Eyesthruthelens' Photography

Thanks to Sony Singapore, shot with A77 during Singapore F1 2011

2011-10-03T04:28:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Sony Singapore, shot with A77 during Singapore F1 2011, a photo by eyesthruthelens on Flickr.

Thanks to Sony Singapore, shot with A77 during Singapore F1 2011

Singapore formula 1, 2011 — Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

2011-10-03T04:27:00.001-07:00

Singapore formula 1, 2011 — Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing, a photo by eyesthruthelens on Flickr.

Singapore formula 1, 2011 — Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

Google+ mobile

2011-07-08T08:47:00.001-07:00

Google+ mobile, a photo by eyesthruthelens on Flickr.

Google+ mobile

Alphadslr Pulau Ubin Outing, 28th Nov 2009

2009-11-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

OrangUtan

2009-06-03T04:09:00.001-07:00

OrangUtan
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

Well.. I'm going to Kuching in mid June, with my family. Part of my yearly mid-year holiday with my kids.

草蜢忘我演唱會 Grasshopper Right Now in Concert

2009-06-03T04:06:00.001-07:00

草蜢忘我演唱會 Grasshopper Right Now in Concert
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

Grasshopper concert in Singapore. I'm not their fan - I was there just for the photoshoot opportunity.
Overall, it was a great show.
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was asked to stop shooting after the first session, as I was told that my equipment are professional tool.

Singapore

2009-06-03T04:00:00.001-07:00

Singapore
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

Singapura, early morning 7.28am.
People taking bus, train or car to work.. while for me, on 29th May 2009, I took a ferry to my work place. :)

Alpha 2

2009-05-08T07:11:00.001-07:00

Well, Alphadslr.com 2nd anniversary celebration is coming soon, 28th August 2009 to be exact.
Here is one of the video created by Alphadslr member, Doc.

Singapore Flyer, Up there.

2009-04-13T01:06:00.001-07:00

Singapore Flyer, the ride
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

Breathtaking view... the skyline of Singapore City.
Period.

Life.. ?

2009-04-04T23:03:00.001-07:00

Today, someone asked me this question??

Hmm.. well.. err...
Life, is living simple and enjoy every moment of it.

How about success ?
- Nope, you are not a failure if you are not successful...

How about money ?
- Well, money don't buy happiness.. so, money is never in the equation. :)

Then what is life?
- I think is how you live together with others.. your actions touched them and they feel good. They will remember you.. as what you are, not what you have.

To start off, a smile will do and put out your hand and help those that is looking for one.

ICE - In Car Entertainment System

2009-04-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

Well, with my new car, I decided to spend a bit more money to upgrade the ICE system. There will be no DVD video, focus is only on the audio improvement..
I was doing my "sort of research" for the past weeks and asking around on the best configuration for the ICE upgrade.
Surprisingly I can't really find lots of recommendation from the internet.

So, at the end, the best way to get reliable info is to contact my friends. Those that are in ICE hobby for a while.

At the end, I installed this ICE configuration on my car (price range <>
tweeter and front speaker upgrade to avi XL-160
Amplifier installed - Audison SRX5 (2nd hand)
Woofer - Rockfords P2D410 (2nd hand)

Overall , I'm happy.

MOSAIC Music Festival 2009

2009-03-18T16:48:00.001-07:00

MOSAIC Music Festival 2009
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

A must visit event at Esplanade Singapore.
Every night, there are 2 free stage performance. Enjoying myself while shooting with Sony A900. :)

Official Link: http://www.mosaicmusicfestival.com/2009/microsite/

Few photos from the event:

Renault Classic

2009-03-18T16:45:00.001-07:00

Renault Classic
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

Goodbye my old Renault Classic.
After 7 years, since 2002.
Pros:
- Drives well even after 7 years
- Comfort level very good
- Fuel efficiency, good - 8.2 L/100km
- Nice and unique on Singapore road
- Paint work still looks great after 7 years

Cons:
- Replaced aircon compressor twice :(
- Repair gearbox once

Going to miss this car.

My new ride - Renault Megane

2009-03-18T16:41:00.001-07:00

Renault Megane
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

Well, some new options popped up while I was looking for new car.
Renault Megane II - not really in my list but for the special promotion that they are offering at this moment, this French car seems to be a good choice.

So, from a old Renault Classic to the Megane II.

Ride comfort - improvement, quieter and better suspension.
Features.. big improvement, auto here and there.. cruise, rain sensor and light.
Start button, keyless
ipod connection - thousand of songs (hmm from Singapore to Thailand)

Initial option was silver but at the end, it's the metallic grey.

Looks good?

Thaipusam, தைப்பூசம்

2009-02-09T02:02:00.001-08:00

Presenting my photo collection on Thaipusam, தைப்பூசம்

New car in 2009?

2009-02-05T05:31:00.000-08:00

Thinking of getting a new car?.. my selection will be the Ford S-Max.

The other will be:

FF sensor photos from A900

2008-11-13T06:24:00.000-08:00

I'm a happy A900 user.
Having the opportunity to use all my lenses on the new A900 FF sensor is really a joy.

Here is a shot on the view difference btw. FF sensor and APS sensor.
I'm surprise on how much view I missed previously using the A700. Now, I have a wider view with less distortion.

I'm Happy

View from 28mm lens

Sony A900 - noisy?

2008-11-01T02:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it depends on the setting.
With the setting indicated here, it's almost noise zero.
Check out these photos at iso3200 and you decide yourself.

My new A900

2008-10-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

I decided to grow up with SONY DSLR.. so I made the decision to upgrade my A700 to A900. Got the new DSLR on 24th October 2008. Rightfully this should be an easy decision but due to the pricing of the new A900, it took me a while to decide if it's a good time now to upgrade.

Here is my review on A900.. how does it perform as compare to A700.

Pro..
1. FF - all my lenses are wider now.. (FE lens is fun again) - Got a feeling that I just purchased all those new lenses..
2. Beautiful bokeh.. especially with those beautiful Minolta lenses with great bokeh
3. The grip is better..
4. Camera build - a grown up version of A700
5. AF is better, faster and more accurate
6. Color - jpeg.. a big improvement over A700
7. Micro adjustment - cool to ensure no more FF or BF issues and as well as fine tune lenses (good for those with minolta lenses)
8. Can switch btw APS and FF capture.. great when I need tele..
9. The best is on the photo quality.. zoom to 100% and the details are amazing (Best in DSLR)..
10. Noise.. I like noise at iso 1600 or 6400.. can call me weird guy but i can't take it for no noise photo at these iso.. I like noise on my photos.. like the old film day.
11. 5fps - fine for me.. but again, if it's 8 or 10 for smaller picture file, will be better.
12. Live view.. big deal. The DOF view is good enough.. works as well. No concern for me.
13. Video.. don't need. I'm a photographer.. (if bundle and don't increase price for the cam.. I'm OK)

Cons..
1. pricing.. If only A900 is selling at S$3.5K range (same as the rest..).. it will be selling like hot cakes..

A point to add..
- KM5d - APS sensor - 6 Mpixel - If today Sony release a new 6 Mpixel APS DSLR with iso 250000 and no noise.. Selling the same price as A700.. will you buy?
- A700 - APS sensor.. with 12 Mpixel. (D80/D90 - noise level.. about the same as A700)
- A900 - FF sensor - 24Mpixel (compare this with A700.. pixel density about the same as A700)
- D700/D3 - FF sensor - 12 Mipsel (pixel density same as KM5D).. For FF, it's like back to KM5D technology
- D800 - FF sensor - 24 Mpixel.. (can they get similar clean noise..) - don't know yet.

Those that upgrade to A900.. you should be able to hold on to this cam for the next 2-3 years.. before there is a new cam that can bring the sensor tech to next level.. (It's like those that hold on the Minolta lenses - as compare to current CZ lenses)

confuse.. don't worry. Not important.. focus more on taking photos.

A900 - what's my opinion

2008-10-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I tested the camera during the official launch in Singapore. The camera feels solid and I just like the FF on my current lenses. Photos from A900 seems to be sharper and the details you are getting from this camera is amazing. It should be the best for all DSLR available in the market today. It's so like the film slr day.. I like the camera..
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The only set back is on the pricing. Selling at S$4299, it's now one of the most expensive FF DSLR in the entry level.. D700 is only selling at S$3.5K range and the Canon 5DmkII should be around the same range as D700.. I'll get this camera if it's below S$3.8K range..

A shot with A900

The arrival A900

2008-09-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

9th Sept 2008

It's here at last... after more than a year. Sony FF DSLR A900 - the 1st FF DSLR with antishake build in the camera.

Will I get one soon.. sure, why not? Since it's one of the cheapest priced FF DSLR in the market now.

Well.. I'm in Shenzhen today

2008-09-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

So, I need to travel again and this time, I'm in Shenzhen.

It's good to have the opportunity to travel to China, Shenzhen and see how this city has developed from my last visit (almost 10 years ago)

What has changed.. population increased, more cars on the road and flats popping up almost everywhere.

I'm here to visit my supplier, Foxconn and when I was in the campus, it's like a small city by itself.

200 buildings in the campus with total employement of 300K !!

They have almost all manufacturing capabilities inside their campus.. amazing. With people, everything is possible.

I'm staying at Kempinski hotel at Nanshan District. Some of the shopping malls around my hotel.

ERP..

2008-08-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

A funny way to highlight ERP impact on Singaporean - (click on the video camera on this page), view this Video

China Olympic..

2008-08-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

It's one of the BEST show on earth.. If you missed it, make sure you watch it during the delay telecast.
It's so good and amazingly beautiful.

There are so many "How they do that?" questions during the show.. and surprisingly, the answer is simply, it's the people. The people of China.. the efforts that had put in to ensure it's a beautiful and successful show for the rest of the world to enjoy.

The beautiful show from the opening ceremony.

Baseball - The American game

2008-08-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

Went to the Baseball game tonight at Durham Bulls baseball stadium.

This is my first time watching the baseball game live.. and there are lots of entertaining activities in between the inning. It's fun and everyone with a beer on their hand and having a good time. For me, I was holding a beer on one hand and the other hand, with my SONY DSLR clicking away.. I had a good time as well.. tiring but enjoyable.

Pontaic - made in USA

2008-07-31T19:05:00.000-07:00

A beauty.. indeed (http://wwww23.pontiac.com/solstice)

The Varsity, celebrating 80 years anniversary

2008-07-31T18:48:00.000-07:00

On the 1st August, they are celebrating 80 years anniversary. The varsity.. (http://www.thevarsity.com/) - best place for hamburger in Atlanta.

I was there.. ordered the most popular combo meal from the restaurant - 2 sausages with orion rings and a coke.
My verdict - it's nice. The serving does not look that "nice".. but the sausages do taste good.

The longest drive thru ordering for a hamburger place.. ?

Inside the restaurant..

Washington DC, part 2

2008-07-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

Continue with places of interest.

White house

Lincoln memorial, I like this photo.. diversity of races.

Korean war.. a war memorial for all the wars.. I think the Iraq memorial will be up soon..

National World War II Memorial, just beside the reflection pool

Washington Monument, this monument is really BIG ! The monument is the world's tallest stone structure, and is the world's second tallest obelisk (behind San Jacinto Monument, in Texas), standing 169.294 meters (555 feet 5⅛ inches) in height and made of mable. granite and sandstone.

Capital of United State of America, Washington DC

2008-07-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

Showcase some of the interesting places I visited when I was there in July 2008.
For more photos, please visit my Flickr website, www.flickr.com/photos/eyesthruthelens

At Jefferson Memorial - you should be able to see Jefferson statue standing at the center of the memorial.

Iwo Jima Statue

National gallery of Arts

The National Archives - where you can see the Declaration of Independence

National Museum of Natural History

Largest Aquarium in the world, Georgia Aquarium Atlanta

2008-07-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

Well, at last I visited an aquarium with a BIG BIG glass between me and the fishes.. !!!
Georgia Aquarium at Atlanta.
This place is not even near the sea or river.. How they get all those sea water for the fishes..
www.georgiaaquarium.org
"The Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world! It has 8 million gallons of fresh and sea water and more than 100000 animals per their website"

The great BIG view.. stayed there for 30 minutes just to admire those big Whale Sharks..
This is one of the must visit attraction when you are at Atlanta.

Steve Penley

2008-07-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

I saw his exhibition at Atlanta World of Coca Cola. http://www.stevepenley.com/
His paintings are colorful and bright in color. I like such paintings.

Some of his paintings on display.

A nice restaurant at Raleigh - Mecca

2008-07-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

We had our dinner here, the Mecca Restaurant.
This place is so "retro" and from one of the newspaper cut-out on the wall, the restaurant business started from 1930 onwards.. and right now, it's the 3rd generations that runs the place.

The ambiance and display in the restaurant is so.. thirties.. :)

Well, definitely we can't such place in Singapore. I like the place and if you are visiting Raleigh, do drop by this restaurant. Foods served here are reasonable priced and good.. highly recommended.

Entrance.. and inside the restaurant

Look at the cashier.. it's really retro, more retro than IBM POS system :)

Saw a fire engine at downtown Raleigh

2008-07-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Well, we visited Raleigh today after office hour. The drive to downtown is about 15-20 minutes.
While we were walking along the street, a fire engine passed by us.. and with my trusted SONY A700.. snapped & snapped.. a series of continuous shots..

Washington DC

2008-07-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm looking forward to visit this city, the capital of The United States of America.
I've seen so many sceneries around this city in the movies.. and at last, I was there last week, 17-18th July 2008.

It's indeed a beautiful city with many museums, memorials and monuments.
All the museums entrance are free.. amazing.

One of the memorial that I always wanted to be there and see it with my own eyes, the Lincoln memorial.
He is sitting there looking out over the reflection pool and the other end, the Washington Monument. Must be very beautiful, especially in the evening when the lights are turn-on.

Another place that I'll like to see is the White House..

The interesting part about the White house is that just directly in front, I saw this..

Martin Puryear..

2008-07-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

Who is Martin Puryear.. I have not heard of his name until I visited his exhibition at the National Art Museum at Washington.
All his display items are simple.. just a ladder that becomes narrower from one side to the other..

or just a block of wooden object.. with weird shape.. or a few strings on the wall..

His works really have an impact on me.. It's beautiful. Never ever thought that few pieces of woods can make such a beautiful object.. You will never know what it represents.. maybe it represents "ARTs".

More on the Artist himself - Martin Puryear

Shopper paradise.. US factory outlets.

2008-07-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

I went to Smithfield last Friday, 18th July 2008 for the factory outlets shopping.
It was a long drive.. about an hour from my hotel. Everything is very cheap at the shops and at the end of the day, I'm a happy guy. :)

Just going to post one of the item that I purchased.
US$14.90 - Nike sweater for my daughter.

All items almost 75% off from the pricing in Singapore. Amazing.

How popular is iPhone 3G in US... ?

2008-07-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

Well, when I was at the mall, the place is pretty quiet and I don't think the business is that great..
Anyway, things are pretty slow now in US..

At Apple store.. business should be good as there is long Queue outside the store, everyone wants a new iPhone 3G.
I think we need more company like Apple to drive the world economy for the next few years..

Hmm, If only Apple is making cars, maybe we do not need to pay for the expensive petrol pricing anymore. ")

Here are few more photos that I like, captured around the mall.

My 3rd day in US..

2008-07-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm very tired now.. as for the past few nights, I woke up at 3am or 5am..
Don't feel like talking to anyone or interested in anything anymore..

Hopefully, things will be better for the next few days.

Yesterday, we were at this restaurant that serves a popular local dish.. pork BBQ with vinegar. I don't really like the taste but at a corner of the restaurant, I managed to capture this nice shot.

In USA for 2 months..

2008-07-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

I'll be in US for 2 months. Is it a very long period? Not really as compare to 3 or 6 or 12 months. Is it short, not really as well.. in the next 2 months, lots of thing can happen.
Well, regardless if it's long or short, I'll be going .. and today I flew 27 hours from Singapore to New York to Raleigh.
Transit at Frankfurt... 27 hours of flight!!
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I survived and still have a bit of time to put my thoughts in this blog.

Well, it should be fun, lots of excitements and a very good opportunity to explore or do some soul searching for the next 2 months.
I'm going to miss my family members..
- my naughty son.. adorable
- my daughter - going thru teenage period. I need to spend more time with her.
- my wife.. I always say this, I'm who I am today - 99% is because of my wife. As long as we are sharing the joy and sadness together, I'll be very happy. :)

Captured some photos with my iphone while on the plane.. as I'm too lazy to take out my Sony A700 DSLR.
Here are some shots for sharing..

At Frankfurt

At New York, the big apple

Touched down at JFK, New York

Western Australia.. self drive, 8 days holiday

2008-07-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to Australia, Western Australia in early June 2008 for a short 8 days holiday with my family.
Overall, it was a good break from my work and I had a good time with my kids and wife.

Just thought of sharing my trip itinerary here..
Day 1 - flight from Singapore to Perth

Day 2 - Visit to Pinnacles. The drive from Perth to Pinnacle is about 3.5 hrs.. so, if you are driving there and back, it will be a 7 hours drive for a day. It's pretty long and tiring.. but since it's the first day, full of energy.. I survived :)
From Perth, take the Graham Farmer Fwy.. and turn to great Eastern Hwy. Follow the Hwy until you reach Great Northern Hwy.. and continue to go north... and turn left to brand Hwy. (Check google map).. continue to go north until you need to turn left to nambung national park. You will see a EMU wind-farm after you make the turn to nambung national park.

After the visit to Pinnacles, you can stop by at Cervantes for a good fish and chip lunch.
After that, it's another 3.5 hours drive back to Perth.

Day 3 - Visit to Bursellton Jetty
You need to drive towards south and from Perth, follow the Kwinana Fwy. Drive towards Mandurah.. It's a pretty slow drive as you are driving across small towns with slow speed limit.. until you reach Bunbury. You can have you lunch at Bunbury and if you ever thought of visiting the dolphin center.. you can skip that. It's nothing to see at the center.
Continue to drive all the way to Busselton Jetty.. If you are lucky, you should go for the underwater observatory. Walk to the end of the Jetty.. that will occupy you for at least 2-3 hours. Enjoy the sun and the beautiful blue sky.
From Busselton, drive to Margaret river and check in this motel.. Vintages Margaret: http://www.vintagesmargaretriver.com.au/about/

Day 4 - Visit to the caves around Margaret river. From the 3 caves, we only visited one.. the Lake cave. It's a nice cave and we have a good time there. It has a small lake inside the cave and it's beautiful. From Margaret river, just drive to the caves road and you will never miss the cave.

From the cave, we drove south to Augusta and visit the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. At Augusta, there is a nice cafe.. Bakery & Cafe.. we had our lunch there. When we reached the lighthouse, the sky was "super duper" blue.. and again, we had a nice evening there.

Rememeber to walk all the way to the lighthouse and look out the sea where the 2 ocean meets.

From Augusta, we drove all the way to Pemberton and spend a night there - at the one and only hotel along the main road at Pemberton.

Day 5 - From Pemberton, we went to the Gloucester tree, sort of to climb the tree. When I reached the location, I was a bit disappointed. The tree doesn't seem to be as tall or huge as I have imagined - based on those photos that I've seen. Anyway, when I'm back in Singapore and look at the photos, it does look bigger on the photo.

From there we moved on to the next stop Beedelup fall (you can skip this if you do not have time) Nothing spectacular there.
We continue to drive south to the Valley of the Giant, the tree top walk at Walpole. We had a good time there and these bridges are really high up on the tree top. It swings from left to right when the wind blows.. You got a good view from the top and if you are afraid of height, this is a good place for you to explore.

The last stop is at Albany, the GAP and the NATURAL BRIDGE. We reached there at 6pm and it's almost dark. Managed to experience the strong waves at the GAP.. it splashed up from the GAP. (lucky.. for us) and a beautiful sun set from the Natural Bridge.

If I have time, I'll visit the windfarm at Albany (we skipped this one as it's already dark when we left the GAP)
Stayed at Albany.

Day 6 - I woke up early and went for a short walk around Albany town area. Albany is one of the beautiful town at the Southern part of Australia. You can view more photos in my Flickr webpage.

After our breakfast, we drove all the way back to Margaret River so that we can check in at the farmstay by 3pm.
We drove from the Albany highway til Mount Barker, from there we turn towards west and drove all the way back to Margaret river (should be the shortest way). Along the way, we stopped by some vineyards.

We reach the Sunflower farmstay at 3pm. It's a very nice place with lots of animals and great host.

We had a small camp fire activity out in the farm.

Day 7 - We stayed at the farmhouse in the morning. The kids really enjoyed themselves there with the animals.

From the farmhouse, the next stop is at Fremantle. Along the way, we stopped at Candy Cow and had our lunch at Mandurah, a restaurant just beside the bridge, over look the beautiful sea.

Our first stop at Fremantle, the market.

We spend the evening at the bay. Ate the "best" fish and chip at Cicerello. The place is very nice especially in the evening with the beautiful reflection on the water.

From Fremantle, we drove back to Perth.

Day 8 - Perth
We spend the morning at the Perth Zoo.. there is where my kids enjoyed themselves.

In the afternoon, we had our lunch at Sorrento Quay. After that, we headed to the Aquarium of Western Australia, aqwa

Alphadslr group biggest outing, 5th July 2008

2008-07-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest outing from Alphadslr.com members. 50+ members turned up at Singapore Chinese garden for the Mega Portraiture outing.
For me, I had a good time meeting with my buddies and we talked and talked and occasionally snap few photos..
At the end of the day, it was a great event and here are few of the shots from the outing.

I'm the photographer.. so, I'm not in this photo...

One shot on the model from the event.. the rest, please view at my Flickr page.

# Sony New Flash HVL-58AM Simulation

2008-07-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

Amazing new SONY DSLR flash..

Busselton Jetty

2008-06-23T08:54:00.001-07:00

One of my >100 views photo in my Flickr webpage, www.flickr.com/eyesthruthelens

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Thinking Orang Utan

2008-06-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

Orang Utan
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

Deep in thought.. thinking about Ah Meng (more info from Singapore Zoo webpage) or the future doesn't look promising ?

Close up with 500mm f8 mirror lens

2008-06-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, here are few shot with my new 500mm lens.. everything is closer with this lens.
It's fun using the lens as it's small and very portable.

SONY_FoamCity

2008-06-17T09:33:00.001-07:00

SONY_FoamCity
Originally uploaded by eyesthruthelens

Beautiful.. TV commercial for the new SONY DSLR cameras

Nigel Parry

2008-06-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Found this nice website with very nice photos - Nigel Parry

SONY new FF DSLR at sub US$2K

2008-06-17T09:12:00.001-07:00

You need to ask yourself.. is it possible?
If it's true, what will happen to Nikon D3 or the new Canon 5D Mk II camera? Are they able to match the sub US$2K pricing?

It's possible, if you ask me.

But.. it won't be the 24mpixel sensor. SONY may be using current Nikon D3 sensor for their A700 upgrade, a Full Frame DSLR with liveview.

We need to wait and see what SONY is going to announce in the next 2 months.

Sony A700 - videos

2008-06-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

A700 - Enjoy :)

Full Range, A700, A350, A300 and A200

Sony A700

Sony 16-105mm f3.5-5.6

2008-06-17T09:07:00.001-07:00

How about this high-end SONY kit lens?

Well, I just purchased one for my coming holiday trip to Perth, Australia. I received the lens 2 days ago, and initial testing on this lens showed very positive results.

Sharpness: ****1/2

Color: ****1/2

Bokeh: ****

For the price you paid for the lens, you will not be disappointed.

This lens can gives a very nice bokeh at 105mm range. Something that I can't get from the CZ 16-80mm lens. It's very useful for close up shots.

Updates on 13 July 08:
Sold this lens to another Alpha-mount user. This lens is highly recommended for APS-Sensor DSLR.
You can view photos captured with this lens in my Australia gallery in Flickr - My Collection from Australia.

Reason for selling: Positioning for FF DSLR - heard that there is a new SONY 24-105mm f4 G SSM lens. :)

iPhone

2008-06-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I comment about this phone except that it's the best gadget on market today.
If you have a chance to buy just one electronics device in a year, make sure iPhone is in the list :)
It's that good.. and fun to use.
A phone, MP3 player, photo storage, Video player.. a camera with direct link to Flickr upload, Map, email reader and VOIP.. in such a small and beautiful phone.

Initially I was a bit disappointed that iPhone is not able to sync with PC thru bluetooth. After using the phone for a month, the iPhone itself is the PC. You do not need PC anymore.. everthing is on the phone itself.. uploading photos, reading emails, calender. What you need is just wi-fi access.

There are news that iPhone 2 is launching in June 2008 with 3G, with solar panel battery charger.
Can't really think of any reason for not buying the phone anymore.

Here are my pick for recommended iPhone applications:
1. Fring - MSN and VOIP
2. Converter - currency conversion and others
3. TuneWiki - MP3 player with Lyrics
4. iFlcikr - real time upload to Flickr thru Wi-fi
5. Wallpaper - you can select cool wallpaper from internet
6. StreetFlow - Map with info sharing from members
7. Funambol - Internet Sync contacts
8. NemusSync - Internet Sync Google Calender
9. System application - Categories, Customize, itoday, ringtone and others..

Use the new biteSMS for SMSing.. it's faster and able to support forwarding.

Waiting for more news on iPhone 2.

Updates on 17th June 2008:

iPhone 3G announced by Apple on 9th June 2008. The big news is that it's 3G with GPS inbuild.. and cost half the price of current iPhone.
By end of this year, iPhone should be all over the world.

SONY A300/350 videos

2008-06-16T07:21:00.002-07:00

Sony A300/A350

A350.. bubbles floating

Sony A350.. looking down
(Sony Alpha’s latest commercial in Korea by So Ji Sub)

Minolta 28-70mm f2.8 G

2008-06-16T07:21:00.001-07:00

Production period - 1993
Full Frame lens, non-D
F-stop - 2.8 - 22
Focal Length - 28-70 mm
Min Focus Distance - 850 mm
Aperture blade - 7
No filter rotation during zoom or focusing
Length (min/max) - 114.5mm / 114.5mm
Filter size - 72
Weight - 850 g

This is a classic Minolta lens. Construction is definitely top quality. Just by looking at the lens itself, it's already justified the high price you paid for the lens.. :)
The lens will not extend the length from 28 to 70mm range - internal focusing, Link
I managed to get a copy of this lens in a very good condition (look at the photos below)

The strength of this lens.. it's the bokeh and the ability to create the 3D effect on photo.
I can't really explain about the 3D effect, it's very much like the film effect and you can feel the distance between objects on the photo. It's amazing and so far, no other lens can create such 3D effect.
(I'll try to post a photo below)

According to some reports, this zoom lens has the double aperture blades (the same one on the famous Minolta 135mm STF lens - for the great bokeh effect). Maybe that explains the nice bokeh from the lens.
I did a test between this zoom lens and the Minolta 35mm f1.4 G. Click on this link to view the results.
(can't wait to test the lens on SONY FF DSLR)

Sharpness is acceptable, even from f2.8 but it gets better at f4 to f8. Not the type of sharpness as CZ 24-70mm f2.8.
A simple test between this zoom lens and the Minolta 28mm f2.0 - link.

Will I replace this lens with CZ 24-70mm f2.8?
For now, a definite answer - NO.
I'm not really into sharpness as I believe all G lenses are sharp. If you need "CZ" sharpness, pump up the contrast.
It's the bokeh and the ability to retain details that makes a good lens. This G zoom lens is giving such results.
It could be the best zoom lens (24-80mm range) for Bokeh.
So, far now, I'm keeping this great lens.

Some photos from this lens:

View On Black
I captured this photo early in the morning when it's still quiet and the water is calm.
Camera: Konica Minolta 5D

View On Black
I captured this photo during the yearly Canon Photo Marathon event in year 2007.
Camera: Sony A700

View On Black
A night shot on the new Singapore Flyer.

Model shoot with Alphdslr group (www.alphadslr.com). This is one of the shot that I like.

Minolta 135mm f2.8

2008-06-16T07:20:00.001-07:00

Production period - 1985
Full Frame lens, non-D
F-stop - 2.8 - 32
Min Focus Distance - 1m
Aperture blade - 7
No filter rotation during zoom or focusing
Length (min/max) - 83mm / 83mm
Filter size - 55
Weight - 365 g

This is one of my very first prime lens from Minolta that I purchased (I was using Konica Minolta 5D DSLR camera)
At that time, the A-mount lenses were not that expensive and I got it at a very attractive price. :)

As you can see, this is a very small lens with f-stop 2.8. The lens's hood is integrated. Just need to push it out to function. Can you imagine a 135mm f2.8 FF lens in this size (83mm) and only weight 365g.
(That is why I like these old Minolta lenses.) - I got a 100mm f2.0 that is smaller than this lens. Look at the photo below.

Left - 100mm f2.0 lens and right, the 135mm f2.8.

Why I'm still keeping this lens:
Recommended as a good portrait lens at f2.8.
I like this lens for its size and the great sharpness and bokeh. The integrated hood is an unique feature on the lens as well.
If you can find oneat the range of less than US$400 and good condition, you should buy one.

Some photos from this lens:

View On Black
I captured this photo during the Disney on Ice show in Singapore Indoor Stadium. I like this photo for the "painting" effect and the exposure + color. No post processing done one the photo - dirct jpeg from SONY A700 camera at iso 1250, f-stop 3.5.

View On Black

I captured this photo on film. This lens seems to perform better on film. Look at those beautiful bokeh and the great sharpness..

Minolta lenses

2008-06-16T07:19:00.001-07:00

Minolta lenses.. my favorites. Small in size, beautiful and unique.

So, why Minolta lenses? I think the answers are pretty obvious..

1. they are affordable (I got most of my Minolta lenses during the Konica Minolta era - unfortunately, the price has been going up now since SONY started releasing those amazing A-mount DSLR bodies)
2. Uniquely small.
3. Beautiful Bokeh - there are lots of very good/sharp lenses in the market now.. but not many with the Minolta's Bokeh :) My favorites..
4. Color.. I just like the color from Minolta lenses

On the downside, these lenses may be slow (no SSM) and noisy. I think it's fine for me as I don't really need these features as for now.

Most of the Minolta lenses were release 10-20 years ago.. and surprisingly, some of them are still in a very good condition. I'm sure they will last for another 10-20 years.

Here is my own lens collection:
I added my own performance rating for the lenses.

Prime
20mm f2.8 (***)
28mm f2.0 (****1/2)
50mm f1.4 (***1/2)
85mm f1.4 G (*****)
100mm f2.0 (*****)
100mm f2.8 macro (****1/2)
135mm f2.8 (****)

500mm f8 (***1/2)

Zooms
Sigma DT 10-20mm f4-5.6 (***)

DT16-105mm f3.5-5.6

17-35mm f2.8-4 (***1/2)
28-70mm f2.8 G (****)
70-210mm f4 (beercan) (***1/2)
80-200mm f2.8 G (*****)
100-300mm f4.5-5.6 D APO (***1/2)

Few of the lenses that I had already sold.. (as my dry cabinet is a bit pack now).. :)
Prime
28mm f2.8 (***)
50mm f1.7 (***)

Zoomes
18-70mm f3.5-5.6 (**)
28-75mm f2.8 (***1/2)
28-135mm f4-4.5 (***1/2)
75-300mm f4.5-5.6 (**1/2)
Old (1st Gen) 75-300mm f4.5-5.6 (Big Beercan) (**)

Sony A100 and A200 video

2008-06-16T07:14:00.001-07:00

I like most of the SONY DSLR advertisements. They focused on the beauty of photography.. taking it slowly and enjoying every moments.

Sony A200

Sony A100

iBounce Flash cards

2008-06-16T07:00:00.001-07:00

iBounce cards:
Material - PVC
- Durable, washable and slightly reflective.
- Can use as WB card (cBounce set)

Ordering information:
1. Email (click on "VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE") the quantity you are buying and provide me your mailing address.
2. I'll update you the email for PayPal payment.
3. After receiving the payment, the cards will be mailed to your address.

mBounce set
Selling price - US$10.00/set and mailing cost - US$2.00 for a set. Total cost: US$12.00.
If you are buying > 1 sets, please ask for the total mailing cost.
For more information on mBounce cards, click on this link - mBounce

cBounce set
Selling price - US$10.00/set and mailing cost - US$2.00 for a set. Total cost: US$12.00.
If you are buying > 1 sets, please ask for the total mailing cost.
For more information on cBounce cards, click on this link - cBounce

mBounce - Next set of iBounce cards

2008-06-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I got very positive feedback on the cBounce flash cards from users.
Few of the main positive area on the cards are:
1. They're durable.. good /lasting material - and it's slightly reflective as well.
2. Better control on the flash bounce by adjusting the tilt angle.. + the curved-up or down of the cards
3. Very portable.. can always keep in the camera bag.

There are still some users that commented that it's slightly different from the omnibounce or the light-sphere solution... not as idiot-proof implementation.
Hmm... a pretty good feedback since users had already tried these products and will like have the same effect . As usual, they want to have similar effect but with better portability than lighsphere.

I'm announcing now that we are going to have a new set of flash cards that will work the same way as lightsphere and may be as good as lightsphere... On top of that, it'll be as portable as the cBounce cards.

We have already put a name for this new flash cards -mBounce.

mBounce cards
Selling price - US$10.00/set and mailing cost - US$2.00 for a set. Total cost: US$12.00.
If you are buying > 1 sets, please ask for the total mailing cost.
Payment - by paypal

Ordering information
1. Email (click on "VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE") the quantity you are buying and provide me your mailing address.
2. I'll update you the email for PayPal payment.
3. After receiving the payment, the cards will be mailed to your address.

Photos from mBounce
Ceiling bounce vs. mBounce

Direct Flash vs. mBounce Direct

Comparison with lightsphere.
lightsphere vs. mBounce

Ordering information:
1. Email (click on "VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE") the quantity you are buying and provide me your mailing address.
2. I'll update you the email for PayPal payment.
3. After receiving the payment, the cards will be mailed to your address.

Users are welcome to provide feedback and comments.

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Selling Flash iBounce cards - cBounce set

2008-06-11T16:00:00.001-07:00

Decided to try selling these flash bounce cards (iBounce) for all DSLR camera models - Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax and others.

Lots of questions were posted to me asking if these cards actually work.. and my answer is definitely "YES".
1. It works.. as good as any other more expensive bounce cards. (On top of that, it's slightly curve and this helps on the light reflection)
2. It's durable - made from PVC. Can be easily clean and water proof. It'll last.
3. Easily store in your camera bags. You will always able to have a bounce card with you whenever you need them. (not like those big / chunky flash bounce with fixed shape)
4. Can fit on all flash models in the market (Sony, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax + others - just in case, you decided to switch systems :)
5. Selling at an affordable price.

So, how much is "affordable"??

cBounce set
Selling price - US$10.00/set and mailing cost - US$2.00 for a set. Total cost: US$12.00.
If you are buying > 1 sets, please ask for the total mailing cost.
Payment - by paypal

Ordering information
1. Email (click on "VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE") the quantity you are buying and provide me your mailing address.
2. I'll update you the email for PayPal payment.
3. After receiving the payment, the cards will be mailed to your address.

4 sizes in a set:

For the 2 smaller cards, you can install at the side of the flash so that it helps when you are taking vertical shots.

Some sample shots with the cBounce flash cards
#1-flash up-right position (without iBounce cards) / #2-Direct Flash / #3-with iBounce

Users are welcome to provide feedback and comments.

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