is also the fountain that Maria – in the movie “The Sound of Music” – splashes as she sings “I have confidence in me”, on her way to the von Trapp home.

The Residenzbrunnen is located in the middle of the Residenzplatz, one of the most popular tourist spots in Salzburg. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with 24-70mm lens. Sepia effect added with Adobe Photoshop CC (2014). Photo credit: John Tan.
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Tags:A7, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, fountain, full-frame, Maria, photography, photos, potd, Residenzbrunnen, Residenzplatz, Salzburg, Sony, Sound of Music, travel, von Trapp
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Events, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony, Travel | 1 Comment »
Sunday, August 17th, 2014
Photo of the Day: Cavalia is an equestrian theatrical performance that leverages innovative multimedia displays and multi-disciplinary performances. It is now running in Singapore from 12 August to 14 September 2014.
* All the photos in this article (except the portrait of Alain Gaulthier) were taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, with a 55-210mm E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

This pretty lady kept looking in my direction, so I took a portrait for her.
The production was created by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of the famed Cirque du Soleil.
“Cavalia” is a fabricated word, inspired by the Spanish and French words for horse (caballo and cheval) and the English word cavalry.
Hailing from Montreal in Canada, the lavish production involves 50 horses and 46 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians from all over the world.
Since the show’s debut in 2003, some 4 million people from North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East have watched the show.

Cast and dancers of Cavalia at the end of the show. I love how the lady’s face lit up when she turned around and smiled at her fellow dancer.
There has been more than 2,400 performances over the course of ten years. The 50 horses in Cavalia comprises 11 different breeds.
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Tags:A7R, Austria 2014, Cavalia, Fuji Xerox, full-frame, horses, MBS, performances, photography, photos, potd, Singapore, Sony, Vienna
Posted in A7, audioVisual, Cameras, cameras, Entertainment, Events, events, Fuji Xerox, MIL, Performance, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Shows, Sony | 10 Comments »
Sunday, August 10th, 2014
Last Friday, I brought the two kids to the Alive Museum Singapore at the Suntec City Mall.
* All photos (apart from the first photo) were taken with the Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with Sonnar T* FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Full-frame E-mount Prime Lens.

Fun Friday night out at Alive Museum Singapore. Photo taken with Samsung GALAXY S5.
Although the estimated time needed to cover every exhibit was around one-and-a-half hours, we lingered for two-and-a-half and ended up with 250 photos.
More importantly, we had oodles of fun and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

“Can I join the ballerinas in the painting?”
The Alive Museum was opened in 2009 in South Korea and debuted in Singapore on 12 June this year.

Taken from the right perspective, this exhibit gives the illusion that sea water and penguins were flooding out of the painting.
The 3D visual illusion museum aims to serve as a fun and unique treat for the whole family, locals and tourists alike.
It offers a sensory experience that tricks one’s visual, physical and environmental perceptions, bringing fantasy to reality.
Not only can you touch and feel the exhibits, you can also hop into the frame and become a part of the art masterpieces that play on optical illusions.
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Tags:Alive Museum, entertainment, lifestyle, museum, photography, photos, Singapore, travel
Posted in A7, audioVisual, Cameras, Entertainment, Events, events, Lifestyle, MIL, Photography, Photos, Prices, Sony, travel, Visits | 10 Comments »
Saturday, August 9th, 2014
Here’s wishing all Singaporeans a Happy National Day.

Fireworks over the bay. Photo taken with a Sony A7R with Sonnar T* FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Full-frame E-mount Prime Lens. Post edited using Photoshop. Photo credit: John Tan.
One highlight of the annual National Day celebrations is the fireworks, which are usually fired off in the evening towards the end of the National Day Parade (NDP) and mass display.
Here’s a video of the fireworks.
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Tags:Fireworks, Marina Bay, National Day, NDP, One Fullerton, Overeasy, photography, photos, potd, Tiger Beer, uncage
Posted in A7, Cameras, events, Holiday, MIL, Party, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony | 8 Comments »
Thursday, August 7th, 2014
Photo of the Day: Nonnberg Abbey (Stift Nonnberg) is a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg, Austria.
This was the convent where Maria served as a postulant before she was sent to look after the children of Captain von Trapp in the musical and movie “The Sound of Music”.

Graves within the compounds of the Nonnberg Abbey, just outside the Abbey Church. The entrance to the church can be seen in the background.
Maria Augusta Kutschera had joined Nonnberg Abbey as a postulant after graduating from college when she was eighteen.
My family and I took a stroll to Nonnberg Abbey after descending from the Hohensalzburg Fortress in the evening.
We wanted to visit the convent from which Maria came from before joining the von Trapp family.
It was really peaceful and tranquil – and free of other tourists.
As a postulant, she was requesting admission into the Abbey as a nun, which may or may not be granted.
The original plan was for her to look after one of Georg von Trapp’s daughters and return after 10 months to formally enter the nunnery.
She eventually went on to look after all of Georg’s seven children and agreed when the latter proposed to her, asking her to stay with him and become a second mother to his children.
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Tags:A7, Abbey, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, convent, full-frame, Maria, monastery, Nonnberg, nunnery, photography, photos, potd, Salzburg, Sony, Sound of Music, travel, von Trapp
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony, travel | 8 Comments »