Archive for the ‘Sony’ Category

POTD: COMEX 2014 – IT shopping frenzy in Singapore

Friday, August 29th, 2014

Photo of the Day: If you’re thinking of visiting Singapore this weekend and is keen on buying IT devices and tech gadgets, check out COMEX 2014 at Suntec Singapore.

The doors had just opened for COMEX 2014 and early-bird shoppers packed the aisles of the exhibition floor on Level 4 of Suntec Singapore. Photo taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and Carl Zeiss 35mm F2.8 Lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

The doors had just opened for COMEX 2014 and early-bird shoppers packed the aisles of the exhibition floor on Level 4 of Suntec Singapore. Photo taken with a Sony A7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and Carl Zeiss 35mm F2.8 Lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Started yesterday, the IT trade show will be on until Sunday night.

You can check out some of the promotional discounts on offer by browsing selected flyers that I’ve compiled here.

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POTD: Residenzbrunnen – in the heart of historic Salzburg, Austria

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.

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.

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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New arrivals: Sony Alpha 5100 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera

Monday, August 18th, 2014

The Alpha 5100 has a 24.3-megapixel APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor and the same Fast Hybrid AF system as the Alpha 6000, as well as the same BIONZ X image processor used in the Alpha 7 series of full-frame cameras.

Update (19 August, 2014):

The Singapore prices for the Alpha 5100 are up on the pre-order website.

The price for the camera body and SELP1650 lens is S$999, with S$229 worth of pre-order free gifts.

Purchase with purchase:

  • SEL50f18 lens: S$319
  • SEL55210 lens: S$300
The Sony Alpha 5100 ships with NFC and is designed to make selfies easier.

The Sony Alpha 5100 ships with NFC and is designed to make selfies easier.

Sony has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s smallest interchangeable lens camera.

“日本相机制造商 Sony 刚公布了新的 Alpha 5100 相机。八月廿日至九月二日可上网预订。九月四日起在新加坡面市。” – 科技点心(微薄)

The new camera will be available for pre-order from 20 August to 2 September 2014 online.

It will be available in Singapore from 4 September 2014 onwards.

Singapore prices have yet to be released but its US price is US$550 for camera body only and US$700 for body plus 16-50 motorised zoom lens (SELP1650).

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POTD: Cavalia the equestrian extravaganza in Singapore

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.

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.

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.

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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Friday night out at the Alive Museum Singapore at Suntec

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.

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.

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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POTD: Singapore celebrates her 49th National Day

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.

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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POTD: Nonnberg Abbey – where Maria von Trapp was a postulant

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.

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.

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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POTD: Villa Trapp in Austria – where The Sound of Music began

Sunday, August 3rd, 2014

Photo of the Day: Our first two nights in Austria were at the Villa Trapp, the original mansion of the Von Trapp family, in the suburbs of Salzburg.

The entrance to the Villa Trapp - where the real von Trapp family lived and played.

The entrance to the Villa Trapp – where the real von Trapp family lived and played.

* All the 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 back of Villa Trapp with the lawn and facing the mountains. We picnic-ed for lunch here upon arrival on the first day.

The back of Villa Trapp with the lawn and facing the mountains. We picnic-ed for lunch here upon arrival on the first day.

I first watched the movie, “The Sound of Music” as a child and loved it – so did my entire family.

Fountain on the wall of one of the sheds on the grounds of Villa Trapp.

Fountain on the wall of one of the sheds on the grounds of Villa Trapp.

So when we decided to visit Austria, we jumped at the idea of staying in Villa Trapp, where the real Von Trapp family actually lived from 1923 to 1938, when they migrated to the US.

This house was not the one seen in the movie, which used two other grander houses for exterior shots and a studio set in Hollywood for the interior scenes.

The stately three-storey building was built in 1863 and has 22 rooms.

Georg Von Trapp had bought and moved to the house in 1923 with his seven children when his wife died of Scarlet fever.

Maria Augusta Kutschera came to the von Trapp family in 1926 to take care of one of the children – also named Maria.

Wedding photo of Georg and Maria von Trapp, on a mantelpiece in the lounge of Villa Trapp.

Wedding photo of Georg and Maria von Trapp, on a mantelpiece in the lounge of Villa Trapp.

Although she was to stay for only 10 months, she began looking after the other children as well and married Georg in 1927.

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New arrivals: Sony PXW-X70 camcorder in end-Sep 2014

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

Sony has launched a new, compact member of the XDCAM family to deliver benefits of 1.0-type sensor technology and XAVC in a handheld professional camcorder. 4K recording capability will be available in a future update.

Update (13 August, 2014):

Sony’s PXW-X70 will be available in Asia Pacific from the end of September 2014, with a retail price of S$3,000.

Light and compact entry-level professional camcorder.

Light and compact entry-level professional camcorder.

The 4K recording capability should be available via a firmware update by the end of the year.

Pricing for the update has not been announced yet, but it’s in the hundreds – less than $1,000 for those who want it.

I had a hands-on with the entry level professional camcorder today.

It’s more compact than others and definitely lighter.

For videographers currently using a DSLR to shoot short videos and thinking of taking their craft a notch higher, this would be a shoe-in as it offers features that are not available in the top-end DSLRs.

The versatile new PXW-X70 camcorder features a sensor more than eight times the size of a conventional 1/3 single chip sensor, providing strong sensitivity and low light performance.

The versatile new PXW-X70 camcorder features a sensor more than eight times the size of a conventional 1/3 single chip sensor, providing strong sensitivity and low light performance.

Sony has launched the 4K-ready PXW-X70, the first compact XDCAM professional camcorder ever produced.

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POTD: When your address is an expletive … expect tourists

Sunday, July 13th, 2014

Did you know that there is an actual town in Austria which is called “Fucking”? And less than two hours’ drive to the east from Salzburg, you’ll hit the mountain named “Loser” which is also a popular ski resort.

Pit stop at Fucking, Austria.

Pit stop at Fucking, Austria. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

Fucking is a tiny miniscule hamlet about 40km to the north of Salzburg. This Austrian town is about 40 minutes’ drive from Salzburg.

Located close to the border between Germany and Austria, the town comprises a cluster of houses on either side of the road.

I wonder what else is not allowed in this idyllic town. But seriously, that's just a sign to tell you that you're leaving Fucking behind you.

I wonder what else is not allowed in this idyllic town. But seriously, that’s just a sign to tell you that you’re leaving Fucking behind you. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.

It is so tiny that less than 200m after passing the signboard that marks your entry into the town, you see the signboard that marks your exit from the town.

I’ve driven around Europe a fair bit and passed through many one-street towns – but Fucking is one of the tiniest we have driven through.

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