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A new toy dropped into my lap the other day courtesy of Canon Malaysia (Thanks Canon!). :D



Took it for for a quick spin around the house and from the initial impression is pretty good. The flash output is probably one stop less as compared to the 430 EX II but it loses out in terms of the flexibility in rotating the head.

Another gripe is that the settings cannot be adjusted on the flash itself but must be controlled via the camera's in built menu. On the plus side, it offers ETTL or manual control on the power but again, one mus go through the menu to set it although I've read that the newer bodies (ie. 60D & 7D) can control the flash remotely.



Also, the AF assist isn't the red grid, it's the retina searing flash burst (great way to annoy those who you don't really like because you can blame the camera for it :P). Not very discreet and definitely not subject friendly unless your subject is impervious to flashing bright lights in which case, they'd ought to be seeing a optician.



As for now, I'll probably use it off camera rather than having it sit on my camera as the 430 EX II allows me more flexibility even though the 270 EX II is lighter.

Its always nice to sit down and catch up with your old mates from college. The reunion was small but no less interesting. So much has changed over the years but one thing still remains, our friendship still remains as strong as the good old days.

Also had a chance to take Anthony's 60D out for a spin. The camera was definitely an upgrade from my current body and is similar to the D7000 I tested earlier although I must say that the swivel screen came in pretty handy at times.

So the inevitable happened when my battery decided to die on me after 19 shots.
Popped by my local photography store to buy some third party batteries but ended up with two original Canon batteries. :S

I finally bit the bullet and got myself some correction gels for my strobe.
All I have to do now is figure out when to use which gel... =S

Not much of a DIY person but since my flash didn't come up with a pull out bounce card, I thought I'd make my own. It's relatively cheap to make.
All you need are foam sheets, some double sided tape, a rubber band and a cutter.
Just cut them out to whatever shape you want, stick them together and 30 mins later and voila!

A bounce card!

If double sided tape doesn't work for you, get a spray on adhesive. I kept the cost down and sewed the sides instead.

If you rather have a more polished one, check out A better bounce card!

For all those Canon enthusiast out there, I present to you THE MUG to rule them all:




Apparently you can get them here

And if 24-105mm lacks oomph, how about 70-200mm?

The 70-200mm picture is from here

Your morning coffee will never be the same again!

Ever since I got my camera, I've been searching for a camera bag to put all of my equipment in. What's wrong with the free camera bag that came with the kit you might say. Well, for one, I prefer something that's discreet that doesn't go "THIS GUY HAS A DSLR SLUNG ONTO HIS SHOULDER!!" with neon lights lighting it up. Ever notice when someone carries around a suspiciously boxy bag with a Canon or Nikon imprinted on the front? Now you know what's in them. Catch the attention of the wrong person and you'll find yourself a few thousand Ringgit lighter, figuratively and literally. :/

So what kind of bag is discreet? Third party camera bags such as Kata, Lowepro, Crumpler etc thats what! Unfortunately, these bags cost a small fortune and for a camera enthusiast on a budget, they're pretty much out of the picture. That leaves the question of what to purchase if all the bags are so darned expensive.

The answer lies in slightly less known brands who also manufacture camera bags ie Bagman, Winer etc although Bagman seems to be a pretty decent knock off of the Crumpler 7 million dollar home.


Image from shlow1819.

Initially I had wanted to get a Bagman. The size was decent, price was reasonable and the reviews weren't too shabby. Unfortunately one inherent problem with sling bags was that they tend to get in the way whenever you're trying to reposition yourself for a better angle. That's when I spotted a lowepro slingbag look alike. It had all the main features of real one such as side access to the camera, customisable compartments and a rain cover for when it rains! Pricing wise, its the same as the Bagman but no reviews were forthcoming so I took the plunge and got one anyway.

*Edit, I just found out that the bag's called Buffalo Montana 284 Fastpack









Build quality is decent with a few stray threads here and there and the padding seems to be sufficient to absorb a few knocks here and there. Since I don't have the real Lowepro with me I can't say with authority that this bag is as good as the real deal but its definitely able enough as a camera bag. Besides, its less than half of the real one so what more do you want? :D

Just the other day I was tagging along when Billy and Chris decided to go for their 'little' DSLR shopping spree along with David. After all, its not everyday that you find two guys buying Nikon DSLRs at the same time.

Since they were busy testing out their Nikons, my wandering eyes landed on something that I've been eyeing for a long time... the Canon 50mm 1.8 II. With a bit of luck and their 'bulk' purchase, I managed to get the Canon 50mm 1.8 II on the low with a no name filter thrown in for free. With that said, Foto Selangor's prices are pretty competitive closely matching prices quoted by online retailers. Haggling is a must as their display prices are sometimes 10%-20% higher than the final prices.

p.s. Foto Selangor can be found at Pertama Complex which is besides Sogo. Google the shop's name and you'll find that I'm not the only one raving about their prices. :D


50mm


Billy and his new toy



Chris' payment for his camera. Cash no less

And some random pictures taken with the 50mm while we were in the shop:

Here I am cleaning the proverbial cobwebs. Its been ages since I last posted anything mostly because there wasn't anything meaningful to post but mostly because I got lazy. What's new then? I finally got myself a new camera, the 1000d which is a step up from my old one the powershot. Hand on heart, the images coming out from the new camera is fantastic to say the least. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to hone my skills further. :)



Old.


New :D


Some pictures from the kit lens:
p.s. the fish head curry was pretty good, its somewhere along Jalan Ipoh, can't remember the shop's name though...