Quick Shot 23/02/2014

Busy with moving home, I hardly have time for leisure recently. And while I wait with bated breath for the arrival of the 0M-D E-M10, my Nikon is hardly seeing any action. This morning though, I grabbed a few shots with my phone as I was out for breakfast and buying carrots.

I find myself not missing at all the reach of my P510 which is ironic since its zoom range was the number one reason I got that camera. I guess I am really looking forward to getting my E-M10 with the 25mm f1.8 prime.

Finally Announced: Olympus OM-D E-M10

If asked for an opinion, I would probably name Sony CSC as the best value for money camera but I still stubbornly want an Olympus. It may be indisputable that Sony, with its bigger sensor can produces (just slightly) better image quality but I really prefer the feel of an Olympus and their smaller (in diameter term at least) lenses. I believe Sony is capable of making smaller lenses too but perhaps it’s their decision to emphasize on their bigger sensor that leads to the current design. 

Today is an exciting day for me because Olympus just announced a new camera, the new OM-D E-M10. So how is this camera different from the many that they have made? As a start it’s a budget OM-D which means it’s an O-MD that I can actually afford. This range of camera always gives more physical control and a built in EVF, both of which I’ve really come to appreciate even as I played with my Nikon P510. I would also really appreciate the built in flash (with hotshoe for external), the 3-Axis Image Stabilisation (even if it’s downgraded from 5-axis) and Wi-Fi implementation which allow transfer of files and remote control with a mobile phone. 

Many people are scratching their head over who this model is for and I can say it’s for upgrader like me! Olympus never have, in their micro 4/3 range, a camera that has a mode dial, an EVF, a tilting viewfinder and a built in flash all in one body like many of their competitors do and now, they finally do. When I start using a sophisticated compact system camera, I would hate to start missing features that I used to enjoyed on my compact. Yes, I am on a budget and would prefer not to purchase separately an external flash or external EVF. The rest of the specs are pretty standard which means it’s as good as anything else out there. Anyone who expected E-M1 specs for lower price is not being realistic. With the new pancake zoom kit bundle which makes the camera even more compact, it is an easy decision to make. I am getting this. 

As soon as the market price drop a little after its introduction.

B&W from Kuala Selangor

 

I was trying some black and white picture when I visited Kuala Selangor and I retained my opinion about them. They add a lot drama but they also make the weakness of your camera all the more obvious. I didn't get many good shot in B&W but some of the colour pictures I took seems to better converted to monotone.

My friends went there with a clear mission to buy seafood before the price increase for the hinese New Year. I was just there for some shutter therapy.

Cloud Bear

Is it just me or does this cloud likes like a polar bear looking down on us?

All I want for Christmas

It is ironic that one of the reasons I bought my Nikon P510 was for the DSLR-like body because over time, I’ve decided I really miss a compact body and now am looking for DSLR quality in a compact body. Sound like the perfect time to discover mirrorless compact system camera. 

I was initially drawn to Fujifilm after seeing the work of Dr Teh Ban Hup in a local magazine but it’s really expensive, especially their lenses. Then I discovered Sony NEX. In the meantime, I’ve decided I won’t even consider the Micro Four Third format. Why pay the same price for a smaller sensor when the features packed NEX is such a bargain?

But when an Olympus salesperson tried to introduce me to the Pen E-PL5, I tried it with open heart and fell in love with it. The Olympus’s auto focus is blazing fast and using touch shutter on its touch screen is really easy. And if I feel like using manual, its focusing (and zoom) ring feels really rich to turn. It also has more physical control and a PASM dial, which I have on my P510 and which I use often.  Review all over the internet taught me that it uses the same sensor as their popular OM-D E-M5. If I was sceptical before of the image quality, specifically concerning shallow depth of field, low light and high ISO performance, they are all put to rest by the abundant samples demonstrating the camera’s ability. Did I mention I simply adore the retro design in a camera? 

The NEX5T on the other hand is a do anything camera. It has a touch screen that flips all the way up for self-portrait (selfie is fun when within a group, not so cool alone) and its movie recording ability is top notch. There is also time lapse video, auto panorama and auto HDR, all of which are missing in the E-PL5. On top of that it has a bigger APS-C sensor and in all the concerns I mentioned above, it without dispute, beats the E-PL5 if only by a small margin. However, it didn’t feel so nice to turn its motorised kit lens, not to mention I didn’t quite like the whirling sound that comes with it. Its minimalist design has a character of its own but looked rather unbalanced with its relatively larger lens (diameter wise, when compared to a M43 lens).

But these are only the mid-range models. Moving up we have even better choices, although they do come at a price. Here are my quick thoughts on them.

Sony NEX7: The oldest among all the NEXes in the market. In my opinion, the most beautiful of them, as well as the most expensive and has the most physical controls. Despite its higher resolution, its older sensor has poorer high ISO performance.

Sony NEX6: Cost almost RM1000 more than the 5T but I’ll at least get the PASM dial, an electronic viewfinder (not absolutely crucial but great to have) and a standard hotshoe, all of which is missing on the 5T. I would consider this the best value buy among the models listed here.

Olympus E-M5: The hump on top of the camera may be somewhat superficial but its aesthetic is beautiful. It is also weather sealed and more importantly has a superior 5-axis image stabilisation, which is great for people like me who love to shoot handheld. Also has a built in electronic viewfinder.

Olympus E-P5: If the E-M5 is beautiful, then the E-P5 is absolutely gorgeous. It basically has everything the E-M5 has with a further improved stabilisation but minus the weather sealing and viewfinder. It’s even more expensive and adding a separate viewfinder would cost another RM1000. But it’s so absolutely gorgeous.

(I know Olympus E-M1 is even better but I’m currently not considering any camera with a deep grip)

The NEX is a camera that can fill all my photographic need for many years to come. It’s an excellent and reliable tool I will have no regret owning but that is just my head thinking out loud. My heart is screaming for the Olympus, with its beautiful retro design and truly compact but impactful lenses. It’s logical to get the NEX but does an artist listen to his head, or to his heart?

Like I once read, the good news is there are many choices but the bad news is there are many choices! There is also rumour of a new NEX7 coming (7R? 7T?) as well as an entry Olympus OM-D. Noone knows yet (or those who knew are unable to reveal) what they are like but I’ll like to hazard a guess for the latter.

Being labelled an entry OM-D, it most likely retains its EVF and hopefully the 5-axis image stabilisation while omitting its weather sealing. Pricing may be slightly higher that E-PL5’s introductory price. 

Sound promising. I guess I would have to wait until after Christmas.

Sekinchan 11/12/13

It is 2013 so I couldn't quite explain why I visited Sekinchan and actually expected to see farmers harvesting paddies with their sickle.

Technology makes everything faster now. The only workers I can see are setting the field on fire.

Fortunately, the burning was well contained and it was over very soon. I later learned from the factory that the ashes are used as fertilizer as well. PLS which opened their factory for public visit also explained that they now transitioning to a more environmental friendly method of processing the harvested stem into animal's feeds.

The paddy processing factory is huge and even has a tourist centre with multimedia presentation and a trained staff showing visitors around the place. The rices produced there aremostly only sold there with only one brand marketed in Speedmart. Outside the factory is a small stall selling other produces of Sekinchan.

Most of the fields there are already harvested. We found a small plot that is still untouched and I wondered if this plot was deliberately left for visitors.

It's funny how I didn't expect our local rice production to be so advanced and knowing this actually gives me something to be proud of as Malaysian.

Your Neighbour Shop

My sister has an old Levi's t-shirt that reads "Support your local merchant. He is your neighbour."

Not an easy sentiment to follow these days when hypermarkets are all over and they sell products at lower price in a more comfortable air conditioned place. All the local grocer can hope for are people coming to them because they are near, and because the customers only have a few items to buy.

A local magazine shop which I visit regularly for my magazines.

Still, there are many small business owner we can choose to support. The food hawker in your favourite kopitiam, the local bookstore (newspaper's and magazine's price are fixed anyway) and maybe even those old electrical shop that does repair too.