Nikon Cool Pix P80!

There is a new Nikon coming into town. the Nikon CoolPix P80, a compact Super zoom, according to Intech 29 April 08 (The Star). Nikon being one of the Top range branded cameras (consumer), is what i was originally eyeing for, but budget put paid to that, But I can dream. and you the reader can also help me out by viewing the advertisements ;-) here.

.

I have not have the chance to go find a review on this Nikon CoolPix P80 yet, the newspaper burb on this is too brief other then that it has a 18X optical zoom, to me higher the optical zoom the better. as can be seen in the photo below of two jet ski riding towards each other. Timing was right, only not enough optical zoom. (i dare not use digital zoom at it would compromise the photo in to blur images.)

.

Photo taken with a Fuji FinePix S5700/S700 at full optical zoom.

.

The Nikon P80 has a 4.7mm t0 84.2 mm 1:2.8, 4.5 lens vs the Fuji S5700 which i use which has 6.3mm to 63mm 1:3.5, 3.7, which mean the Nikon have a wider angle, longer range, and better like capability then the Fuji i use. Well the Nikon have to wait till i can save up, Other priorities you know, and i like the fuji, so that will be some time.

.

I prefer a superzoom compact over DSLR camera, due to two factors, 1) the price and 2) less things (lens etc) to carry around. This Nikon camera is price at US$400, which theoretically work out to a RM1320 at current exchange rates however, what the actual price when it enter the Malaysian Market, no one know yet.

Photos from the Beach

There was this “Café” at the Beach (Lacking a better word) that utelise handy craft to create this shells curtain. Nice. Shells Curtain,

Image DSCF 1012, ISO200 Speed 1/150 F3.5

Just a instant before I snap the photo, a Ball came out of no where, and the result is the ball seems to bounce off that pile of sand. Bouncing Beach Ball

Image DSCF 1014, ISO 64 Speed 1/240 F5

Couple strolling on the beach, with the back ground of Pulau Tikus (Rat Island) Stroll at Beach

Image DSCF 1017 Iso 64 1/200 F4.5

Same boat at a earlier post just that I frame it differently to create a lonely feeling. Sunken Boat

Image DSCF1036 – Settings ISO64 1/200 F4.5

Night Photos,

I love to take night photos, even though they are very technically demanding, and its hard to get it just right those days with Manual SLR camera, as you only know the result when you develope the flim. Now a day automatic camara takes the fun out of night photography.

Image DSCF 1281, ISO 64, 1/56 F3.5

Evening Sky

.

The Fuji S5700/S700, does have the manual controls, though shuttle speed is max out to just 4 seconds, so I have to play around with the ISO settings to get a brighter effect.

Image DSCF1304, ISO 200, Speed 1/1.1, F 3.5,

Hotel room block at nite

.

The Fuji does take decent night photo. Just don’t forget to use a tripod, During a recent wedding invitation at a nearby resort, I had the opportunity to take a few night photos.

Image DSCF 1333, ISO 200, Speed 1.5”, F3.5

Fountain at Night

(Due to the long shuttle speed, one can see the "water" effects of the fountain, which is visible due to the reflected light. This photo is taken just before sunset with some light visible in the sky.)

.

Now I am aiming to take photo at a few spots in Penang around the seaside like Gurney Drive, Esplanade and Queensbay Mall for night photo’s .

Image DSCF1309, ISO 200 Speed 1 / 2.6, F3.5,

Spot lite up trees

Joss Stick Urn

Taking a photograph with the camera in to a sun, create strong shadows, by using a flash one can soften the shadows like in this picture where the urn have softer shadow then the background. Photo was taken during my Ching Ming 08 tour of duty to the Beow Hiang Lim Temple.

Image DSCF 1090, ISO 64, Speed 1/280, F5

Choosing the camera for you. Part 3

Branded or Unbranded Cameras . .

Currently with the invent of internet shopping there are many unbranded camera around that are manufactured by many manufacturers, Some of this units are excellent (usually manufactured by branded OEM and / or utilizing components use by the branded cameras. Others are cheep skate models that do not live up to the ‘hope” and ‘hype” they represent. In general Unbranded camera are cheeper then the Branded ones, and may offer extra features and megapixles over the branded ones.

.

Branded Camera

.

Pro for Branded Camera

Tendency to be more Reliable and better

Tested Products, There are reviews for you to check

Back up Support Available

.

.

Con for Branded Camera

More Expensive

Specs may be lower .

.

Un Branded Camera

.

Pro Un Branded Camera

Cheeper

Specs may be higher

.

Con Un Branded Camera

Less Reliable, may breakdown but not necessary so.

No product reviews.

No / Less Back up Support.

.

.

I choose a Semi Branded Brand, to ensure reliability and support. The Fuji I use was available on the net and after checking the specifications, and reading the consumers and professional review, I decided that it give me the best “Bang for the Buck”. It has most of the features I need and use. .

Chicken Dish

Chicken is a food that can be consume by a most malaysian, and is therefor the most popular dish in Malaysia. If i am not mistaken KFC is the number on fast food chain in malaysia. Here are two popular malaysian style chicken dishes that have been adapted to the higher class restaurant while with roots in the street vendors.

Ayam Percik, or Percik Style Chicken is BBQ chicken with a spicy sauce, it is usually eaten on its own, and is only fond in Night Markets, however we adapted this dish to "Western" Style with side serving of Fried rice with green peas and eggs, and grilled vegetable and salad.

Image Name DSCF 1593, Iso 800, Speed 1/105, F3.5

Chicken Rice or Nasi Ayam, Usually steam or fried chicken serve with chicken stock flavoured rice, serve with chillies and with a soup. Usually found in coffeeshops or stalls, here adapted to fine dinning as with most hotels as it is a local favorite. Even Mandarin Hotel Singapore, One of the Premier Hotel in South East Asia, is well know for its interpretation for this humble dish.

Image Name DSCF 1673, ISO 400, Speed 1/100, F 3.5

Day at the Beach!

While waiting for my car to be service. I took a walk to the beach, via the Public Access pathway next to Crown Prince Hotel at Tanjung Bungah. In my Private Opinion, this stretch of beach is better then those at Batu Ferringi. I did not stay long as servicing my car only took one hour. and it took me a leisurely 15min walk one way from the Car Doctor.

A Sunken Fishing Boat left abandoned in a pond of water, at Tanjung Bungah Beach, I frame the shot with fishing boats floating in the Sea.

Image DSCF0995, ISO64 Speed 1/200 F4.5

Kayak to Rat Island(Pulau Tikus), Tanjung Bungah, Penang

Image DSCF1007, ISO64, Speed 1/240 F4.5

Tanjung Bungah, Floating Mosque at Low Tide, Penang. I choose not to go for a close up of the Mosque only, but to include fishing boat's as to emphasise the location of the mosque is on a beach / on the sea.

Image DSCF 1011, ISO64, Speed 1/200, F4.5

Tips: With a Digital Camera, take as many shots as you like, in fact make sure if possible that the memory card is full, as you do not have to develop or print out the photo's taken (you only waste batteries), when you go home and download, then only start to delete photos you do not like or want. When taking photo's you may not realise you have misout details, like in the above shot of the Floating mosque. I have only one photo, with the Mosque tower intact (barely), my other 20+ photos were all wasted as i could not "see" the tower as it blended in with the apartment behind, which i only realise when i downloaded and view the photo on my laptop.

Concrete Leaf Impression

A Tree leaf was place on top of wet concrete and when the concrete dried, you have a tile with a impression on it. Cute.

Image DSCF0581, Settings ISO 200 Speed 1/75, F3.5

Angry Temple

A Close up of the top of a Temple in Penang, the Beow Hiang Lim Temple, with dark clouds just behind giving it a dark and angry look.

.

Image DSCF 1093 SettingsISO 64, Speed 1/420, F6.8

A walk in to the Forest

This Photo is taken at Bukit Panchor State Park / Hutan Lipor Bukit Panchor Penang, at the Walkway at the wetland area of the Park, A intreasting Place to go to if you like nature. To find out more you can visit my tourism web site here or at the side bar (@ Penang & Malaysia)

Image DSCF0570 – Settings ISO 800 1/120 3.5

Calm Lake

Photo Taken of a Golf Course in Penang

Image DSCF0260, Settings ISO64, Speed 1/150, F3.5

Food 1

Food and Beverage Photograph are the only "Set" photo i take, for other categories to me, "set" photo are not natural, or not eco friendly etc, such as plucking a flower. I retookup photograph because of the necessity of taking food and beverage photograph in the various establishment i work in, as hirering a photographer is difficult, in out of the way places i work in and especially when we only create one or two dish at a time.

.

.

Rearrangement and Reinterpretation of a Common Dish can bring out a very different dimension to food, examples are found in the photo below,

.

Lamb Chop is a common malaysian "Western" Dish is prepared using traditional malaysian spice.

Lamb Chop, - Image Name DSCF 1171 ISO 800 1/60 F3.5

.

Wan Tan (Dumplings) Noodles Dry is rearrange and presented differently from the usual Street Hawkers arrangement

Wan Tan Noodles Dry, Image DSCF1487, ISO800, Speed 1/70, F3.5

.

and

Chun Peah (Penang Spring Roll), Image DSCF 1491, ISO 400, Speed 1/75, F3.5

.

Penang Deep Fried Spring Roll, (Chun Peah) a traditional Tew Chew dish found in Penang is also rearrange differently from the usual manner.

.

.

Such Photos when printed on flyer's and advertisements can entice potential customer to the restaurant, when use on the menu will entice customer to partake in this cuisines especially when serving tourist which may not understand the language the menu is written in, or for those who have not try out such dish before.

Chun Peah (Penang Spring Roll) Close up,

Image DSCF 1498, ISO 800, Speed 1/105, F3.5

Choosing the camera for you. Part 2 (Type of Digital Cameras)

Currently there are 4 Basic Types of Digital Camera Available on the Market. You will have to pick between one of these types.

.

Combo Cameras -

Currently in the market for this “Combo” Cameras are

1. Handphone Cameras

2. MP3/MP4 Cameras

3. Game Cameras

.

.

What in common of this type of combo camera, are

- that the lens are usually wide angle, which create the effect of distace to your subject.

- Lens tend to be small, (which may affect quality of the final product),

- controls are automatic,

- they usually do not have optical zoom.

.

They can be of good quality and offer good features (especially the branded camera phones). The camera are usually small, with rechargeable batteries, and if it a devise you keep with you, it will be with you the entire day.

.

I personally use a Sony Ericson K750i Handphone Camera, as my every day every moment camera, It has 2 MP, wide angle lens, automatic and a fast start up, That give the opportunity to capture “Memories” Snapshots. However it is best to use this camera in Bright Places.

.

.

Disadvantage of these camera is that usually, Its low light quality is poor, Image is small(max 4R), and no zoom to speak off.

.

.

Compact Cameras -

.

They are sleek, small size, automatic devices specializing in taking images, and available in branded and unbranded verities, they usually offer Optical Zoom up to 5 X, Digital Zoom, and comes with a set of limited controls, though now a days they are starting to encroach in to the Super Zoom Camera Range in terms of optical zoom and features.

.

.

Compact Camera are easy to carry in small pouches or in your pocket. – If you need a camera for occasions these are the type of camera for you, though you can carry them with you where you go, but will you remember to do so? I use a compact previously, Always forget to bring it along.

.

.

Super Zoom Cameras -

.

Super Zoom Cameras in a mid range camera, (between Compacts and DSLR) small and compact, though slightly more bulky, the Lens of these camera are bigger as such better quality photos, The optical zoom will be much higher then the compact, and usually the Macro Mode (Take close up images) are much better, You can have much more control over controls, or you can just shoot on automatic. These Cameras are for the amateur, especially for those who likes to experiment around, and would like to take up photography more seriously.

.

I use a Fuji FinePix S5700 currently, a compact superzoom about the size of my fist. It has 10 X optical zoom which allows me to take portrait of a person with out him being aware that I am around. In addition it 4.8 X Digital zoom in combination allow me to reach out and snap longer range photo but at a loss of sharpness. “That for memories”. All the photo you see in this blog is taken with the Fuji.

.

It's give me almost DSLR control, and features, with the convenience of a all in one package, no need to bring along extra lens etc. And it is much cheaper too. I do loose out though on certain features and on the fast continuous phototaking, as the Fuji can only take 1 photo every 2 seconds. However i feel overall that i do not use those features that often and i can live with out it.

.

.

DSLR - (Digital Single Lens Reflex)

.

This type camera offer you full control in capturing the images you want, you can change the lens to suit all conditions, (from super wide angle, to super telephoto), Images from this type of camera can usually be scale up to large size with out loosing it’s sharpness. You can take continuous photo's, eg 3 photo per second which is good for sports / action photography. This camera is for the Professional, or the very serious and loaded amateur.

.

.

You do have to pay serious money for such camera's starting 1.5 times extra of a super zoom upwards, and the with this type of camera, you will have to purchase more equipment to lug around for phototaking such as a wide angle lens, a zoom lens and other expensive stuffs.

.

.

Note: If you choose a camera with zoom, kindly note, look only at the Optical Zoom, Digital Zoom currently makes the photo blur.

Wild Grass

Do not limit your self when it comes to Photography, even the most common object can be turn in to a interesting subject. .

Image DSCF0671, Settings ISO 100, Speed 1/140 3.5

Sun Lit Tree

A Vertical Shot at the Bukit Panchor State Park, .

.

Image DSCF0555, Settings, ISO 64, Speed 1/180, F4

Bamboo Grove

This photo of the Bamboo Grove is taken just outside the Bukit Panchor State Park. Details of the park is here.

.

Bamboo Grove, Image Name DSCF0588 –Settings, ISO 64, Speed 1/200, F4

Rocky Spring

Having a Water Feature in a office building, has a calming and relaxing effect, it may also enhance "Fung Sui"

. .

Image Name DSCF0288 Settings ISO100 Speed 1/52 F3.5

Roots

A tree at Bukit Panchor State Park, (link) I was there exploring the lower part of the State Park, and say this. . .

Image Name DSCF0571 Settings ISO 800 Speed 1/240 F3.5

Rain Storm

Rain Storm, The Fury of Nature, Photo is practically a Black and White. . .

Image Name DSCF0824 – Setting ISO400, Speed 1/160 F3.5

In the Sun

Bonzai Tree, on top of a vase, sun lit.

.

.

Image Name DSCF0275, Settings ISO100, Speed 1/105, F3.5

Red Corridor

A Open Air Corridor, on the 1st Floor overlooking the Pool, What Purpose does it serve? Photo taken on a overcast day give a impression that there is a ceiling, if there sere no palm trees.

.

Image Name DSCF0157, ISO64, Speed 1/110, F3.5

Stupid Bird in the Bush

This time I was lucky enough, This bird came running in to and out of the Bush, Slow enough for me to take the photo, even then Optical zoom was at maximum 10X.

.

Image Name DSCF0236, ISO400, Speed 1/240, F3.5

Flag Bird

I was lucky, but not lucky enough, 20 secounds from the time the Kingfisher Landed to Take Off, Optical Zoom was at Maximum, Plus Digital Zoom at 3.5, Total of 35 Times Zoom to Frame this photo, The Digital zoom resulted in a pixated photo. That is why Photpgraphy is 90% Luck, 9% Equiptment, 1% Skill.

.

Image Name DSCF0251 ISO100, Speed 1/150, F3.5

It Slope to the Left Bud!

A Golfer being coach how to putt the ball in to the hole. Again sandy greens instead of the usual green greens.

Image DSCF0100 ISO 64, Speed1/280, F6.8

Umbrella Golfer

The Golf Course were doing routine maintenance, and open the course due to heavy traffic, created the oportunity for a Photo of Sandy Greens instead of the normal greens, greens, with golfers playing. It was a burning hot day as well.

Image Name DSCF0097 ISO64, Speed 1/300, F6.8

Paradise

Golfing Paradise at a Golf Course In Penang, I shot this photo, toward their Island Green from the Pool, which allow me to included the bonzai trees. Overcast Sky enable the photo to be taken with out water spackles.

Image Name DSCF0076 ISO 64, Speed 1/140, F6.3

The Flowers Series 1 – A Walk in the Neighborhood

The Flowers Series 1

A Walk in the Neighborhood

A Set of 12 Flowers Photo, commonly found in Malaysia

Image DSCF0624 – Settings ISO 64 Speed 1/220 F4 Image DSCF0683 – Settings ISO 100 Speed 1/140 F3.5

Image DSCF0685 – Settings ISO 64 Speed 1/140 F3.5 Image DSCF0689 – Settings ISO 200 Speed 1/200 F3.5

Image DSCF0804 – Settings ISO 400 Speed 1/52 F3.5

Image DSCF0852 – Settings ISO100 Speed 1/125 F3.5

Image DSCF0976 – Settings ISO 100 Speed 1/280 F3.5

Image DSCF0986- Settings ISO 100 Speed 1/300 F3.5

Image DSCF1023 Settings ISO 64 Speed 1/180 F3.5

Image DSCF1039 Settings ISO 400 Speed 1/170 F3.5

Image DSCF 1097 Settings ISO64 Speed 1/220 F4.5

Image DSCF 1137 Settings ISO100 Speed 1/800 F3.5

Knowing some thing and seeing something is different, I know of the Flowers beauty, but till the time I took the above photo's, I only now realise the true meaning of the Flowers Beauty, that we take for granted in Malaysia, There are flowers every where.

Viewing the Flowers on the Computer monitor is one thing, printing them out can bring out another dimension, due the the lighting conditions some of the photos yielded special effect when printed out at the neighbourhood photoshop.

Choosing the camera for you. Part 1- So which Digital Camera to Buy?

Choosing the camera for you. Part 1

.

.

So you want to take up photography, You will need a Camera :-). Well now a days, if you intend to take up photograph, your only choice will be limited to Digital Cameras, Film Camera is a rarity, and soon it will be impossible to purchase any films at all or even to develop it unless you intend to develop it your self.

.

So which Digital Camera to Buy?

.

Every one will say that they want the best, But what is the best? It will all depend on you the person who will be taking photograph.

.

Lets examine the choice we have. We will have to decide on the following criteria’s first to decided the camera we need.

.

- Type of Camera (Compact, DSLR etc)

.

- Brand, Semi Branded or Unbranded Cameras

.

- How many Mega Pixels do we need?

.

- What type of Memory does the camera use?

.

- What Batteries do they use?

.

But more importantly, before we decide on the above points, ask one self what is our intention with this camera. That will guide you to the type of camera you will need.

.

Q1, Do we want a camera to be with us on a daily / hourly basis or it it just for special occasions?

.

Q2, What is it that we want to photograph?

.

Q3, How do we want to display the photo? How big is the Display going to be?

.

Q4, How much do we know on Photography? Do you just point and shoot? Or can you manually set the settings required?

.

The Next post will discuss the general types of camera that is available on the Market.

Kung Fu Baby

A Hyperactive Baby & A lot of time and Patience = Kung Fu Baby!

I just left the baby in the cot, and did other things, then i came back, got the camera ready and just sat down and waited, 50 photos and one hour later, Kung Fu Baby is the Result! Luck is one of the criterial for Great Photo.

Image Name DSCF0190 ISO 400, Speed 1/45, F3.5 with Flash. This Image is NOT available to be acquired

Swimmer

Photo of a Swimmer at the Local Pool, Photo taken from the 1st Floor, and using the Optical Zoom to compose the photo. Further the Photo was taken on a overcast day to reduce Reflections

Image Name DSCF0145

ISO 200, Speed 1/210, F3.5