Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

New Windows Phone: Nokia Lumia 1020 with 41-megapixel camera

Friday, July 12th, 2013

After extensive leaks, Nokia has launched the Lumia 1020 smartphone in New York. Adding the Nokia PureView 808’s 41MP sensor to the Lumia 920, the new Lumia 1020 promises greater image quality, especially in low light.

Expected to reach Singapore in Q4 2013.

Nokia Lumia 1020 will be available in white, black and yellow. The Windows Phone 8 smartphone will have a 41-megapixel camera.

Nokia Lumia 1020 will be available in white, black and yellow. The Windows Phone 8 smartphone will have a 41-megapixel camera.

The Lumia 1020 will be available in the US exclusively through AT&T (USD$299.99 with 2-year contract), which will accept preorders from July 16.

The Nokia Camera Grip also comes in 3 colours.

The Nokia Camera Grip also comes in 3 colours.

The Windows Phone 8 device will be available online and hit the shelves in the US on July 26.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 will be available in yellow, white and black.

The Lumia 1020 will be sold globally, with the launch in Singapore expected in Q4 2013.

The price of the Lumia 1020 without contract in the US is US$659.99, compared to the off-contract price of US$450 for the Lumia 920.

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New MIL camera: Samsung NX2000 offers enhanced connectivity

Monday, July 8th, 2013

The new mirrorless interchangeable lens camera offers both image quality and ease of sharing snapshots with the newest addition to its NX family of compact system cameras.

Available in black, white and pink from mid-July at S$849 (incl 20-50mm kit lens). Bundled with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 (worth S$178).

Samsung NX2000 will be available in black, white or pink from mid-July for S$849.

Samsung NX2000 will be available in black, white or pink from mid-July for S$849.

The large 20.3MP ASP-C CMOS Sensor in the NX2000 is produced entirely by Samsung in-house and promises vivid colours even in low light conditions.

“Consumer demand for quality photography and the increasing desire for instantaneous sharing has become a focus for our NX range,” said Irene Ng, Vice President, Marketing, Samsung Asia.

The NX2000’s has a DRIMe IV engine which works to reduce noise, improve speed and enable superior color reproduction.

With 8fps fast continuous shooting, the NX2000 can freeze moving subject or enable a photographer to snap photos while on the run.

Its 1/4000th second top shutter speed makes capturing clear, blur free images possible, while the wide ISO range (100 to 25600) helps to deliver images promises beautifully balanced photos regardless of the light conditions.

The NX2000 has a large 3.7-inch WVGA TFT-LCD Full Touch Screen with 1,152k dots.

The Samsung NX2000 boasts a host of connectivity options that includes Wi-Fi, and NFC. Pink version here with the included 20-50mm kit lens.

The Samsung NX2000 boasts a host of connectivity options that includes Wi-Fi, and NFC. Pink version here with the included 20-50mm kit lens.

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Annual Canon PhotoMarathon XI in Singapore

Saturday, July 6th, 2013

2,518 participants took part in the Singapore leg of the Canon PhotoMarathon Asia 2013, at Suntec City International Convention & Exhibition Centre Singapore.

The two Best of Show winners – Kok Hou Cheng (Open) and Zhou Tian Qu – will be going on an eight-day all-expense-paid photo clinic to Kansai, Japan.

Winners of Canon Photomarathon XI in Singapore, together with management and staff of Canon Singapore.

Winners of Canon Photomarathon XI in Singapore, together with management and staff of Canon Singapore.

Beginning at 9am in the morning, this year’s attendance of the day-long competition was an increase of 99 participants (4%) compared to last year.

"Instant" by Open Category Best of Show Winner Kok Hou Cheng.

“Instant” by Open Category Best of Show Winner Kok Hou Cheng.

There were two categories of participants – Open and Student. For each category, there were three themes – Tradition, Communicate and Instant.

Tradition - by Student Category Best of Show Winner Zhou Tian Qu from Anderson Junior College.

“Tradition” by Student Category Best of Show Winner Zhou Tian Qu from Anderson Junior College.

18 prizes were given to the top three winners of the three themes for each category. Prizes given included Canon products such as the Canon EOS camera and PIXMA printer.

2,518 avid photographers participated in this year's Canon Photomarathon XI.

2,518 avid photographers participated in this year’s Canon Photomarathon XI.

In addition, Best of Show awards were given for each of the two categories – for the best collection of images from all three themes.

Travel: Northern Europe Summer – Finland, Russia and Estonia

Monday, July 1st, 2013

White nights, midnight sun and paying a social visit to Santa Claus at his hometown at the Arctic Circle.

Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki. The clear blue skies was a relief from the haze back in South East Asia. Taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.

Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki. The clear blue skies was a relief from the haze back in South East Asia. Taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.

It all started back in 1991 with the liberation of the Baltic States from the Soviet Union which was subsequently followed by the collapse and breakup of the Soviet bloc.

The old town square in Tallinn teems with tourists and artisans celebrating the city's history and traditional crafts. Photo taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.

The old town square in Tallinn teems with tourists and artisans celebrating the city’s history and traditional crafts. Photo taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.

Since then, my wife and I have always wondered about what these three brave Baltic States were like – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

As students then, we’d heard so little about these three newly-minted (then) countries.

So it was that – two decades after those tumultuous times – we decided to visit Estonia’s capital Tallinn during the children’s school holidays this year.

The easiest approach was via Helsinki.

We flew direct to the capital of Finland via Finnair and then made a day trip via a 2-hour ferry across the Gulf of Finland.

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Major Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) updates now available

Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

The next generation of “CC” desktop applications include Adobe Photoshop CC, and delivers new community and publishing capabilities. Current Creative Cloud members get the update free.

The major update is free for existing Creative Cloud subscribers.

The major update is free for existing Creative Cloud subscribers.

Adobe Creative Cloud for Individuals was launched in Singapore last month and for teams in Jaunary.

“… in addition to the traditional areas of innovation these apps are now connected to the powerful publishing and community features integral to the Creative Cloud experience,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media, Adobe.

This latest Creative Cloud release includes new features in the set of “CC” desktop applications and sophisticated cross-device collaboration and publishing capabilities.

Creative files can be stored and shared, via Creative Cloud, on Mac OS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Behance, a leading online creative community, is now integrated with Creative Cloud, so customers can showcase work, get feedback on projects and gain global exposure.

15 Adobe CC desktop applications

The new CC desktop applications include Adobe Photoshop CC, InDesign CC,  Illustrator CC, Dreamweaver CC, Premiere Pro CC.

Adobe Creative Cloud includes more than 30 tools and services that enable professional-grade content creation and delivery across print, web, mobile apps, video and photography.

Hundreds of new features are included in these latest versions of Adobe’s industry-defining desktop tools, some of which are highlighted here in my earlier update.

Adobe Creative Cloud Powers Frictionless Creative Workflows

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Canon releases telephoto zoom lens with internal extender – world’s first

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

The EF200-400mm F4L IS USM Extender 1.4X is a top-tiered high-performance lens for the advanced needs of professionals. Available end May at S$16,599.

Canon EF200-400MM F4L IS USM Extender 1.4X lens will be available end May at S$16,599.

Canon EF200-400MM F4L IS USM Extender 1.4X lens will be available end May at S$16,599.

The EF200-400MM F4L IS USM Extender 1.4X is a new type of lens that combines the convenience of a zoom lens with the high performance of a fixed focal length lens.

It boast super long reach with high quality, records better moving images, and is designed for operability and durability.

Below is the press release from Canon.

Canon Releases the World’s First Telephoto Zoom Lens Equipped with an Internal Extender

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Happy Mother’s Day 2013

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

To all mothers out there … Happy Mother’s Day!

Flowers for all mothers on Mother's Day. These beautiful flowers adorn a florists shop in Kumamoto Japan. Taken with Nikon D800.

Flowers for all mothers on Mother’s Day. These beautiful flowers adorn a florist’s shop in Kumamoto, Japan. Taken with Nikon D800.

And to all mothers-to-be or newly-minted mothers, here’s a book to find out what not to expect when you are expecting.

Muddlehood (S$25.90). Available online, at Popular, Books Actually, Thomson Medical.

Muddlehood (S$25.90). Available online, at Popular, Books Actually, Thomson Medical.

“Muddlehood” is a collection of essays by parents on life in the first year of parenting.

It was written by my wife and a few of her friends to share the trials and tribulations of motherhood, or how they “muddled” through it all.

The authors noted that when they were going through their first pregnancies and looking for advice and things to pay attention to, it was difficult to come by a book that was truly honest about the difficulties and psychological rigours the expecting mother was to encounter.

So having gone through it, they decided to pen down their own experiences as honestly as possible – to share what “expecting mothers never expected”.

“On hindsight, we felt that the accounts were so brutally honest that the book might actually discourage women who had not conceived yet to put off having children,” mused Koh Keat Kian, co-author and co-editor of Muddlehood.

However, despite the rigours of motherhood, the consensus among all the authors was that – at the end of the day – motherhood is the most rewarding thing a woman could experience, and it was worth every bit of angst or trouble they had to go through to have the baby.

This is an excellent book for the expecting mom to find what they never tell you to expect.

It’ll make a handy book to buy yourself if you’re contemplating having a baby, and an excellent present to give an expecting or newly-minted mum.

"Translucent" flowers at a greenhouse in Beppu, Japan. Taken with a Nikon D800.

“Translucent” flowers at a greenhouse in Beppu, Japan. Taken with a Nikon D800.

Event: Canon launches 11 cameras and a new lens in Singapore

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

Canon formally launched the new cameras and lens at Chye Seng Huat Hardware cafe. Half the cameras had already hit the shelves earlier while the new models will debut towards end-April and early-May, with prices yet-to-be announced.

The highlights today include the PowerShot N, EOS 100D and EOS 700D.

Andrew Koh - Senior Director and GM of Consumer Imaging and Information Products Group, Canon Singapore - kicking off the launch in Singapore.

Andrew Koh – Senior Director and GM of Consumer Imaging and Information Products Group, Canon Singapore – kicking off the launch in Singapore.

The Canon PowerShot N has a squarish form factor (78.6 x 69.3 x 29.2 mm) and is so compact it can fit in the palm and be operated with one hand.

Canon PowerShot N has 8x optical zoom and 12.1 megapixels.

Canon PowerShot N

It has Wi-Fi connectivity and comes with pre-programmed creative Instagram-style filters.

The 12.1-megapixel PowerShot N has 8x optical zoom, swivel screen and ISO to 6,400.

The EOS 100D has an 18-megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor and and full DSLR functionalities.

This is despite its compactness – Canon boasts that the 370g EOS 100D is the world’s smallest (116.8 x 90.7 x 69.4 mm) and lightest DSLR.

Canon EOS 100D is the world's smallest and lightest DSLR.

Canon EOS 100D

The EOS 700D has the same sensor and DIGIC 5 imaging processor, and comes with a fully articulated LCD panel.

Both DSLRs can be paired with the new EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM EF-S lens for quieter and smoother AF operation while shooting video.

All the above models will be available in Singapore by end-April. Prices will be announced later.

The other cameras that were launched are the IXUS 255 HS, IXUS 140, IXUS 135, IXUS 132, PowerShot A2600, PowerShot A2500, as well as the newest PowerShot SX280 HS and PowerShot SX270 HS.

Canon EOS 700D has 18 megapixels and DIGIC 5 imaging processor.

Canon EOS 700D has 18 megapixels and DIGIC 5 imaging processor.

All the cameras and lens that were launched today are listed below.

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Nikon COOLPIX A large-sensor compact debuts in Singapore

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

The Nikon COOLPIX A is now available in Singapore in black or silver. RRP: S$1,549. Nikon is giving away a LOWEPRO REZO 50 camera case with every COOLPIX A purchase while stocks last.

Nikon COOLPIX A is available in black or silver at S$1,549 in Singapore from 26 March 2013.

Nikon COOLPIX A is available in black or silver at S$1,549 in Singapore from 26 March 2013.

The COOLPIX A is Nikon’s first compact digital camera equipped with a DSLR sensor.

Nikon COOLPIX A
Megapixels 16.2 MP
Sensor DX-format CMOS sensor
Focal length Fixed at 18.5mm (28mm in 35mm equiv.)
Max aperture f/2.8
AF Contrast-detect
Focus range 50cm to infinity
Macro 10cm
LCD 3″, 921k dots, TFT colour
Movie 1920 x 1080 px 30fps
Flash Built-in with hot-shoe
RAW Yes
ISO 100-3200, extendable to 25600
Size /mm 111 x 64.3 x 40.3
Weight 299 g
Price S$1,549

The DX-format CMOS sensor is as large those used in DSLRs.

The COOLPIX A comes with a fixed 18.5mm (equivalent to 28mm in 35mm format), f/2.8 fixed focal focal length NIKKOR lens.

The camera’s adoption of a seven-blade iris diaphragm allows users to enjoy beautiful and natural blur characteristics.

Various types of aberrations are effectively reduced, demonstrating superior rendering performance throughout the entire frame at all aperture settings.

Moreover, the practical wide-angle lens is designed with optics that maximise its performance while making the most of the compact digital camera’s portability, covering a wide variety of shooting scenes.

Nikon COOLPIX A captures 14-bit compressed NEF (RAW) images, comes with a manual focus ring, and is able to record 1,920 × 1,080/30p full-HD movies.

The camera has a metallic look and feel of its design, with an extremely durable magnesium alloy top cover.

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Sony announces a slew of new cameras, lenses and accessories

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

Sony launched today a range of digital imaging products – 5 cameras, 3 lenses and 2 accessories. Available in Asia Pacific in March/April 2013. Prices TBA.

From top to bottom, left to right:  1. 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II telephoto zoom lens 2. RM-VPR1 wired remote 3. DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM II zoom lens 4. Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM lens 5. HVL-F20M flash 6. Alpha 58 DSLR 7. NEX-3N mirrorless interchangeable lens camera 8. Cyber-shot WX-300 compact camera 9. Cyber-shot HX-300 compact camera 10. Cyber-shot TX-30 compact camera

From top to bottom, left to right: 1. 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II telephoto zoom lens 2. RM-VPR1 wired remote 3. DT 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 SAM II zoom lens 4. Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM lens 5. HVL-F20M flash 6. Alpha 58 DSLR 7. NEX-3N mirrorless interchangeable lens camera 8. Cyber-shot WX-300 compact camera 9. Cyber-shot HX-300 compact camera 10. Cyber-shot TX-30 compact camera

The five cameras announced today include the Alpha 58 DSLR, NEX-3N MIL, and three compacts: Cyber-shot WX300, Cyber-shot HX300, and Cyber-shot TX30.

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