Cliff wishes one and all a Happy and Woofelicious New Year!
My kid got a bit confused as to when daddy spent a day as a Golden Retriever.
Cliff is a sport when it comes to dressing up. And my clothes fits him just nice!
Archive for the ‘Cameras’ Category
Cliff says Happy New Year!
Sunday, January 1st, 2012Santa Cliff says Merry Christmas
Sunday, December 25th, 2011Santa Cliff wishes one and all a Merry Christmas!
Santa Cliff taken with Olympus E-P3 with 40-150mm lens. 170mm (35 equiv), f/4.8, 1/160 sec, ISO 200.
The Leica V-Lux 3 and the gingerbread men
Friday, December 23rd, 2011My wife hijacked the Leica V-Lux 3 review unit to snap photos of the gingerbread men she’d baked for our children’s friends. In return, I decided to hijack my wife’s X’mas project for this post.
Two happy gingerbread men posing for the camera.
This turned out to be a good test of how user-friendly the compact digital camera is.
These two gingerbread men aren't running anywhere.
My wife was making little gift bags of DIY gingerbread man decorating kits for our children’s friends when they came for a party.
In a very pretty cookie bag were a gingerbread man she’d baked, a star cookie, a packet of M&Ms, a tube of icing, with a candy cane thrown in in case gingerbread man needed some support.
Included were simple instructions on decorating the cookies, printed on my newly bought Epson printer.
Wifey claims to have technological skills stuck somewhere in the Jurassic age, so the main test of the camera would be its ease of use.
DIY decorate your own gingerbread men goodie bag.
Actually, she’s a better photographer than I am, it’s just that she had left the snapping to me all these years and has gotten left behind in the film era.
She managed to turn it on, find the right auto dial, turn it to macro mode and snapped away.
The lighting was rather challenging because it was raining all day so she couldn’t take the photos outdoors in natural lighting.
Instead, she was restricted to our dining room, with very dim lighting, which caused a lot of shadows.
According to her, “the camera was really easy to use, it focused very quickly even though the objects were very close and not well-lit.”
The Leica V-Lux 3 preserved the ambience of the living room light but produced sharp images even though the snapshots were taken handheld without using a tripod.
That’s saying something about the ease-of-use of this camera and its focusing ability.
The photos turned out really well. So was the reception to the gingerbread men.
Mr Postman delivers: Leica V-Lux 3
Monday, December 19th, 2011The courier dropped off the Leica V-Lux 3 compact digital camera today for review. The new compact had just been announced last week and will be available from January 2012 at S$1,345.
The Leica V-Lux 3 was announced on 13 December 2011.
The review unit came in a black velvet pouch. In it was the camera itself, a battery and a charger with cable.
The camera is light but muscular for a compact but it pacts a 24x optical zoom lens that goes from 25 – 600mm (35mm equivalent focal lengths).
The Leica V-Lux 3 will be available in January 2012 for S$1,345.
The Leica DC Vario-Elmarit ASPH super telephoto zoom lens has an aperture range of f/2.8 – 5.2.
The camera has a 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor and records full-HD video in AVCHD format with 1920 x 1080 pixels at 60 full frames per second.
What caught my eye was the 460,000-pixel 3” LCD display that is fully articulated. It can be folded out to face any direction to allow the photographer to shoot from awkward angles.
I’ll be trying out the camera over the holiday period to see whether its performance matches its good looks.
New compact camera: Leica V-Lux 3
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011This versatile all-in-one camera for creative stills and video will be available from January 2012 at S$1,345.
Leica V-Lux 3 compact digital camera, available in January 2012
The Leica V-Lux 3 is a new compact digital camera that features a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 4.5 – 108 mm f/2.8 – 5.2 ASPH super-telephoto zoom lens.
“The camera is an attractive alternative to entry-level DSLR cameras with interchangeable lenses,’ says Peter Kruschewski, product manager for Digital Compact Cameras at Leica Camera AG.That’s 25-600mm (35mm equivalent) in its focal length range.
This 24x optical zoom makes the camera flexible for shooting a wide range of photographic situations, from landscape, architecture and travel, to sports, portraits and wildlife.
The newly developed 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor promises exceptional image quality for all applications.
The V-Lux 3 comes with an extensive range of video options and video quality comparable with that delivered by premium-range camcorders.
25-600mm focal length, 24x zoom
The camera captures full-HD video in AVCHD format with 1920 × 1080 pixels and 60 full frames per second.
This 1080p60 video format captures fast movement in detail, and is ideal for conversion to alternative resolutions and refresh rates.
The entire 24-fold zoom range is available during video recording and an integrated stereo microphone with an electronic wind noise filter promises a crystal-clear soundtrack.
The Leica V-Lux 3 is versatile for shooting the whole spectrum of photograhy, from landscapes and portraits, to travel and sports.
The V-Lux 3 boasts a high-speed burst-shooting capability, with bursts of 12 frames per second at full resolution, or 60 frames per second at a resolution of 3.5 megapixels – making it one of the fastest burst-shooting cameras in its class.
“This innovative ‘all-in-one’ solution combines classic photography functions with video quality that can only normally be found on premium camcorders,” says Sunil Kaul, Managing Director of Leica Camera Asia Pacific.The 3″ LCD display has 460,000 pixels and can be twisted and turned in almost any direction, allowing composition of shots at awkward angles.
The V-Lux 3 has an integrated handgrip for a steady grasp, while its light weight allows one-handed shooting. There is a dedicated button on the top deck of the camera for instant video recording.
Bundled with the camera Adobe Photoshop Elements, a photo organizing and editing software; and Adobe Premiere Elements for processing AVCHD video and addition of audio and video effects.
The Leica V-Lux 3 will be available from authorised Leica dealers from January 2012 at S$1,345 with 7% GST.
Travel: From Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011I checked out more markets in KK before boarding the flight to Sandakan.
Sunrise at Kota Kinabalu. Taken with Olympus PEN E-P3 with 40-150mm kit lens using Frame effect.
Night falls earlier in Sabah than in West Malaysia.
Fishing boats at the dock.
This is because their time zones were standardized in 1982 even though East and West Malaysia are really from different time zones in terms of geographical latitude.
Sunrise is also much earlier.
So photographers wanting to catch the golden hours to capture the sunrise/sunset over the South China Sea in Sabah would be well advised that the two timings are around 5:30 am and 6:00 pm local time respectively – lest they gear up and venture out only to discover that the show’s all but over.
The vegetable market starts early at dawn by the seaside of Kota Kinabalu.
A Sabahan I spoke with mused rather pensively that when he was in Kuala Lumpur, the sunrise was always late and he had to wait so hard for daylight to come.
A local fish seller waving Selamat Pagi
This morning, I visited the early vegetable market across the hotel by the sea, followed by the fish market by the pier before hitting the Central market.
It was really interesting observing the locals do their marketing since these markets are really meant for them.
Upon returning, we headed for breakfast after a short visit to the gym, and returned to pack for check out.
At 11am, the guy from the car rental company swung by to send us to the airport.
The fish market in KK kicks off at the crack of dawn. Taken with Pop Art effect on a Olympus PEN E-P3 with 12mm lens which captured a wide FOV at the crowded local market.
Steven had offered to do so FOC when he turned up at the hotel to pick up the car on Monday night and observed that the fuel tank was still three-quarters full even though we were only required to return it with an empty tank.
Freshly sliced fish. Taken with Olympus PEN E-P3 with 12mm lens right in front of the crowded stall.
The rental company worked on a “pick up empty tank – return empty tank” principle.
A vegetables stall in Central market
The guy at the counter had advised me to fill up the tank for a drive from Kota Kinabalu to Mt Kinabalu and back.
It turned out I needed only one-third that amount.
Anyway, Steven took time out and picked a large clean car in order to send us to the airport, and refused to take any payment for his favour.
The guy from Kudat – some two hours drive from KK, at the tip of the dog’s ear – gave me a lasting good impression of an indigenous Sabahan.
The 45-minute flight to Sandakan on board the Air Asia Airbus A320-200 was uneventful. No more pigging out this time.
Another vegetable stall at Central market. Taken with Olympus PEN E-P3 with 12mm lens and Pop Art effect.
For the next three nights, we’ll be staying at a nice house in a gated estate that is so new that the optical fibre for Internet services has yet to be laid.
Seaside restaurant in Sandakan to which connoiseurs from West Malaysia specially fly to just to enjoy its fresh seafood.
Our friend depends on his BlackBerry service for messaging and communication. Anyway, the plan was for us to immerse ourselves in nature.
Prawns, clams, crabs and fish are the order of the day.
So it’s time to check out what Internet withdrawal symptoms are like – and the fabulous seafood that everyone in KK recommended up in Sandakan.
Samsung MultiView MV800 body stickers from celebrities
Friday, November 25th, 2011The MV800 with the limited edition body stickers designed by Singaporean celebrities is now available at S$499 at three outlets, while stocks last.
Christmas gift in a white box.
The three outlets are Harvey Norman (Millenia Walk and Funan), Courts (Big Box, Jurong Point and Orchard) and Audio House.
Consumers will be able to select one of the three body stickers presented in a Christmas gift pack containing 2 batteries, 8GB memory card and a premium leather case.
The celebrities collaborating with Samsung are Soh Ee Shaun, Jack & Rai, and Dawn Yeoh. They have created three limited edition camera skin designs inspired by life from different angles.
Check out the three designs below.
Pop – smile for pictures.
Soh Ee Shaun, a contemporary artist and illustrator in Singapore, is hugely influenced by ’50s to ’60s modernist art and pop culture. His designs are colorful and playful, and are set against endless geometric, biomorphic forms.
Pop design by Soh Ee Shaun. Designed to tempt you to smile for pictures.
Romance – more love and music.
Jack & Rai are musicians and song-writers in Singapore. With their easy-going and engaging personalities, they have made guest appearances on TV and radio, and continue to perform regularly at gigs.
Romance design by Jack & Rai. Continue to spread more love and music.
Happiness – stay sweet and positive.
Dawn Yeoh is a sweet princess who loves all things pink and cute. Her debut breakout role was in the MediaCorp drama series, Shining Star.
Happiness design by Dawn Yeoh. Stay sweet and positive by viewing life in different colors.
SITEX 2011 price lists: Olympus cameras
Thursday, November 24th, 2011Here are the SITEX 2011 (24-27 November 2011) promotions from Olympus.
The details of the free gifts that come with each camera are also listed.
Camera discounts and free gifts from Olympus during SITEX 2011.
SITEX 2011 promotions: Olympus cameras
Thursday, November 24th, 2011Olympus will be at Booth 5D10 in Hall 5 at the Singapore EXPO during SITEX 2011 (24-27 November).
When you hit SITEX 2011 today, check out some of the promotional discounts and free gifts for Olympus cameras.
Olympus PEN E-PL1 Usual: S$998 *free gifts worth S$320 |
Live Guide user interface for easy, intuitive adjustment of brightness, hue, background defocusing, and other image parameters.
New dedicated Movie mode button for seamless access to movie shooting at any time. Go-anywhere portability in a light, compact body with built-in flash and image stabilization. Six Art Filters, including new Gentle Sepia, for enhanced photographic creativity. |
Olympus PEN mini E-PM1 SLK: S$868 *SLK: Single Lens Kit |
The same Art-class SLR quality as the flagship E-P3 condensed in the small/light body weighing only 215 grams. Six body colour variations
Popular Live Guide user interface for easy, intuitive adjustment of brightness, colour balance, background defocusing and other photographic parameters Six popular Art Filters that make it easy for anyone to express their photographic creativity |
Olympus TG-610 Usual: S$498 *free gifts worth S$270 |
Tough features including waterproof to a depth of 5 meters, shockproof against falls from as high as 1.5 meters and freezeproof at temperatures as low as -10°C.
5x zoom lens and DUAL IS in a compact body. 3-inch, ultra-high definition 920K dots HyperCrystal III for Tough Series LCD monitor. Magic Filters can be recorded in HD movie (MPEG-4 AVC / H.264). |
Olympus FE-4050 Usual: S$228 *limited to 1 set per customer and free gifts worth S$135 |
High-quality 12-megapixel CCD
4X zoom lens from 27mm Slim and high quality body with stylish colors Six Magic Filters |
SITEX 2011 promotions: Nissin Di866 Mark II flash
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011Designed in Japan, the Di866 Mark II (S$499) is compatible with Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras. Customers buying any Nissin product at the RedDotPhoto Booth (6A18) during SITEX 2011 (24-27 November) will receive a free Lenspen LP-1.
The LP-1 is a lens cleaning pen for cleaning camera lenses, binocular lenses, spotting scopes, telescopes, eyepieces and other optical lenses.
The Nissin Di866 Mark II professional camera flash (S$499) has a powerful guide number of 60 and sub flash of 12 (ISO100, 105mm), as well as a colour display with rotation sensor.
The external service port includes a USB port for the latest firmware update, while the synchronisation contact and power pack port extend the usability of connection to different lighting and power systems.
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Key features include:Colour and Auto Rotating Display. The colour display will automatically rotate from horizontal to vertical as the flash is rotated and has a user-friendly six-icon interface that represents the operation modes – Auto, TTL, Manual/Av, Multi, Wireless TTL (Master/Remote) and Custom Setting.Digital TTL. Supports Canon ETTL / ETTL II, Nikon iTTL and Sony ADI . The flash light is automatically controlled by the camera but the flash exposure value can be compensated.Wireless TTL. Supports Canon ETTL / ETTL II, Nikon iTTL and Sony ADI. It can be used in combination with Sony original flash units as either Master or Remote (Slave). The Di866 Mark II also supports digital (pre-flash system) and analogue.
Technical specifications: – Fast recycle: 3.5 sec – Focal length coverage: 24-105 mm (35mm equiv.) – Wide angle diffuser: 18 mm (built-in) – Number of flashes: 150-1500 times (NiMH battery) – AF Assist Light Dist: 0.7-10 m – Weight: 380 g without battery |
