GX GARNERINGS

Hong Kong's some oldest, not to mention poorest, neighbourhoods have an exotic and exciting quality to them.  There are plenty in those areas to inspire the creative minds of photographers and whatever visitors alike who can spend hours wandering and hunting for what-you-may-call-it kind of treasures, from flashy decorations, funky handicrafts to junkie rag-a-bone stuff.  The common sights are tenement buildings, or Tong Lau in the local language, and roadside kiosks selling whatnots.  If you are looking for a glimpse into the old Hong Kong where modern people still live and work probably the same way to this day, trip down to these treasure towns. The shot today shows a scene which epitomises the way those roadside merchants run their business in an old neighbourhood.  Originally, the kiosk just occupied the tiny space underneath the board written with the four Chinese character,  Hop Cheung Mechanic.  The illegal extensions to it speak of the usual w...

GX200 mounted with the DW-6 If you wonder how hot is too hot for a camera to verge on heat stroke, here are some tests adopted from a source which quoted from another unspecified source.  Reliability of the test results has not been ascertained.  But for fun, let's check them out: The test shot a HD video clip with the camera for 10 minutes under an indoor temperature of 26 degree centigrade (same below).  All the tested cameras use CMOS censor. 1) The EP-L1 sensor reached 39 degree, with the default overheat threshold being at 40 degree. 2) The NX10 sensor reached 41.1 degree, with the default overheat threshold being at 43 degree. 3) The result of the NEX-5 is a bit interesting.  The sensor (first shot) reached 35.6 degree while the body (second shot) reached 44.1 degree.  The default overheat threshold is at 50 degree.  The result shows that (a) the camera-based anti-shake function generates more heat than otherwise; (b) Sony has done a g...

The overheat issue of Sony's a55, and less severely in the case of a33, has caused a stir in the camera (less so in photography) forums across the Internet.  Sony's equivocal explanation on the real meaning of up to 29-minute videoing duration, unfortunately,  doesn't help much to quell the discontent among the complainants. Sony also suggests in the announcement that to take a video clip with the SLT for an extended period, users should refrain from operating it under direct sunlight, turn off the image stabilisation when not in use and rely on the tripod instead of the anti-shake function. It is beyond question that Sony doesn't have a good case to argue for the seemingly cover-up of the issue beforehand.  But ain't the complainants as photographers going the opposite way with the fuss? Rail at Sony as you can.  But, mark you, a camera is a camera which is unlike a camcorder that takes videos as a camcorder does.  Otherwise, do we think that Sony is being...

If there is one thing typical about Hong Kong at night, what would be beyond debate is "streets aglow in neon lights" and, alas, as technology has advanced, "LED lights".  The deep DOF gives small-sensor cameras an advantage in doing these night shots as the photographers can avoid higher ISO by opening the aperture at the widest end without blurring the background. But of course, for the tiny mirroless cameras, the wide array of available lenses are simply tempting.  We can look into some of the choices in another post.  Besides that, as their IQ performance at higher ISO values is mellowing, the above deep-DOF advantage is narrower.  The photographer can just tweak the ISO value on a mirrorless, for example, to 800 to spare a wide aperture; hence the background in focus. The best place to shoot the street shining with neon lights in Hong Kong is not really the thoroughfare, namely, Nathan Road.  For sure, Nathan Road is a good choice.  But why no...

A high-angle view to the CBD on the Hong Kong Island.  Taken with GX200 (plus the DW-6 and a star filter for the second shot).

A Taiwan guy showed off his two acquisitions, and compared their sizes. Full frontal Bums Top Right and Left

Don't point your lens towards the laser beams.  The sensor can be broken in a split of a second, in case you haven't watched these clips before (mark the light trail stays on the clip once the laser beam reaches the sensor):     This is even worse.  The sensor was totalled:

  ... a fully lying person.  This is Sunday.  Read a book. P.S. I'm reading