Your world?

What do you live for?

What's your world made of?

What colors do you see?

How do you feel?

Time to move!

What? Still waiting?

If you still wonder around wanting a DSLR, now's the time. Ask me 6 months back or six months ahead, I'll still say the same thing! Get it now!

No, the price of the previous model won't go down a whole lot, and by the time it drops, it's already yesteryear's model. So you might as well get the newest most affordable on the block. There's no point having an age old body when all the new stuff is really worth what you pay.

If you still want the cheapest deal without having any regrets, then the Nikon D40 is still my ultimate pick. It's dirt cheap, under 1.8k, handles well, and makes perfectly great pictures (just look at the zillions of flickr pictures tagged with a D40). The de facto entry level Canon is a 450D, anything else is history. It's got almost everything innit for someone starting out. Canon's other entree, the 1000D, is already a bit dated, but also passes as a choice if budget is your biggest worry.

If you can splurge, or have a good direction of where you are heading with your interests, go for those mid range models such as Nikon's D90 and Canon's 50D. They are not relatively cheap, but at least they are a whole new generation ahead of their predecessors.

Don't waste time with lenses and accesories too. Only worry about them when your current setup limits your needs, not by what pictures others make with this or that lens.

Lastly, DSLRs don't make you a better photographer. You had to grow that skill on your own terms. If you had a point-and-shoot, by no means must you switch. DSLR is not a natural progression from years of using a PNS. I had only three reasons when I picked a DSLR: (1) bigger sensor, therefore higher sensitivity to light, (2) close to nil shutter lag so your click is as close as what you see and (3) larger appertures, meaning more creative possibilities and faster shutter speeds to counter wobbles. In other words, get one if your current setup limit your needs.

So, as long as you understand what you'll be getting and using it for, then you'll be a happy DSLR puppy. If you already had your mind on one, get it now!

Be at peace with yourself and you'll see further

Mr. Jimin Lai answers questions from the participants.

I've just returned from a very encouraging photography talk by Mr. Jimin Lai. Here he shares some of his experiences and pictures taken during his decades long career as a photojournalist.

Apart from that, he also shares some insights that makes a great picture. Suffice to say that everything depends on the one doing the click (although he did shower praises for the full frame Nikon D700, which I totally agree). He also reaffirmed something that I have in mind (and tries to remember doing it often) lately: making the shot that feels something to you.

The truth is, I shot a lot of crappy stuff. Sometimes I don't know what makes my picture when I fire off, so most of my pictures don't mean anything to me when I look at them again. That had me wondering, why the heck I'm shooting at all. I'll go nowhere like this. The technique is there but there's no bite to the images because my direction is all over the place!

Jimin also gave one final advice, one that I'm really lacking in currently: being at peace with oneself. It shows in your photos (and whatever that you're doing) when there's lots of things in your mind that you couldn't let go. Having a clear mind devoid of any aprehensions lets you see things that you previously don't realize, and that's part of a good picture, and a good life.

P/S: Mr. Jimin Lai will be having a one-day photojournalism workshop on December 6th (Sat). The fee is RM350. Check his blog or Click! magazine's website for updates.

Pulau Ketam and Lenses

As promised, I'll now present you my photo journey with Ah Fong and Cheahwey to Pulau Ketam a.k.a Crab Island. But, instead of story you the entire trip I've decided to share some important points that came to me during and after the trip instead. You can find pictures from the trip over my flickr pages as well as Cheahwey's.

I didn't bring a tele lens last time around to Melaka and it worked, because the 17-50 was all I needed. The only thing i missed was a wider lens because the sky was so nice. So for this trip, I've decided again to leave the tele at home and carry only the superwide Tokina and the 17-50, in the hope that this gives me some focus on making it work with what I have in hand (also minus the extra weight).

The first thing when I set foot on the island was how heck I should've brought the longer one. Pulau Ketam is a small place, with packed houses, lots of people, and most obviously, enough bicycles to build a cycling academy. This is the best place for street photography because there is just so much life, but I just wasn't adventurous enough to aim the locals with a slab of glass. Don't get me wrong either, I'm not saying a tele would make the job easier from far. I wish I had the tele because I see good subjects not on street level, but in the sky, the sea, and horizons. These are hard for the general zooms and the wide to pick.

Speaking of the wide angle, there are several good subjects to take. Wide angle shots work best when there is a distinction of distance between near and far. Its not for getting everything in because its going to make subjects tiny and put a lot of blank space in front and above. Maybe I've over relied on my 17-50 for most of the shots. I felt the shots I took from the general zoom was pretty snapshots and nothing more, and I wasn't trying smart on the 12-24. Of course, I missed the tele because this could take me to the boats and ships, the birds, and other stuff not within my physical reach.

I like to go near to my subjects and exploit their shapes and distances, or else I isolate them using depth of field. So I felt a bit dissapointed of myself having to resort to the safety of the 17-50 most of the time in this trip. Nevertheless, it was fun to go out and snap.

Anyone has idea for the next location?

I am poisoned

Not by some loud-mouthed PR broadcaster liked saying things around, but:

1. Recommended a quite nice EOS 1000D (new) for Sharon, which, the best part I think was the oh-so-slightly bigger than mine viewfinder. I could only imagine the spacious ones that the more expensive models have.

2. A 3-inch lcd makes hell of a difference in reviewing pleasure (from a 450D).

3. A mean-looking good condition second hand first generation Sigma 70-200 2.8 EX DC HSM at RM1450 (a big steal) which sadly is a Nikon mount, which, I dully recommended to Cheahwey and she dully purchased before an impending rainstorm.

4. A 70-200 2.8L that has been floating around the resale market in Shutterasia.com.

5. A new 580EX II speedlight.

Damnit, show me the money...

Tammy Updated

Not that NYP Tammy. That's outdated. I'm talking about the lens. My Tammy 17-50 arrived yesterday morning and I was able to take some shots in the afternoon. I'm gonna post some pictures up later, but I'll just write something short now before I go out soon.

On first impression the Tamron 17-50 feels nice. Its bigger than the kit lens and the 55-200 (at least not longer). It has a somewhat huge 67mm filter thread. All in all, it felt professional. Autofocus was perfect. The lens' motor whines like a robotic arm, but that was just the surface of it. The autofocus was adeuately fast and mostly accurate. On the image quality, the 17-50 is one hell of a sharp lens. This added with the 2.8 max apperture at all focal lengths plus damn nice price tag means that Tamron 17-50 is a worth buy.

I'll add the pictures on the next post when my steamyx doesn't feel shitty. But for now, the 17-50 is impressive!

Tammy Me

After loads of deliberation, I've ordered the Tamron 17-50 2.8 [Insert all the cryptic bla bla bla] from Shashinki this afternoon. It was a close call between the Tammy and its brother the 28-75 2.8, Sigma 17-70, and an even closer call to the Sigma 30mm 1.4. At the end, I went with the unmistakably popular 17-50. Not bad considering that Shashinki sells them much cheaper than anywhere else. Plus, they guarantee their quality although its a paralel imported unit. Well, I'm okay with the fact that its not 'official warranty' since my nice Kiss Digital X itself was an imported unit too.

So I'm crossing fingers now. Too bad I'm out shooting tomorrow when the parcel is going to arrive. Lets hope there's some miracle from the Poslaju boys and they send it here before 10. Anyhow, I'm still very much convinced with the notion of having the 30mm. Bah...when's the next 14 hundred bucks gonna be available...

New home for my pictures

I'd always wanted a web image hosting service where I could had my image collection displayed online in the least limiting way. Friendster and Facebook although doesn't cap my upload limits, is inferior when it comes to quality. Flickr was the best, but too bad it limits to only 200 most recent images for free users like me. I don't have the convenience to pay 25 USD for the Pro account too. So today I settled on this service called Zoomr. Obviously you know who's this thing copying from. In fact, its basis is similar to Flickr. The best thing about Zoomr is it doesn't cap your limits, and you get to display images in its original resolution too. Of course, I'd miss the convenience of Flickr's nicely thought out uploading options (the Flickr Uploadr). But on the bright side, at least Zoomr looks like it has some potential. So for the time being, I'd try and see.

Anyways: http://www.zooomr.com/photos/jassed/

Torn between cameras?

So you'd like to start DSLR photography and you are spoilt between camera choices? Specifically you are thinking of either Canon or Nikon? A bit tight on budget too? And what's all about this different models they offer?

Erm... How should I put it? Okay, lets assume that your starting budget is 3k. For that amount and excluding second hand units, you'd actually have few choices of consumer DSLRs for you.

Canon or Nikon? If your budget is not limited, there's actually a lot I can write about brand choices. But since we are deciding the most suitable beginner DSLRs, lets look at two particular giants and the options they have for you. Bear in mind that both has a long history in this business and I consider bodies and lenses of both makers to be equally varied and impressive. As such, my initial choices could've been both ways, and I let my skills justify my buy.

Canon 350D/400D

The 350D, if you could still find one new, is the mother of all budget DSLRs. In fact, a lot of photogs still owns and uses one. Its probably dirt cheap nowadays. The 400D is an upgrade of that fine model by a new processor, bigger LCD, DOF preview, better firmware, and dust cleaning system. Of course, the pixels went up to 10.1, but thats probably nothing for a lot of serious amateurs. The pro model 1D mk2 (RM10k something) that probably shot most of the ad images you see in Petaling Jaya has only 8.2 megapixels. The 400D is a functional camera. My only complain was its tiny grip. That is a price you pay for smallness. It could do everything, given a decent lens. The kit lens, 18-55mm, is not that good for a lot of choosy 'pros'. It is unsharp and has distortion at the edges wide open. But I don't find that a problem. If you are the creative kind, you'd not mind.

Canon 450D

The new kid in the block. I haven't tried one, but based on reviews, it's not a significant upgrade from the 400D. As I said, pixel count is only for kids. 12 megapixel is a marketing stint. I shoot with only half of my 10.1 MPs these days. It saves space and since my pictures would end alot on monitor displays, I really don't need that much. Live view is certainly helpful, but only slightly. It is not a feature that you'd use even 70% of the time. It takes a lot of juice if you were to do that. It takes a lot of fun away too. Besides, the LCD does not swivel. You'd still need to work your head for that low angle shot. On the other hand, processing is slightly better than 400D. The biggest and most important addition is a spot meter. Using spot meter gives a more accurate exposure to subjects in difficult lighting. But I use manual exposures most of the time, so it does not matter. Do some research on the net and there are lots of ways to get over this with the 400D. Finally, at RM3200 with the kit lens (Image Stabilized though), it's way much expensive than the next choice.

Edit: It is every bit improvement from 400D. A less sensitive sensor (less noise) being one of them. The performance is now closer to 40D. But given the price cuts on 40D, I would choose the latter. Beg someone for another 1500 bucks (RM) and get the better 40D, or get a Nikon.

Nikon D40

This was one of my options when I was deciding. Its smaller than the 400D, has spot meter, does everything the 400D would, and comes with the excellent kit lens. The debate was the exclusion of the internal focus motor. All Nikons prior to D40 has internal motor to drive the autofocus mechanism. Canon EOS system's motor are on-lens. The D40 relies on new lenses with autofocus built-in. That means legendary Nikon glasses are mostly out of bounds (they can be focused manually). But the newer internally-driven lenses are good as well. Trust Nikon, there's no worries actually. Besides, I'd doubt you want to use the D40 forever. The prosumer and professional bodies all have focus motors built-in. The D40 also lacks a DOF preview. I use this feature sparingly, it's nice but not entirely a necessity. The grips were still not that great, but better than Canon's. That aside, the D40 triumphs for its larger, brighter viewfinder. The 400D ones were tiny. Another great feature was the max flash sync speed. At 1/500 seconds compared to 1/200 sec. for most other makes. This means that on a bright sunny day, you'd have enough flash to fill up your subject while keeping the bright background at bay. Color-wise, Nikon tends to favor saturation. You'll love the blue skies and greens. Canon's standard are more natural colors akin to what the eye sees. Oh, did I mention the 6 megapixel resolution? Like I said, megapixel are irrelevant. Nikon knows that. The D40X is a ten megapixel brother featuring all the same specs as the D40, but flash sync is reduced to 1/200.

Nikon D60

If you want a Nikon, this is it. At RM2295 (shashinki.com) including the excellent 18-55VR, its a steal. With your 3k budget, you'd still end up with enough cash to option the 55-200 (If you want a one-lens-for-all, Tamron has a 18-200 for RM1495). Its a steal. On the surface, its pretty identical to the D40/D40x, but inside is a whole new EXPEED processor and a slew of functions. Its 10.2 megapixeled too. Sadly the flash sync remains at 1/200. Although its performance is only slightly improved over the D40, it's still a better buy. D40 sells for about RM1700, the X was about RM2300. All these comes with the nice but non-VR 18-55. The 18-55 VR alone is sold at RM800. You do the maths. Lastly, Nikon might have a slightly inferior low light noise control than Canon, but on this level, it is hardly any difference.

Made up your mind?

Looking at the present situation, I'd hard pressed to go for Nikon (hard pressed, because I'm already on Canon). I still believe that the 400D, body-wise, edges the D60. But I'm impressed by the other new Nikon offerings, the D300 and D3. The D300 is a great advanced camera that I think outperforms all the Canon prosumer models (ie. 40D). Check out the Ah Long Pte Ltd promo shots. Those are all done with a Nikon. And then there was the D3. The D3 is Nikon's flagship DSLR and in my opinion, the godsend of all DSLR. It has only 12.1 megapixel (see, it doesn't matter), but in full frame. In comparison, Canon's RM27 grand, full frame 1Ds MKIII has 21 MPs. It also has a useable ISO6400 film speed. That is huge low light capability. All this greatness is priced well below 16k. 

The thing is, if, in the foreseeable future, you'd like to expand and upgrade on this hobby, it doesn't matter what camera you buy now, its what system you decide to invest now. Which system has the potential to develop and maintain its offerings. This is also why I don't consider Sony nor the other four-thirds systems. I have bad experience from Sony's PDA business. Four-thirds sensors are too small to my liking. For this account, Nikon's future featuring the D300 and D3 is bright and worth it. I for one, was hooked with Canon's 5D and crosses my finger for Canon to produce something like what Nikon did. Additionally, I like the current crop of EF/EF-S lenses, particularly the L series. That's why I stick to Canon, since the 400D itself wasn't bad at all. So is Nikon's. Start off with a nice beginner model and expand your skills and lenses while working up for the big thing.

On a note, I convinced The Girlfriend to buy Nikon's P5100 few weeks ago. My first digital camera was also from Nikon. See how supportive I am towards the Dark Side;)

Cure for the Shutter Bug

Yada! I skipped work again today (there wasn't much work at The Company anyway). I'd been sickly sick last two days and so I decided to see the doc this afternoon. Now, getting me to the hospital/clinic is like pulling a bull. Being a sick kid when I was younger, I was ever reluctant to go anywhere that has that tinge of medical alcohol. Not that I fear, I was just damn lazy. So this time is no difference. Its something I should do the first day when I was darn feverish but I chose instead to go to the clinic today.

Well, I should say that the efficiency of medical services are excellent. You go to the counter where the lady asks for your ID, then take a seat, your name is called, meet the doctor, tell the doc whats wrong, the doc takes a look at your throat, checks your heart beat, then you're done! All that within 8 minutes, but for the cost of 45 bucks... I guess "speedy recovery" is expensive.

That's what you get for speedy consultation and tried and tested Western Medication: 45 bucks. For photographers, 6 trips to the doctor could buy you a nice 50mm prime. So I guess its good for photographers not to get sick, eh?

----

Next, I went kapchaing around town. See, I wasn't that sick after all. It was an aimless ride that brings me from Paramount to SS1-SS3-and lo... Subang Jaya.

Menara Mesiniaga, or commonly known as IBM Headquarters.

The new Tiaraville Suites, and also the new flyover at the left.

A very hot afternoon.

I basically toured around SJ without even knowing where I was heading. USJ this, USJ that, bla bla bla, until I reached the highway heading for Shah Alam (!). I don't think I entered the city, it was somewhere near Proton/HICOM. Then I took the intuitive route (God knows how) until I came out from a place very familiar; Puchong (!!!). The route from LDP to SS2 needs no mention. So that's my day, some 30km of butt numbing idealess journey. I wasn't eager to shoot photos along though. Maybe next time, when I had at least a proper map at hand.

no-fark!

One Stop Under

Today I had the opportunity to do a photoshoot for The Company's image-making session. Its actually the second photoshoot i joined since they had one last week. Both are a great experience as I get to work my flashgun and learn some lessons. In the first session I wasted some good shots underexposing the leng-cai, leng-lui main casts. This time I was luckier with the supporting actors, though I still underexpose by one stop or so. The conditions was much similar to the first one. It was a heavily overcast day and the lighting was really bad. To make things difficult, the only light source was a 650-watter, which fought with my underpowered flash.

My shots were all portrait-orientated. Since the camera was vertical, the only way I could fire the flash nicely without harshness on the subjects were straight up to the ceiling. At wider shots, the TTL flash wasn't powerful enough to reach the entire height of the subject. Closer shots were much better, the only problems being hard shadow on the background (because I don't have a diffuser) and uneven lighting (caused by different light temperatures).


The very talented Alvin Wong.


The much-beautiful-than-the-main-cast Joyce Hon.

There's another session next Monday. This time with the full cast. Lets see if I can gain back that one stop.

no-fark!