Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

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Happy Father’s Day

Sunday, June 17th, 2012

Yay, it’s Father’s Day today! To all fellow fathers out there – Happy Father’s Day!

DIY ice-cream for Father’s Day. Photo taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 using “Cute Dessert” Scene Mode.

DIY ice-cream for Father’s Day. Photo taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 using “Cute Dessert” Scene Mode.

And for those looking to do something different for your father or the father of your children, here’s something you can try – especially if he’s allergic to dairy products or diabetic.

Delicious & healthy! No post-processing on the photo except cropping and resizing. I’m impressed with the sharp focus (despite being hand-held) and vibrant colours.

Delicious & healthy! No post-processing on the photo except cropping and resizing. I’m impressed with the sharp focus (despite being hand-held) and vibrant colours.

Thankfully I’m neither of these but it was fabulous to be served with a big dollop of this home-made ice-cream first thing in the morning of Father’s Day.

So here’s the how-to, courtesy of mamatimes.wordpress.com.

Keep a couple of bananas until the skin turns slightly black cos some netizens say they have to be really ripe. Slice them up and put them in the freezer.

You can add other fruits, like strawberries. Just toss them into the freezer. Once frozen, throw the lot into a food processor and you’re done.

What’s left is the dressing up and topping. You can add rainbow candies, grounded peanut or chocolate chips or powder. Enjoy!

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Posted in Cameras, Compact camera, Gadgets, Holiday, Howtos, Lifestyle, Lumix, MIL, Panasonic, Photography, Photos | No Comments »

New MIL camera: Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

Panasonic has launched a new Micro Four Thirds mirrorless interchangeable lens (MIL) camera.

It is available now at S$1,099 for either the single-lens or twin-lens kits (details within).

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5 comes in five colours: Black, White, Red, Brown, and Gold (limited edition).

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5 comes in five colours: Black, White, Red, Brown, and Gold (limited edition).

The LUMIX DMC-GF5 is the latest member of the LUMIX G Micro System.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5 remains compact despite having a built-in pop-up flash.

The GF5 remains compact despite having a built-in pop-up flash.

As an MIL camera, it marries the image quality and lens-changing flexibility of DSLRs with the compactness of point-and-shoot cameras.

The DMC-GF5 includes a built-in flash, 12.1-megapixel High Sensitivity Live MOS sensor and an improved Venus Engine for image processing.

Maximum ISO settings reach a maximum of 12,800.

The DMC-GF5 has a 920,000 dots, 3-inch touch display, which allows the user to choose where to focus and to release the shutter upon focus.

When powered off, the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5X is compact enough to fit in the trousers pocket.

Compact enough to fit in the trousers pocket.

Touch zoom is also available simply by mounting the LUMIX G X Power Zoom Lens (H-PS14042 lens or H-PS45175).

The DMC-GF5 uses Contrast Auto-Focus (AF) to capture and lock on to fast-moving subjects within 0.9 seconds.

There are 23 scene modes with pre-canned settings for various photographic situations.

A Creative Control mode increases filter options to 14 from 6 in the DMC-GF3.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5 has a 920,000 dots, 3-inch touch display.

The GF5 has a 920k dots, 3-inch touch display.

The new filters are: Soft Focus, Dynamic Monochrome, Impressive Art, One Point Color, Cross Process, Low Key, Toy Effect and Star Filter.

The existing six filters are the conventional Expressive, Retro, High Key, Sepia, High Dynamic, and Miniature Effect filters.

A dedicated video record button records 1920 x 1080 Full HD video with stereo sound, in either AVCHD or MP4 format.

The DMC-GF5’s Intelligent Auto (iA) mode includes AF Tracking, Face Recognition, Intelligent D-range Control, Scene Selector and ISO Control.

Nice muscular design in the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5.

Nice muscular design in the GF5.

iA Plus mode adjusts exposure compensation and white balance for superior image output.

A newly added angle detection sensor makes it possible to tell whether the photo was taken horizontally or vertically, whatever lens is used.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF5 is available now and is priced at S$1,099 for either of two kits:

  • GF5X: Body with 14-42mm LUMIX G X lens
  • GF5W: Body with 14mm F2.5 pancake lens, and 14-42mm standard kit lens

Note: the Micro Four Thirds lens has a crop factor of 2, so a 14-42mm lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length range of 28-84mm.

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Posted in Cameras, Gadgets, Launch, Lens, Lumix, MIL, Panasonic, Photography, Prices, Specifications | No Comments »

New smartphone: Nokia 808 PureView

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012

Nokia’s monster-imager smartphone hits the shelves (S$839) in Singapore tomorrow, in Black and White.

The Nokia 808 PureView runs on Nokia Belle (Symbian OS 10.1) and features a camera with a 41-megapixel sensor, complete with Carl Zeiss optics.

Nokia 808 PureView will be available in Singapore tomorrow (S$839), in Black and White.

Nokia 808 PureView will be available in Singapore tomorrow (S$839), in Black and White.

The smartphone is available in Black and White and will will debut at the PC Show 2012 tomorrow at the booths of Nokia and all three major local Telcos SingTel, StarHub and M1.

41-megapixel camera sensor

41-megapixel camera sensor

The Nokia 808 PureView was first unveiled in February this year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, together with a slew of other phones from Nokia.

The Nokia 808 PureView shoots photos at default 5MP resolution and Full HD 1080p videos. Pixel over-sampling technology is used to process image information (details, sharpness and colour) captured in the 41MP sensor into the final high-quality 5MP photo that is saved to memory.

The camera outputs photos at 2, 3, 5, 8, 34 and 38 megapixels resolution and comes with a powerful Xenon flash and LED video light.

The high-performance Carl Zeiss optics gives three times lossless zoom for stills, and 1080p full high-definition (HD) video recording with up to four times lossless zoom, giving you a smooth and completely silent zoom experience.

Black and White

Black and White

The Nokia 808 PureView’s camera activates in less than a second, and photos and full HD videos can be sent straight to Facebook or Flickr for sharing – at the touch of a button.

Photos and videos can be sent to another NFC-enabled phone with a simple tap. The phone can also be hooked up to a HDTV via HDMI or wireless streaming to view the phone’s contents on the big screen.

The new Nokia 808 PureView is the world’s first device to include Rich Recording that enables distortion-free audio recording at CD-like levels of up to 140 dB, which was previously only possible with advanced external microphones.

Nokia Belle OS

Nokia Belle OS

This promises faithful sound recording from the lowest base levels to the highest trebles – whether you are at a concert or at a cozy recital!

The phone also features Dolby Headphone, which is exclusive to Nokia smartphones.

With Dolby Headphone, you can get Dolby surround sound playback from any stereo headphone, so you can enjoy superb surround sound quality with movies, music, and even YouTube videos for an amazing entertainment experience everywhere.

The specifications of the Nokia 808 PureView can be viewed and downloaded below.

(more…)

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Posted in Availability, Cameras, Exhibition, Gadgets, Launch, Nokia, Phones, Photography, Prices, Specifications, Symbian | No Comments »

Leica Das Wesentliche in Singapore

Friday, May 18th, 2012

Leica showcased its slew of new products in an intimate session on the 32nd storey of Orchard Mandarin Hotel in Singapore.

This is part of Leica’s series of Das Wesentliche events in its main markets, after the inaugural event in Berlin last week. Prices in SGD below includes 7% GST.

Leica M Monochrom with the APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens, Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès«, and the Leica X2.

Leica M Monochrom with the APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens, Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès«, and the Leica X2.

“Das Wesentliche” means “The Essentials” in German.

It reflects Leica’s intent to focus on just the essentials in the design of their slew new products – to the point of being minimalistic.

The first Das Wesentliche event debuted in Berlin on 10 May.

The new products that were launched in Berlin are now being brought around the world to Leica’s main markets, including Tokyo and Singapore.

The Leica M Monochrom is an 18-megapixel full-frame digital rangefinder camera that shoots only in black-and-white.

It will be available in Singapore (S$12,260) in black chrome from August onwards.

Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH

Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH

The Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH lens has also been launched.

Leica describes it as its most outstanding lens. It will be available in Singapore (S$10,900) from the end of July 2012, in black finish.

Two limited editions of the Leica M9-P have been introduced to commemorate the close relationship between Leica and renowned Parisian house Hermès.

The limited edition Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès« is already available now (US$25,000) although only 300 will be available worldwide.

It comes in either single-lens or triple-lens kits. Both the camera body, lenses, camera bags and accessories have been specially designed by automotive designer Walter de’Silva.

Leica S-Adapter H for the S2

Leica S-Adapter H for the S2

An even more exclusive Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès« – Série Limitée Jean-Louis Dumas will be available (US$50,000) in June 2012. Only 100 sets will be available worldwide. Each set will come with three lenses.

The 16.2-megapixel (effective pixels) Leica X2 is a compact camera with a huge sensor. The APS-C format CMOS image sensor is as big, if not bigger than many DSLRs.

It is targeted towards semi-professional photographers and photography enthusiasts. It will be available in Singapore (S$2,980) from June 2012.

Leica V-Lux 40 with 20x optical zoom

Leica V-Lux 40 with 20x optical zoom

Another new compact camera is the 14.1-megapixel (effective pixels) Leica V-Lux 40, with a 20x optical zoom from 24 to 480 mm (35mm equivalent).

It will be available in Singapore (S$990)  from June 2012 onwards.

Finally, the new Leica S-Adapter H enables the use of Hasselblad H lenses on the Leica S2.

It is now available (S$2,725) in Singapore.

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Posted in Cameras, Compact camera, Events, Gadgets, Launch, Leica, Lens, Photography, Prices, Rangefinders, Specifications | No Comments »

Happy Mother’s Day 2012

Sunday, May 13th, 2012

Here’s to all mothers. Happy Mother’s Day! And here’s a little bit of history that’s surely a testimony to Mothers and the womenfolk amidst us.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

This photo of a rose was taken in a little German town called Weinsberg in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg.

Statue commemorating the bravery and loyalty of Weinsberg's womenfolk.

Statue commemorating the bravery and loyalty of Weinsberg's womenfolk.

Weinsberg means “wine” in German and this quaint and sleepy little town, which is noted for its wine, has only 11,800 inhabitants.

The family had detoured there to visit its castle ruins during our drive last year from Heilbronn to another scenic town called Schwäbisch Hall.

While we were having a picnic at Weinsberg, an ancient couple who lived in Weinsberg came over to chat with us.

They told us a very interesting and touching bit of history about the town and its castle, which is somewhat relevant today since it’s Mother’s Day.

Between our non-existent German and their English, this was what we understood, which we later corroborated on Wikipedia.

In 1140, the castle was besieged by Konrad III. Eventually, it had to surrender.

Apparently, the women of the castle were allowed to go free and to take whatever they could carry on their backs.

Guess what they carried?

Their men! In so doing, these gallant women saved the lives of their fathers, husbands, brothers and sons, since the king adhered to his word.

These women became known as treue Weiber (“loyal women”), and the castle (today’s ruin) is called Weibertreu due to this incident.

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Posted in Events, Germany 2011, Holiday, Lifestyle, Opinion, Photography, Photos, Travel | No Comments »

Photo Contest: Home Without Walls (Professional Category)

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

SingTel has launched a photo contest aimed at the professional photography community – with a top prize of S$15,000. Submit online before 20 May 2012.

Win the grand prize of S$15,000 or one of four S$1,000 prizes for the four themes.

Win the grand prize of S$15,000 or one of four S$1,000 prizes for the four themes.

The contest is part of a series of activities under the “Home Without Walls” campaign.

Capture family moments in one of four themes.

Capture family moments in one of four themes.

The campaign is about inspiring Singaporeans to make real and meaningful connections with the people who matter, with the aim of creating homes where there are no communication barriers, and connect from the heart – whether online or offline.

For the moment, only the Professional Category of the contest has been launched – for professional photographers that earn more than 50% of their normal income from photography.

Photos must be taken after 20 March 2012 and, if possible, reflect a Singapore context.

Each participant may submit up to 12 entries.

There are four separate themes for photos: Attachments, Connections, Memories, and Networks.

Participants must send in photo of family moments based on their own interpretations of the above themes.

Detailed terms & conditions can be found online.

The panel of judges comprises Derrick Heng from SingTel, as well as renowned photographers: Yumi Goto, Marc Prüst, and local photographer Tay Kay Chin.

The winner of each theme will win S$1,000 in cash, while a grand winner will take home S$15,000.

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Posted in Contest, Photography, Photos, SingTel | 2 Comments »

Talk: Photographer Tay Kay Chin

Thursday, April 26th, 2012

In a talk entitled “Shooting from the heart”, prolific local photographer and Hasselblad Master Tay Kay Chin shared about his passion for photography.

Hasselblad Master Photographer Tay Kay Chin (Photo from SingTel, cropped by me)

Hasselblad Master Photographer Tay Kay Chin (Photo from SingTel, cropped by me)

More than 50 photography enthusiasts turned up for the talk and took a peek at the thought processes behind the creation of Tay’s photos, as he walked us through some of his prized shots.

“When I looked at that picture, I wanted to be a father. That to me, is how powerful photography is and it became one of my goal in life — to make people want to do something,” said Kay Chin of a photo he once took of a newborn infant.Kay Chin first felt a desire for photographing Singapore as his home when he was leaving his home country for Missouri.

Planning to emigrate to the US, Kay Chin ventured around Singapore taking photos of people and places he wanted to keep as memories.

The series of photos which he took of Singapore — “Panoramic Singapore” — were of the most ordinary things that he felt we often took for granted.

“Panoramic Singapore’”went on to win him the prestigious “Hasselblad Master” award.

Kay Chin brought the attendees through the “Home” series of photos. These were sensitive shots he had taken of family and friends in their most tender moments — including the bereavement of his own father.

Profile of Tay Kay Chin (Photo from SingTel, cropped by me)Kay Chin had wanted to capture milestone family events as memories, even as he  struggled learning how to be objective behind the lens, whilst wondering if he was being too intrusive into his subjects’ private moments.

Kay Chin’s rationale is that he has a genuine intention to capture stories which he can pass down to the younger generation as a form of documentation.

Now, he takes photos of people and things that are important to him, and is less concerned about the commercial value and technical aspects of the photos.

To him, these photographs tell a story that is worth more than what money can buy.

Kay Chin believes that photography should not be just about winning awards or copying trending styles, but to explore what is close to the heart for the photographer and to capture stories with visual impact to move people.

“Taking photographs of my family, has proven to be the most difficult thing,” shared Kay Chin.A photographer who does not blindly follow in the footsteps of others will therefore have a better chance of developing an original style.

As one of the judges of SingTel’s “Home Without Walls” photo contest, Kay Chin will be looking for a photograph which powerfully conveys a real and honest expression of the family.

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Posted in Canon, Events, Photography, Photos, Seminars, SingTel | 1 Comment »

Nikon COOLPIX S30 available in Singapore

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

The 10.1-megapixel Nikon COOLPIX S30 (S$259) is now available exclusively from Courts. The waterproof and shockproof compact camera is ideal for kids.

Nikon COOLPIX S30 is shockproof, waterproof and dirtproof.

Nikon COOLPIX S30 is shockproof, waterproof and dirtproof.

The COOLPIX S30 is built to resist shock (withstands falls from heights of up to 80 cm), water (up to 3 metres depth) and dirt.

Nikon COOLPIX S30: 10.1 megapixels, 3x optical zoom.

10.1 megapixels, 3x optical zoom.

The camera has large buttons and a user-friendly interface, and comes with 3x optical zoom.

For added fun, a creative slide show function creates animated effects and music with the photos!

Unveiled on 1 February as part of Nikon’s Spring 2012 collection, the COOLPIX S30 is available in black, white, pink and blue.

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Posted in Availability, Cameras, Compact camera, COOLPIX, Gadgets, Nikon, Photography, Prices, Specifications | 1 Comment »

New DSLR: Nikon D3200

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

Nikon has launched, worldwide, the 24.2-megapixel D3200. The new entry-level DSLR will be available in the US in late April (approx. US$700 with 18-55mm kit lens).

Nikon has also launched a Wireless Mobile Adapter WU-1a (approx. US$60, available in May in the US) for the D3200.

The new Nikon D3200 is available in red or black.

The new Nikon D3200 is available in red or black.

The D3200 records Full HD (1080p) video with full time autofocus (AF) and sports a high-speed continuous shooting mode at 4 frames-per second (fps).

The optional WU-1a gives the Nikon D3200 wireless connectivity to mobile devices.

WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter

The new optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter can wirelessly send images to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, to enable preview of an image (but not videos) before shooting and remote control of the camera, from up to 15 m away.

The 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor works together with Nikon’s EXPEED 3 image processing engine gives an ISO range of 100 – 6400, expandable to ISO 12,800.

As an entry-level DSLR, the D3200 is designed with user-friendly features for the beginner.

WU-1a plugged into D3200.

WU-1a plugged into D3200.

Accessible on the Mode Dial, the Guide Mode provides step-by-step photo instructions for set-up, shooting, viewing and deleting images and movies.

There are also six Scene Modes – Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-Up and Night Portrait.

For video, the camera offers manual or automatic exposure control, and a stereo microphone input to attach an optional external microphone.

The application for Android smartphones (2.3) and tablets (3.x) will be available in May 2012, with the iOS app for iPhone and iPad expected in Fall 2012.

The Guide Mode walks the beginner using the entry-level D3200.

The Guide Mode walks the beginner using the entry-level D3200.

The main differences between the Nikon D3200 and the D3100 are tabulated below.

Nikon D3200 D3100
Resolution 24.2 MP 14.2 MP
Video Full HD (1080p) 30 fps 24 fps
LCD 920 k 230 k
Max ISO (regular) ISO 6,400 ISO 3,200
Continuous shoot 4 fps 3 fps
Release date 19 Apr 2012 19 Aug 2010

The brochure can be downloaded here.

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Posted in Accessories, Android, App, Cameras, DSLR, Events, Gadgets, iOS, Launch, Nikon, Photography, Prices, Specifications | 5 Comments »

Adobe CS6 to launch on April 23

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

Adobe Creative Cloud and Creative Suite 6 will be launched on April 23 at 10:00 am Pacific Time.

Watch the Webcast of the launch of Adobe CS6 and Adobe Creative Cloud.

Watch the Webcast of the launch of Adobe CS6 and Adobe Creative Cloud.

Shantanu Narayen, Adobe CEO, and David Wadhwani, SVP, Digital Media Business, Adobe, will host a launch event and press conference to announce how the company is reinventing creative software with the first release of Adobe Creative Cloud and the new Creative Suite 6.

Adobe CS6 will be launched in Singapore on April 23.

Adobe CS6 will be launched in Singapore on April 23.

This will be the first full public demonstration of Adobe Creative Cloud in action.

The company will also preview future updates, available later this year, to its Creative Cloud offering.

In addition, the company will unveil new primary research on the impact of creativity on our culture and economy, and reveal new initiatives that encourage creativity in education.

In Singapore, the Adobe CS6 launch will be on the afternoon of April 23.

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Posted in Adobe, Creative Suite, Launch, Photography, Software | 1 Comment »

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